Jealousy (Hasad): A big Evil
Haroon Rashid
Let’s start our topic with the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) who said: Look at those who are lower than you, but do not look at those who are above you, lest you belittle the favours Allah conferred upon you.” (Sahih Muslim).
This means looking at those “lower” and “above” refers to worldly riches such as wealth and status. This postmodern society perpetuates materialism, encourages envy and focuses on wealth and status as the ultimate objects of life.
Generations are growing up in the influence of social media – platforms that, unfortunately, also encourage users to compare their lives to others, gravitate toward a hedonistic lifestyle and pursue, with more zeal, material goals.
Studies have shown that when materialistic goals continue to be central factors of someone’s life, levels of depression, well-being and even physical health are adversely affected. Tim Kasser, an American psychologist rightly argues:
“Our first studies therefore showed that when young adults report that financial success is relatively central to their aspirations, low well-being, high distress, and difficulty adjusting to life are also evident. Although we cannot be sure from these results whether materialistic values cause unhappiness, or whether other factors are at work, the results do suggest a rather startling conclusion: the American dream has a dark side, and the pursuit of wealth and possessions might actually be undermining our well-being.” (The High Price of Materialism).
“Adults who focused on money, image, and fame reported less vitality, and more depression than those less concerned with these values. What is more, they also reported significantly more experiences of physical symptoms. That is, people who believed it is important to strive for possessions, popularity, and good looks also reported more headaches, backaches, sore muscles, and sore throats than individuals less focused on such goals. This was really one of the first indicators, to us, of the pervasive negative correlates of materialistic values – not only is people’s psychological well-being worse when they focus on money, but so is their physical health.” (Ibid, p. 11)
Richard Eckersley, a fellow of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, Canberra, described the situation, saying: The Holy Prophets particularly warned of not focusing on the riches and success of others, but rather reminded us to be thankful for what we already have by thinking of those who don’t have those blessings. If this advice is not acted on, the darker sides of humanity become unveiled.
Envy –leads to humans surpassing “jealousy” and entering a phase where they feel “pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another.”
By being mindful and realising what kind of society has been formed, evaluating our own thoughts and then acting on the advice of the Prophet(Pbuh) we can curb the inner Satan.
Drowning in celebrity culture, blindly toiling for material wealth and comparing ourselves with the lives of others on social media only brings misery – mental, physical and spiritual. Not being thankful for what we have and also then being envious of others is detrimental. In Surah Ibrahim, verse 8, Allah the Almighty says: “If you are grateful, I will, surely, bestow more favours on you; but if you are ungrateful, then know that My punishment is severe indeed”.
In a society that serves as a fertilizer for materialism and worldly desires, as Muslims, it is essential that we take a step back, be mindful and act on the advice of the Prophet(Pbuh) by looking at those who do not enjoy the wealth or comforts we do.
Comparing our lives and gazing at the comfort, status or wealth of others will only take humanity down the dark street of depression, immortality and ungratefulness. Thus, jealousy not only destroys a victim but also harms the attacker up to a greater extent. We as a Muslim should seek help from Allah to keep us away from this dangerous illness-jealousy. To keep ourselves protected from jealousy, we should recite the chapter Surah Falaq of the noble Quran.
(The author is a law student at Kashmir University)
