بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, once came out and offered the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Uhud, and proceeded to the pulpit and said, "I shall be your predecessor and a witness on you, and I am really looking at my sacred Fount now, and no doubt, I have been given the keys of the treasures of the world. By Allah, I am not afraid that you will worship others along with Allah, but I am afraid that you will envy and fight one another for worldly fortunes." (Bukhari)
Everything, tangible or intangible, -- knowledge, wealth, fame, intellect, children, piety, beauty, health, strength, courage, vision -- is Allah's gift to whoever He wants, and can be subject of much envy by people who don't have them or have less of them. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Every possessor of any blessing is envied." Someone of means, will have someone who envies him for what he possesses. Even two street sweepers will envy one another. The one who pulls his cart on his own will envy the sweeper who has a donkey.
If you desire that someone lose his blessings or that blessings be bestowed on you as well, this is envy. To envy is an expression of displeasure at the distribution of Allah. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "As fire destroys fuel, so envy destroys virtues." Envy is injurious for the envier in this world and the next, but no harm reaches the envied person, rather it benefits him. The envied person if backbited will get the virtues of the envious person.
The Qur'an teaches us to seek refuge in Allah from the evil of the envier when he envies. (Qur'an 113:5)
Narrated Ibn Mas`ud, Allah be well pleased with him: I heard the Prophet , Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, "There is no envy except in two: a person whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge) and he gives his decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others." (Bukhari)
Remember
"Every soul shall taste death; and We try you with evil and good for a testing, then unto Us you shall be returned." Qur'an al-Anbiya' 21:35
And Allah's treasures is vast. What He gives to others, He did not take it from your share. So why should we envy what others have. We should be concerned about what people don't have and share what you have with them. Make du'a for those who have for this is a test for them. As well, it is a test for you that you don't have.
May Allah make us among the Godfearing and protect us from the evil of the envier. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
Wassalaam
