Authored by: Dr. Riḍā ‘Abdullāh Pāshā حفظه الله
What is ḥasad (envy)?
When Allah ﷻ grants a person a blessing, and another person wishes that the blessing be taken away from him and given to himself — this is called ḥasad.
The first instance of ḥasad was when Iblīs envied our father Ādam (عليه السلام). The first sin committed among mankind was Qābīl killing his brother Hābīl out of envy.
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢٧﴾
“And recite to them the story of Adam’s two sons in truth: when each offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from one of them and not accepted from the other. He said, ‘I will surely kill you.’ The other said, ‘Indeed, Allah accepts only from the righteous.’”
(Al-Mā’idah: 27)
Jābir (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«أكثر من يموت من أمتي بعد قضاء الله وقدره بالأنفس»
“After Allah’s decree and destiny, most deaths in my Ummah will be due to the (evil) eye.”
(Al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr by al-Bukhārī, 4/360; Kashf al-Astār by al-Haythamī, 3/403, ḥadīth no. 3052)
Ḥasad is a spiritual disease of nations that will continue until the Day of Judgement. It cannot coexist with true īmān in the same heart.
Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لا تقاطعوا ولا تباغضوا ولا تحاسدوا، وكونوا عباد الله إخوانا»
“Do not cut off ties, do not hate one another, and do not envy one another. Be, O servants of Allah, brothers.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 2559)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«خير الناس ذو القلب المخموم، واللسان الصادق…»
“The best of people is the one with a pure heart and a truthful tongue.”
They asked: “What is a pure heart?”
He replied: “It is the heart that is pious and clean, having no sin, no injustice, and no envy.”
They asked: “Who comes next to him?”
He said: “The one who detests the world and loves the Hereafter.”
They asked: “And then who?”
He said: “A believer with good character.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi‘, ḥadīth no. 3291)
Abū ‘Ubaydah explained that al-naqī refers to the one whose heart has no envy or malice.
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, ḥadīth no. 4306 — authenticated by al-Albānī)
Question:
What is ḥasad (envy)?
Answer:
When Allah ﷻ grants a person a blessing, and another person wishes that the blessing be taken away from him and given to himself — this is called ḥasad.
The first instance of ḥasad was when Iblīs envied our father Ādam (عليه السلام). The first sin committed among mankind was Qābīl killing his brother Hābīl out of envy.
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ بِالْحَقِّ إِذْ قَرَّبَا قُرْبَانًا فَتُقُبِّلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِمَا وَلَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنَ الْآخَرِ قَالَ لَأَقْتُلَنَّكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢٧﴾
“And recite to them the story of Adam’s two sons in truth: when each offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from one of them and not accepted from the other. He said, ‘I will surely kill you.’ The other said, ‘Indeed, Allah accepts only from the righteous.’”
(Al-Mā’idah: 27)
Ḥasad as a Cause of Harm
Jābir (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«أكثر من يموت من أمتي بعد قضاء الله وقدره بالأنفس»
“After Allah’s decree and destiny, most deaths in my Ummah will be due to the (evil) eye.”
(Al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr by al-Bukhārī, 4/360; Kashf al-Astār by al-Haythamī, 3/403, ḥadīth no. 3052)
Ḥasad is a spiritual disease of nations that will continue until the Day of Judgement. It cannot coexist with true īmān in the same heart.
Prohibition of Ḥasad
Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لا تقاطعوا ولا تباغضوا ولا تحاسدوا، وكونوا عباد الله إخوانا»
“Do not cut off ties, do not hate one another, and do not envy one another. Be, O servants of Allah, brothers.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth no. 2559)
The Best of People: Those Free from Ḥasad
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«خير الناس ذو القلب المخموم، واللسان الصادق…»
“The best of people is the one with a pure heart and a truthful tongue.”
They asked: “What is a pure heart?”
He replied: “It is the heart that is pious and clean, having no sin, no injustice, and no envy.”
They asked: “Who comes next to him?”
He said: “The one who detests the world and loves the Hereafter.”
They asked: “And then who?”
He said: “A believer with good character.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi‘, ḥadīth no. 3291)
Abū ‘Ubaydah explained that al-naqī refers to the one whose heart has no envy or malice.
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, ḥadīth no. 4306 — authenticated by al-Albānī)
