Jealousy

Jealousy is the burning sensation that a person feels in his heart when he sees a person in well-being. A person feels such when he sees his colleague at work being promoted. A neighbour feels such when he sees his neighbour progressing. A person whom you consider as one of your good friends may also feel like this when he sees you in well-being. Even an Aa'lim can also feel like this when he sees another Aa'lim getting fame from the public. 

So, it is something that is found in the nature of almost everyone. Nonetheless, some people try to monitor it and some are carried away by it. The Shari’ah requires us to monitor it and not to be carried away by it. People who monitor it are not blameworthy. On the contrary, he is a Mujahid (combatant) who fights his Nafs. That is why there is great reward for him by Allah Ta’ala.

People, who get carried away by it and go out of control, tend to harm the next person. If they are unable to do that, then the least they tend to do is to wish bad fortune for the person whom they are jealous of. All this is Haraam. A person, who does this, disgraces himself. He renders his life difficult and finally he cannot do anything as whatever Allah Ta’ala has written in destiny, cannot be barred. Therefore, it is useless to fall into such lowliness. 

Since jealousy is something evil, one has to get rid of it and it is possible to get rid of it through a little willpower. A person must realise that all benefits that anyone has attained is from Allah Ta’ala. Now, if a person wishes that such and such person should not have got a certain favour, this represents an objection to the distribution of Allah Ta’ala. And on the whole, this is something very grave. A person causes harm to himself due to this.

[English version of "La jalousie" – Al Jamiat – Vol.2 No.5]