I say, and with God's help: Whoever reflects deeply on the lives of people who have distanced themselves from pleasing their Lord and have occupied themselves with fulfilling their desires and pleasures will find that the relationship among them, in their views of one another, is largely based on envy. This is what the Lord of Glory has confirmed in His saying: {And from the evil of an envier when he envies} (Al-Falaq: 5). Envy undoubtedly exists, as stated clearly in the Holy Quran. Here is Satan, when he saw our master Adam (peace be upon him), whom God created, he refused his Lord's command to prostrate to Adam out of envy for him. Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Envy was the first sin committed in the heavens" (Shu'ab Al-Iman 5: 274). Look how envy led Satan to be cast out from God's mercy to His curse, incurring His wrath. Ibn Hibban said in "Rawdat Al-Aqlaa" (1: 99): "Envy is a precursor to misery. Do you not see that Satan envied Adam (peace be upon him), and his envy became misery for himself, turning him into a cursed one after being in a position of strength?" The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) strongly forbade envy, saying: "Do not envy one another, do not turn your backs on one another, do not cut ties with one another, and be servants of God as brothers" (Sahih Al-Bukhari 5: 2253, Sahih Muslim 4: 1986). The discussion on envy is long and intricate, and it cannot be fully encompassed in these lines; we will suffice with mentioning its meaning, its causes, the state of the envier and the envied, live examples of it, and how to avoid it. Envy of a blessing occurs when one dislikes it in another and wishes for its removal from them (see: Al-Misbah, p. 135). It is a term that refers to the desire for the removal of blessings from others and their transfer to oneself. However, whoever sees goodness in his brother and wishes for success for him or to attain his state, without wanting the removal of what his brother has, is not guilty of the envy that is condemned and prohibited. From envy arises hatred, and hatred is the root of evil. Whoever harbors evil in his heart nurtures a bitter plant, its taste is bitterness, its growth is anger, and its fruit is regret. Envy hardly exists except towards those upon whom God's blessings are abundant. The more blessings God bestows upon someone, the more the envious increase in their dislike and resentment towards him, as stated in "Rawdat Al-Aqlaa" (1: 97). The cause of envy revolves around God's grace and blessings, distinguishing a person from among his peers, and his emergence and excellence in beauty, knowledge, wealth, status, or other areas in which people compete. The soul cannot bear the preference of others over itself; rather, it strives hard to reveal their flaws and to see them removed by various means. This is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) indicated when he said: "Seek assistance in fulfilling your needs by keeping them secret, for every possessor of a blessing is envied" (Musnad Al-Ruyani 4: 145, Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir 20: 94, Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsat 3: 55). Al-Iraqi said in his commentary on "Ihya" (7: 231): "Its chain is weak." Our master Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "There is no one who possesses a blessing except that he has an envier" (Rawdat Al-Aqlaa 1: 97). Qatadah said: "Blessings never increased among a people except that their enemies increased." Muharib ibn Dithar said: "I refrain from wearing new clothes for fear that envy will arise among my neighbors" (Shu'ab Al-Iman 5: 278). In the Arabic proverb: "The beautiful are a target for the envious," taken from the words of Al-Hamasi: "White, charming in speech, as if she were a moon In the midst of a cool night Marked by beauty, with envious ones Indeed, the beautiful are a target for the envious." "Beautiful" is the plural of "beauty," and a "target" is a place where something is believed to exist. The meaning is that the beautiful are likely to be envied for their beauty, and likewise, anyone who has some virtue or distinction is likely to be envied, as it is said: "Every possessor of a blessing is envied." Those who are praised have many envious ones and are criticized for having few, for the presence of envious ones is a metaphor for the presence of virtue and blessing, as it is said: "And for every house, there are enemies Who envied our virtue, so their efforts were misguided." Another said: "Before me, the people of virtue have been envied If they envy me, I do not blame them." Another said: "Virtue is never free from envy, So I have increased