Hasad (jealousy and envy) is one of the most negative emotions of human being. It is such a disease of soul that no doctor can find the cure for it. It causes him to wish evil for others and to be happy when misfortune befalls them.
Allah (SWT) says in the Quran - "Do not envy that Allah has given some of you more than the others. Men will be rewarded according to their deeds and women will be rewarded according to theirs. And, ask Allah for His bounty. Surely Allah has perfect knowledge of everything." (Surah Nisa: 32)
وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوۡا مَا فَضَّلَ اللّٰهُ بِهٖ بَعۡضَكُمۡ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ ؕ لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِيۡبٌ مِّمَّا اكۡتَسَبُوۡا ؕ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيۡبٌ مِّمَّا اكۡتَسَبۡنَ ؕ وَسۡئَـلُوا اللّٰهَ مِنۡ فَضۡلِهٖ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ عَلِيۡمًا
Envy is the evil, begrudging reaction one feels towards another who has received some favor from Allah (SWT). This may either be the outcome of direct physical action by the envier, or from suppressed feelings alone. When a person perceives others to be more perfect than himself, a feeling of inferiority seizes him, which, with the help of external factors and inner propensities, generates the feeling of envy in his heart.
Causes of Hasad :
Qualities in others such as certain intellectual, spiritual, and moral merits, or good and pious deeds, or outward factors such as honor, prestige and wealth
Immoral or negative traits that are imagined to be merits
Products of a feeling of inferiority and dejectedness.
Muhammad ibn Ya'qub (al-Kulayni), from 'Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn `isa, from Yunus, from Dawad al-Raqqi, who reports from Abu `Abd Allah (al-'Imam al-Sadiq) (A) that the Apostle of God (S) said that God Almighty addressed Musa ibn `Imran (A) thus: "O son of `Imran, never be envious of people concerning the favors I have conferred on them by My grace, do not glower at them, and do not succumb to your (envious) self. Indeed the envious man is indignant at the bestowal of My favor, and contests My apportioning of gifts among My creatures. Whoso is such, he neither belongs to Me nor do I belong to him."
Allah (SWT) further says in the Quran: “Have they, perchance, a share in (God’s) dominion? If so, they would not give other people so much as [would fill] the groove of a date-stone. Do they, perchance, envy other people for what God has given them out of His bounty? We have indeed given revelation and wisdom to the House of Abraham, and We did bestow on them a mighty dominion.”(Surah 4:53-54)
اَمۡ لَهُمۡ نَصِيۡبٌ مِّنَ الۡمُلۡكِ فَاِذًا لَّا يُؤۡتُوۡنَ النَّاسَ نَقِيۡرًا ۙ
اَمۡ يَحۡسُدُوۡنَ النَّاسَ عَلٰى مَاۤ اٰتٰٮهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنۡ فَضۡلِهٖۚ فَقَدۡ اٰتَيۡنَاۤ اٰلَ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ الۡـكِتٰبَ وَالۡحِكۡمَةَ وَاٰتَيۡنٰهُمۡ مُّلۡكًا عَظِيۡمًا
They envy them what Allah has granted them of His grace. They have not given them anything of their own. They view as undeserved, any favor Allah grants to anyone other than themselves, although He has bestowed on them and their predecessors much of His grace. His bounty has not taught them to be generous, and has not rid them of their envy. They cannot tolerate that Allah grants any of His servants any favor.
Are they His(swt) partners? Glorified be He (swt) to take any partners. Do they have any share in His (swt) wealth and property, from which He (swt) bestows His (swt) gifts? Had they any such share, they would have not given anyone a trifle.
The Arabic expression used here for “a trifle” is a term which signifies a little mark which may be seen at the back of a date-stone or its groove. The Israelites are too selfish even to give that to people, had they any share in Allah’s wealth. We praise Allah that they do not have any share, otherwise all mankind would have perished. Or is it envy? They envied the Prophet and the Muslims the great bounty Allah gave them when He revealed to them the religion that brought about their rebirth. Thus He gave them their distinctive character, as well as confidence, reassurance, light, purity, and strength. It is certainly their envy, along with their realization that they had missed out on achieving their ambitions to impose their moral and economic authority on the Arabs, a nation that was divided before it had any religion worthy of the name. But why should the Jews envy anyone on whom Allah bestows favors when they themselves had enjoyed much of such favor ever since the time of Abraham. Allah (swt) granted Abraham’s household Scriptures and prophethood as well as a kingdom. It was the Israelites who did not appreciate Allah’s favors, nor did they fulfil their obligations. Some of them were truly unbelievers. Nevertheless, people who have enjoyed all this grace should never begrudge anyone anything Allah may grant them. “We have indeed given revelation and wisdom to the House of Abraham, and We did bestow on them a mighty dominion. Some of them believe in him and some turn away from him.” (Ayats 54-55).
It is perhaps the worst type of envy that one who enjoys much of Allah’s favors should envy others what they have been granted by Him. When a person who is totally deprived of favors envies others, his envy is a terrible vice. For one who enjoys much, envy is a mark of genuine evil. Hence, the warning against an evil doom: “Sufficient scourge is the fire of Hell.” (Ayat 55)
We should not try to deny the psychological effects of envy on the envied person just because we cannot ascertain how this takes place by scientific means and methods. Very little is known about the mysteries of envy and the little that is known has often been uncovered by chance and coincidence. In any case, there is in envy an evil from which the refuge and protection of Allah must be sought. For He, the Most Generous, Most Merciful, who knows all things, has directed the Prophet and his followers to seek His refuge from such evil. It is unanimously agreed by all Islamic schools of thought that God will always protect His servants from such evils, should they seek His protection as He has directed them to do. Al-Bukhārī relates that `Ā’ishah said: “The Prophet would blow into both hands when getting into bed to sleep, and recite: ‘Say: He is God, the One...’ and, ‘Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak...’ and, ‘Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,’ and, starting with his head, he would run his palms over his face and the front part of his body, before running them over the rest of his body. He did this three times.” [Also related by Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī and al-Nasā’ī.] Hasad is a disease of the soul that has grave psychological, moral, and social consequences. Fortunately, with faith and, sincere and persistent efforts, it is curable. A faithful person is optimistic, has a hopeful attitude towards God, and is satisfied with the way He has divided His bounties among His creatures. Imam Ali (a) said: “The person who gives up hasad is loved by people.” (Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 237, hadith no. 1)
Rest Allah knows best.
Source: Quran, Hadith, In the shade of the Quran, Tafsir Ibn Kathir,