The Different Categories Of People With Respect To Hasad

With respect to that feeling of hasad, people can be divided into the following categories:

(1) There are some people who actively work to remove that bounty from the other person, without necessarily destroying the bounty itself. By their speech and their actions they will wrongly do whatever they can to bring an end to the other person's blessing from Allaah.

(2) There are others who do not just seek to remove that bounty from the other person, but they also work to get the bounty for themselves.

(3) The worst are those who simply wish to destroy the bounty, regardless of whether they themselves get it or if it is simply destroyed. They only want to destroy that blessing because it was not given to them in the first place.

(4) There are those who cannot remove the feeling of envy from their souls. They cannot control it but they do not like it and wish they could remove it. Those people, Allaah willing, are not sinful for their state that they cannot control. According to Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله, the evil of hasad comes about when the person acts upon his hasad, even if just in his heart. This is why Allaah سبحانه و تعالى guides the Muslims not to simply seek refuge of the envious one, but to seek refuge of the envious one when he is being envious. Allaah سبحانه و تعالى says,



"From the evil of the envious one when he envies." (Soorah al-Falaq, 113:5) [1]

(5) There are also those who, although they do not act upon their hasad, willingly have thoughts of envy, are pleased with them and continue to think in such a manner while putting up no resistance to such evil thoughts as removing blessings from one's brother. This person is like a person who is dead set upon committing a sin. There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning whether this kind of person is a sinner or not. Al-Haitami رحمه الله says that such a person is definitely a sinner. [2]

al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali رحمه الله, furthermore, points out that such a person is rarely safe from doing some wrong act against his brother out of spite and envy. Therefore, in the end, he may definitely become sinful in action, without question. [3]

(6) Another group of people recognise the hasad that exists within them. They do their best to remove that hasad from themselves and to treat the one they are envious of in the best possible fashion. They pray for the person; they tell others of his goodness and of the bounties that Allaah سبحانه و تعالى has bestowed upon him. They remove that hasad to the extent that they love their Muslim brother and they love that Allaah سبحانه و تعالى has blessed him and bestowed His bounties upon him. This category of people are among the people of the highest level of faith, they love for their brothers what they love for themselves. [4] [5]

Notes:

[1] Quoted in as-Saalihi, vol. 6, p. 529

[2] Al-Haitami, Fath, p. 249

[3] Jaami', vol. 2, p. 262

[4] Jaami', vol. 2, p. 263

[5] Commentary on the Forty Hadeeth of Imaam an-Nawawi رحمه الله, vol. 2, pp. 1031-1032