in envy from those I do not envy." Abu Al-Aswad or someone else said: "The people are his enemies and opponents They envied the young man when they did not attain his efforts Out of envy and hatred, for he is ugly." As for the poet Ammar ibn Aqil: "The virtuous are envied by those of lesser stature The envy of the vile does not harm me Except for the manifestation of the blessing of the Merciful." Bashar said: "I am more precious than those who love me I do not wish to live without envious ones, for they Will die from a hidden disease God has kept my envious ones despite them." And Al-Mansur Al-Faqih recited: "Do you know on whom I have misbehaved? Say to whoever envies me: If you are not pleased with what God has bestowed upon me, You have misbehaved against God in His actions." See: "Zahr Al-Akum" (1: 60), "Al-Tabaqat Al-Sunniya" (1: 44), and "Shu'ab Al-Iman" (5: 276). From the previous verses, it is clear to us the state of both the envier and the envied. The envied person is someone upon whom God has bestowed blessings and favored him with a virtue that distinguishes him from those around him, leading to an increase in his envied status. He is praised for the envy of others towards him; for if he had not emerged and excelled, he would not have been admired. Some have praised certain people: "Whoever lives among people for a day without being envied Is envied and is the worst of people in status." Al-Buhturi said: "You have exhausted yourselves, so do as he does Do not envy him for the virtue of his rank." Al-Buhturi also said: "If you do not make it clear to him with an envier, Time will not reveal the place of a blessing." See: "Al-Bayan wa Al-Tabyeen" (1: 331), and "Nihayat Al-Arab" (1: 346), among others. As for the state of the envier: he is one whose heart is filled with hatred and bitterness towards what God has bestowed upon others. He plots and schemes against what they possess and wishes for its removal from them. He lives in bitterness and misery, as Al-Ahnaf ibn Qais said: "There is no comfort for the envious," and Al-Sha'bi said: "The envier is tormented by what is in the hands of others," and Al-Khalil said: "I have not seen an oppressor more like a victim than an envious one," and Al-Mutanabbi said: "Whoever spends the night in his blessings turns And the most unjust of people is the one who spends the night envious." And Al-Abrash recited: "He has enmity from everyone The envier has nothing but what he envies." See: "Al-Bayan wa Al-Tabyeen" (1: 330), "Shu'ab Al-Iman" (5: 24), and "Nihayat Al-Arab" (1: 346). In this brief discussion, I will limit myself to envy in knowledge alone, for it is one of the greatest doors of envy in this world, and many hearts are filled with it. Among the things said about the great Imam Abu Hanifa Al-Nu'man, the jurist of this nation, is that when Abdullah ibn Tahir was told: "People speak ill of Abu Hanifa," he replied: "If a boy throws a stone at him, it does not harm the sea that has become abundant." Then he recited: "No one lives a day without being envied. If they envy me, may God increase my envy In knowledge and bravery or in glory and generosity. A person is only envied for his virtues." See: "Al-Tabaqat Al-Sunniya" (1: 44), and others. Among the living examples of envy in knowledge throughout our great Islamic history: One of the most prominent scholars of this nation is the jurist and usuli, known as the Sword of Religion, Ali ibn Abi Ali Al-Tighlabi Al-Shafi'i (d. 631 AH). At a time when no one was more knowledgeable than him in rational sciences, he became famous for his virtue and authored exquisite works in it, such as "Abkar Al-Afkar," "Ramuz Al-Kunuz," and "Muntaha Al-Sul in Usul Al-Fiqh." He did not escape envy; a group of the jurists of the land envied him, were biased against him, and accused him of corrupt beliefs, moral decay, and the philosophy of the philosophers. They wrote a document containing that, and signed it with their names, which would allow for his blood to be shed. Among them was a man of intellect and knowledge, and when he saw their bias against him and excessive partisanship, he wrote in the document, which was brought to him to write in it like what they had written: "The people are his enemies and opponents They envied the young man when they did not attain his efforts." And God knows best, and he wrote: "So-and-so ibn So-and-so," thus ruining what they intended, as mentioned in "Wafayat Al-A'yan" (3: 293-294). And here is the Imam of the interpreters, Muhammad ibn Jarir Al-Tabari (d. 310 AH), who was envied by the people of his time. He was buried at night in his house because some of the Hanbalis were biased against him and spoke