In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
The worst and least forgivable form of jealousy is that jealousy we feel when we think Allah is showing more favor to someone else, someone we think doesn’t deserve it the way we do. Another word for this is envy.
Envy is a nasty disease of the heart that leads to bad conduct and behavior, clearly sinful and evil. Envy leads to animosity, evil thinking about others' intentions, backbiting, spreading rumors, lying, turning back on each other, parting with bad terms, it may also lead the envious person to inflict physical damage with the envied person and even murder. It is a bad seed for a terrible tree of diseases.
For this reason, the scholars consider it from among the most dangerous, destructive, inner diseases, and the most destructive for the worldly life and the hereafter.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade envy: "Do not envy one another and do not hate one another, and do not turn your back on one another (in discontent) and be the servants of Allah like brothers." [Bukhari]
Allah Most High also ordered the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and all the believers to seek refuge from the evil of the envious person and envy. Allah Most High says,
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ ﴿١﴾ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ﴿٢﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ﴿٣﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّـٰثَـٰتِ فِى ٱلْعُقَدِ ﴿٤﴾ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ﴿٥[Qur'an, Al-Falaq 113]
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak (1) From the evil of that which He created (2) And from the evil of darkness when it settles (3) And from the evil of the blowers in knots (4) And from the evil of an envier when he envies." (5)
Envy means that you hate a blessing that Allah blessed someone with and like for it to go away, and if you could make it go away, you would do that.
If you do not hate it and do not like for it to go away but you would like for yourself something similar to it, then this is a possessive desire that leads to competition; both of which are good and commendable.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "It is not worth it, to envy anyone except in two cases. A man that Allah blessed with money and he spent it righteously, and a man that Allah blessed with knowledge and he implemented it in himself, and has taught it to others." [Bukhari]
As the Qur'an tells us, jealousy about the revelations sent to individual persons is behind much of the divisions in the one religion— the religion that Allah gave us from the beginning. Unfortunately, competition among scholars and religious leaders soon rendered the religious blind and deaf to each other.
Allah Almighty says,
كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِيمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ فَهَدَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿٢١٣[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:213]
Mankind was [of] one religion [before their deviation]; then Allah sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed. And none differed over the Scripture except those who were given it - after the clear proofs came to them - out of jealous animosity among themselves. And Allah guided those who believed to the truth concerning that over which they had differed, by His permission. And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path. (213)
This ayah clearly applies not only to followers of the last Prophet, Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) but to all those whose paths lead to Allah. Sometimes it looks like the only thing that people of all faiths can agree on is the existence of God.
How many times have you watched chasms grow between Muslims because of disagreements about how to dress, eat, or wash, as if these are the only thing about Islam? How many times have you heard Muslims from one country condemn Muslims from another country for being either too strict or too lenient in their religions?
If you ever felt overwhelmed by disagreements in the Ummah, or between Muslims and Muslims, or between Muslims and non-Muslims, try this simple mental experiment. Instead of focusing on the differences, look for the common ground.
We might find that leaving our petty disagreements behind will transform our experience with Allah and create greater unity in the Ummah, which in turn will create a welcoming atmosphere for those longing to join us.
And remember we are all going to die and no amount of intelligence, power or status can prevent that moment from happening even for a breath, and we may be a thing forgotten.
Allah Most High says,
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ[Qur'an, al-Ankabut 29:57]
Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned.
May Allah protect us from envy and bring peace to the world and unite the ummah, and make us die only as believers while He is pleased with us.
Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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