DON'T BE JEALOUS OF ONE ANOTHER

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu!

Abu Hurairah [RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Avoid jealousy between yourselves, do not outbid one another (with a view to raising the price), do not harbor hatred against one another, do not bear enmity against one another, one of you should not enter into a transaction when the other has already entered into it; and be fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. A Muslim is a Muslim’s brother. He does not wrong, desert or despise him. Piety is found here (pointing three times to his chest), despising his Muslim brother is enough evil for any man to do. Every Muslim’s blood, property and honor are unlawful to be violated by another Muslim.” Related by Muslim.

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-{ لَا تَحَاسَدُوا وَلَا تَنَاجَشُوا, وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا, وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا, وَلَا يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ, وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اَللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا, اَلْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو اَلْمُسْلِمِ, لَا يَظْلِمُهُ, وَلَا يَخْذُلُهُ, وَلَا يَحْقِرُهُ, اَلتَّقْوَى هَا هُنَا, وَيُشِيرُ إِلَى صَدْرِهِ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ, بِحَسْبِ اِمْرِئٍ مِنْ اَلشَّرِّ أَنْ يَحْقِرَ أَخَاهُ اَلْمُسْلِمَ, كُلُّ اَلْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى اَلْمُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ, دَمُهُ, وَمَالُهُ, وَعِرْضُهُ } أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ.‏ (1959)‏ .‏

‏1 ‏- صحيح.‏ رواه مسلم (2564)‏.‏

 Book 16, Hadith 1539 

Jealousy is very common these days. Jealousy is so common that people have now started working their ways into satisfying their jealousy to the extent that others get hurt or have serious issues. Jealousy is also happening especially when there is a rapid rise of media outlet where everyone is sharing everything and every bit of their lives online. This leads to people envying each other and wishing and desiring for things that others have and feeling bad that they don't have it like good food, beautiful partners, makeup, shoes, accessories, bodies etc! This leads to the extremely dangerous jealousy where the person starts to wish bad upon the person he/she is jealous of. One starts cursing them which is very bad and unacceptable!
The worst thing is when women see other women they are friends with or even related to, and start hating them for it internally. And men get jealous when they see other men having better cars, jobs, wives than themselves. This is a disease. A big disease!! Not only the person who is jealous gets restless, the people who he/she is jealous off also suffers big time, either due to evil eye, or secretly plotted disaster like black magic or simply slandering, calumny or dishonoring.

“Beware of jealousy, for verily it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood.” (Abu Dawood)

To be jealous of another person is itself dangerous. It burns off your good deeds slowly but surely.

Why should one be jealous? We must be happy for other's blessings. We should not wish bad upon them or assume that they don't deserve it. It is Allah's Decree that He wishes to provide for someone with whatever Provision He wills. We have no right to unnecessarily interfere into other's businesses or lives to see how they live and why they live and that they don't deserve it. Be happy and most importantly, we all should be GRATEFUL! Say Alhumdulillah that we have a lot of things to be grateful off like our husbands, our families, our children, our houses, our jobs, our lives, our iman and everything basically! We need to accept of what we have been given and what others have been given and being happy for everyone in the end. 

[Also don't be that type of person who purposefully makes others jealous by showing off and what not. Don't do that. Please.]

When we envy others and ask questions or point fingers or start talking about that particular person, we need to ask ourselves, is that really any of my concern? Does this really benefit me? Do I need to talk about it? Is it really worth it? When you know it's not, you'll stop and it only takes a little practice to process and perfect this thought and action. Just avoid that thought, just avoid talking or matter of fact, just thinking about that person. Just practice that and see you feeling light. Jealousy is a negative trait and thought, and getting relieved of it is very liberating. 

Remember that not everyone has a perfect life. You must be deluded by the outward appearances or outward leisure of other people but it's not always the case. No one is happy all the time, what they show to you might not be what they really are in private. We need to see the overall picture and not always get carried away with the glitters and amusement of others' lives. Look at the lives of the famous celebrities and youtubers, how they always keep crying and keep complaining of discontentment! They got everything, but are they really happy? What do you really like from them? Their happiness or their fame? They ain't got happy lives all the times. What you can do for yourself is pray for your betterment and to work hard to get what you want in life! Be busy. The more you are free you will find yourself occupied in these petty little issues which are so very insignificant. 

So remember there is always something better and good that YOU have and you only need to acknowledge it and be grateful for it and to never compare your life with others'. It's not worth it. In fact, before building up the feelings of jealousy remember that jealousy is a SIN and committing this sin robs you of your good deeds. 

Just remember this beautiful and thoughtful advice from our Prophet sallalahu alaihi wasallam


Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him):

Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said, “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales and do not look for the others’ faults, and do not do spying on one another, and do not practice Najsh, and do not be jealous of one another and do not hate one another, and do not desert (stop talking to) one another. And O, Allah’s worshipers! Be brothers!”

Muslim :: Book 32 : Hadith 6218

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) as saying: “Don’t bear aversion against one another and don’t be jealous of one another and be servants of Allah.”

At-Tirmidhee narrated from al-Zubayr Ibn al-Awam (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “There has come to you the disease of the nations before you, jealousy and hatred. This is the ‘shaver’ (destroyer); I do not say that it shaves hair, but that it shaves (destroys) faith…” [(Hasan) Jamee at-Tirmidhee (2434)]

جزاكم الله خيرا كثيرا for reading! 

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- Manal Mirza