ill of him, followed by others, and they prevented his burial during the day, claiming that he was a rejector, and then accused him of heresy. Ali ibn 'Isa said: "By God, if these were asked about the meaning of rejection and heresy, they would not know it nor understand it," as mentioned in "Al-Kamil" (3: 408-409). Similarly, what happened to the reviver of the 12th century AH, Sheikh Ahmad ibn Abdul Ahad Al-Sirhindi (d. 1173 AH); he was the proof of the righteous saints and a rarity of the days, as evidenced by his book "Al-Maktubat" in three volumes, which is one of the decisive proofs of his mastery in religious sciences, and it contains what does not come to mind for those who do not have insight into the ranks of gnosis. The envious and adversaries sought to slander him before Sultan Jahangir, who ordered the Sheikh to be brought and was satisfied with his response to what they said. They presented to the Sultan that the Sheikh did not bow to him out of arrogance, nor did he humble himself in a manner that was appropriate, so the Sultan became angry with him and imprisoned him in the fortress of Koliar... and he remained in prison for three years..." as mentioned in "Nuzhat Al-Khawatir" (5: 43-44). After this clarification, it is upon the wise person to avoid the envious and not to display God's blessings before them, and to seek refuge in God, for envy is a psychological illness that afflicts those whose faith is weak in their hearts, and it does not please their hearts except for the removal of blessings. Abu Hatim said: "There is no safety from the envious except by keeping away from them; for as long as he is overlooking what has been designated for him, it only increases his loneliness, and bad thoughts about God, and the growth of envy within him. The wise person will strive to eliminate envy as much as he can, and he is more eager to eradicate it than to nurture it. He will not find a more effective remedy for eliminating it than distance, for the envious does not envy you for a defect in you or for a betrayal that has appeared from you, but he envies you for what he has in opposition to being content with God's decree, as Al-'Atabi said: "I have committed no crime, except that you are envious. I ponder what my sin is towards you, and I see none." The wise person, if a thought of envy for his brother crosses his mind, should strive to conceal it and refrain from expressing what has crossed his mind. Envy is most often found among peers. And what a vile cloak envy is for a person; for it brings about sorrow and grief, and it is a disease with no cure. The envious, when he sees a blessing upon his brother, is astonished, and when he sees him stumble, he rejoices. The evidence of what is in his heart is concealed on his face, and I have not seen an envious person who has not harmed anyone... It is easy for a person to please every discontented person in this world until he pleases them, except for the envious, for he is not pleased except with the removal of the blessing for which he was envious..." And leaving it is among the actions of the noble, Envy is among the morals of the vile. And the fire of envy is never extinguished, And for every fire, there is an extinguisher. See: "Rawdat Al-Aqlaa" (1: 98-99). The poet said: "Except for the enmity of one who envies you, All enmity can be hoped to be extinguished." Another said: "Except for the envious, for he has exhausted me. I have given everyone of myself. I have beauty, wealth, and eloquence, Yet he hides his anger within when he sees. And the destruction of my limbs and the cutting of my tongue." And Al-Qanad recited: "Even if he throws you into the depths, Be patient with the envy of the envious, For perhaps your glance will not return." See: "Shu'ab Al-Iman" (5: 276). And Dhun-Nun said: "Envy is a disease that does not heal, and the envious has enough of evil what he faces when entering the prison," as mentioned in "Shu'ab Al-Iman" (5: 277). We conclude the discussion with what a person must observe in himself to avoid entering the ranks of the envious. Abu Hatim said: "It is obligatory for the wise person to avoid envy in all circumstances, for the least of the traits of envy is the lack of contentment with God's decree and the desire for the opposite of what God has decreed for His servants. Then the heart harbors the desire for the removal of blessings from the Muslim, and the envious does not find peace for his soul, nor comfort for his body except when he sees the blessing removed from his brother. And it is unlikely that God's decree will assist what the envious has in their hearts," as mentioned in "Rawdat Al-Aqlaa" (1: 98). And God knows best.