Chapter V: Dangers of Anger, Malice and Envy
To have competition is not unlawful, rather it is commendable. It is an effort towards further progress and advancement. God says: And in this, let those aspire who have aspiration-83: 26Q. God says: Complete one another towards forgiveness from your Lord-57: 21Q. They are like two servants who both try to please their master and hope to defeat the other in this matter. The Prophet mentioned about them. He said:
There is no ehvy for two persons- (1) God gave wealth to one person and also gave him power to spend it in the path of truth.
(2) God gave learning to another who acts up* to it and teaches it to the peopled The Prophet then explained the words of Abu Kabsha Anmari and said: The example of this people is as the example of four persons. (1) They are like the person whom God gave wealth and learning and who spends wealth in useful ways according to his learning. (2) They are like the person whom God gave learning but not wealth and yet he says: O God, had I had wealth like so and so, I would had spent it as he spends. They will get equal rewards. The rewards which a rich man will get by spending money will be equal to those which a poor man will get only by cherishing the desire to spend it. (3) They are like the person whom God gave wealth but not learning and who spends it in sinful acts. (4) They are like the person whom God did not give learning and wealth and who says: Had I had wealth like so and so, I would have spent it in sinful acts like his expense. They are equally sinners. The Prophet rebuked the persons of such intention to commit sins. The Prophet said: No believer is saved from three matters-(l) envy, bad conjecture and bad omen. These are outlets from them. When you feel envy, don't run after it.
THREE STAGES OF ENVY
There are three stages of envy according to status. (1) The first stage is that the envious person loves that wealth and gifts
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should go away from the person envied and that they should not come to him again- This is unlawful and worst condition- (2) The second stage is that the envious person wishes to have the gifts of the envied person, such as to have beautiful house like his house, to have a beautiful wife like his wife and to have power like him.
This is lawful but not commendable. (3) The third stage is that the envious person does not wish to have identical things for himself but to have similar things. This is condemned in some cases ^nd ' not in others. God says: Don't greed for the gifts which God bestowed on some of you.
SEVEN CAUSES OF ENVY