Healing the Heart from Jealousy: Understanding Hasad and Its Cure

By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam

6 November 2025

A heart freed from greed and jealousy becomes peaceful, content, and full of faith. Envy weakens faith, destroys peace, and distances a person from Allah. The cure lies in reflecting on Allah’s justice, being grateful for one’s own blessings, and wishing good for others. Hasad brings darkness, but ghubta brings light and motivation. A believer should strive to replace jealousy with love, hatred with forgiveness, and competition with sincere effort in good deeds. In this way, the heart finds healing, and the soul finds peace.

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Jealousy as a Disease of the Heart

Jealousy, or Hasad, is one of the deep sicknesses that affect the human heart. It is a feeling that causes pain when others receive blessings. Scholars have described envy in different ways. Some said that envy is “a grievance that befalls one due to knowing the good condition of others.” In other words, it is when a person feels hurt because someone else is enjoying blessings that he does not have. Others said that envy is “a desire to see those blessings taken away,” even if the envier gains nothing from their loss.

This is different from Ghubta, which is a kind of positive envy. Ghubta means wishing to have the same blessings as someone else without wanting those blessings to be removed from them. Hasad destroys hearts and relationships, while Ghubta encourages goodness and healthy competition in faith.

The Two Types of Envy

Envy can be divided into two main types. The first is blameworthy envy, which involves dislike of the blessings that others receive. The jealous person feels happy if those blessings disappear, even though it brings them no benefit. This kind of envy is sinful and harmful. It is a sickness that grows stronger when the envied person’s blessings increase and only fades when those blessings are lost.

The second is permissible envy, also called Ghubta. This happens when a person sees someone with great blessings and wishes to have the same, but without wishing harm. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“There is no jealousy (Hasad) except in two cases: a person to whom Allah has granted wisdom, and he rules by it and teaches it to others; and a person to whom Allah has granted wealth and the ability to spend it in the cause of truth.” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

This form of envy is good because it encourages striving for righteousness and generosity.

The Difference Between Hasad and Ghubta

Hasad comes from dislike and hatred of another’s blessings. It appears when someone gains knowledge, position, or wealth, and another person cannot bear to see their success. Ghubta, on the other hand, is free from hatred. It is the desire to reach the same level of good, especially in faith and good deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged this type of competition only in two areas: seeking knowledge and giving in charity.

Examples of Permissible Competition

The story of Hazrat ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and Hazrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq shows the beauty of Ghubta. Hazrat ‘Umar once brought half his wealth to give in charity, thinking he could surpass Hazrat Abu Bakr. But Hazrat Abu Bakr came with all that he owned, saying he had left only “Allah and His Messenger” for his family. Hazrat ‘Umar then said, “I will never be able to better you in anything.” This story shows that competition in goodness is praiseworthy when it inspires sincerity and sacrifice.

Another example is Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) during the Mi‘raj (Night Journey). When Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) saw the great honour and number of followers given to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he cried and said: “I am crying because there is a servant who shall be sent after me, and more of his nation shall enter Paradise than mine.” This was not out of hatred but out of Ghubta, a wish for the same spiritual success.

Hearts Free from Envy

Those with pure and high hearts are often free from jealousy. Abu ‘Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, known as “the trusted one of this Ummah,” was praised for his honesty and freedom from rivalry. Similarly, the Ansar were praised in the Qur’an for their selflessness and clean hearts:

“And have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (the Muhajirun), and give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that.” (59:9)

Such purity of heart brings peace, unity, and love among believers.

The Evil of Blameworthy Jealousy

Blameworthy envy has always led to harm and division. Allah says about the People of the Book:

“Many of the People of the Book wish to turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves, even after the truth has become clear to them.” (2:109)

Allah also commands believers to seek refuge from the harm of envy:

“Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak... from the evil of the envier when he envies.” (113:1–5)

The story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph, peace be upon him) shows the danger of envy. His brothers envied their father’s love for him and plotted against him:

“Truly, Yusuf and his brother are loved more by our father than we.” (12:8)

This envy led to great suffering, showing that jealousy can destroy families and bring great sin.

The Causes and Cure of Envy

Envy grows from many causes: love of power, greed, arrogance, or desire for praise. The first sins in history were connected to these traits: Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him) desired what was forbidden, Iblis refused to bow out of arrogance, and Qabil killed his brother Habil out of jealousy. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“You have been afflicted with the illness of the nations before you—jealousy and hatred. They are the shavers; I do not mean they shave hair, but they shave away religion.” (At-Tirmidhi)

The cure for envy lies in patience, Taqwa (God-consciousness), and controlling one’s feelings. A person should avoid acting upon jealousy in speech or action. Allah advises:

“But forgive and overlook until Allah brings about His command.” (2:109)

Forgiveness, contentment, and remembering Allah’s blessings help the heart heal from jealousy.

Between Jealousy and Miserliness

Jealousy is worse than miserliness. The miser withholds good from others, but the envier wants good to be taken away from them. Both come from greed and lack of trust in Allah. The Qur’an says:

“And whoever is saved from the greed of his own soul, such are they who are successful.” (59:9)

A heart freed from greed and jealousy becomes peaceful, content, and full of faith. Envy weakens faith, destroys peace, and distances a person from Allah. The cure lies in reflecting on Allah’s justice, being grateful for one’s own blessings, and wishing good for others. Hasad brings darkness, but Ghubta brings light and motivation. A believer should strive to replace jealousy with love, hatred with forgiveness, and competition with sincere effort in good deeds. In this way, the heart finds healing, and the soul finds peace.

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Kaniz Fatma is an Islamic scholar (‘Alima Fazila’), and a regular columnist for New Age Islam.

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/healing-heart-jealousy-hasad-cure/d/137539

 

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