Hasad in Islam: Envy and Its Cure

Hasad in Islam means envy: wishing that a blessing given to someone else would be taken away from them.

It was the first sin committed in the heavens, when Iblis envied Adam, and the first sin committed on earth, when Qabil envied his brother Habil.

The Prophet ﷺ warned: “Beware of envy, for envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes wood” (Abu Dawud).

This guide explains what hasad is, the difference between hasad and ghibtah, its evidence in the Quran and Sunnah, its causes and harms, how to cure envy in your own heart and how to protect yourself from the envy of others.

What Is Hasad?

Scholars describe levels of hasad:

1. Wishing a blessing would be removed from someone, even if you do not get it.
2. Wishing it would be removed and come to you.
3. Wishing for something similar, and if you cannot get it, wishing they lose it.
4. Wishing for something similar without wanting them to lose it — this is ghibtah, and it is not blameworthy.

Hasad in the Quran

Iblis and Adam

When Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, Iblis refused, saying: “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay” (Al-A’raf 7:12). His envy and arrogance led to his downfall.

Qabil and Habil

The two sons of Adam offered sacrifices. Allah accepted Habil’s and not Qabil’s. Out of envy, Qabil said: “I will surely kill you” (Al-Ma’idah 5:27), and he did.

The brothers of Yusuf

Yusuf’s brothers said: “Yusuf and his brother are more beloved to our father than we… Kill Yusuf or cast him out to another land” (Yusuf 12:8–9).

Seeking refuge from the envier

“And from the evil of an envier when he envies” (Al-Falaq 113:5).

Do not wish for what others were given

“And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others… and ask Allah of His bounty” (An-Nisa 4:32).

Hasad in the Sunnah

• “Do not envy one another, do not inflate prices against one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another… and be, O servants of Allah, brothers” (Muslim).
• “Envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes wood” (Abu Dawud).
• “Faith and envy do not combine in the heart of a servant” (An-Nasa’i).
• “The disease of the nations before you has crept into you: envy and hatred. Hatred is the shaver — it shaves religion, not hair” (Tirmidhi).

Permissible ghibtah

“There is no envy except in two cases: a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a man whom Allah has given wisdom and he judges by it and teaches it” (Bukhari and Muslim).

Here “envy” means ghibtah: wishing to be like them in goodness.

A man of Paradise

The Prophet ﷺ said three days in a row: “A man from the people of Paradise is coming now,” and the same man from the Ansar entered each time.

Abdullah ibn Amr stayed with him for three nights to see his deeds and found nothing exceptional.

When he asked, the man said: “I sleep with no ill feeling in my heart towards any Muslim, and I do not envy anyone for a good thing Allah has given him.”

Abdullah said: “This is what has brought you to that level” (Ahmad).

Causes of Hasad

The Harms of Hasad

For the envier

• Loss of good deeds.
• Constant distress: the envier suffers every time the other person succeeds.
• Objection to Allah’s decree: envy is a quiet complaint against Allah’s distribution.
• Leads to other sins: backbiting, lying, harming and even killing.

A scholar said: “I have never seen an oppressor who more resembles the oppressed than the envier: constant sorrow, a sighing breath and a heart that never rests.”

For society

Envy breaks families, ruins friendships, divides communities and poisons workplaces.

How to Cure Hasad in Your Own Heart

1. Recognise it honestly

Admit the feeling to yourself. Hiding it from yourself makes it grow.

2. Remember Allah’s wisdom

Allah distributes blessings as He wills. “Do they distribute the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have apportioned among them their livelihood” (Az-Zukhruf 43:32).

3. Make du’a for the person

This is the most powerful cure. Ask Allah to bless them even more.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “No Muslim supplicates for his brother in his absence except that the angel says: ‘And for you the same'” (Muslim).

4. Do good to them

Give a gift, praise them sincerely or help them. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Give gifts, and you will love one another” (Al-Bukhari, Al-Adab al-Mufrad).

5. Count your own blessings

Envy grows when you forget what you have.

6. Turn hasad into ghibtah

Ask Allah for something similar, without wanting it removed from them. “Ask Allah of His bounty” (An-Nisa 4:32).

7. Say “ma sha’ Allah, barakallahu feek”

When you admire something, say “ma sha’ Allah” and pray for blessing.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “If one of you sees something in his brother that he admires, let him pray for blessing for him” (Ibn Majah).

Protecting Yourself From Others’ Envy

• Recite Al-Falaq and An-Nas in the morning, evening and before sleep.
• Recite Ayat al-Kursi after every prayer and before sleep.
• Do the morning and evening adhkar.
• Be discreet about blessings: Ya’qub told Yusuf, “Do not relate your vision to your brothers” (Yusuf 12:5).
• Rely on Allah: nothing can harm you except what He permits.

Summary of Key Ideas

Why This Virtue Matters Today

Modern life puts enormous pressure on the qualities that Islam asks believers to build.

Advertising, social media and constant competition push the heart towards envy, and many people feel that good character is old-fashioned or impractical.

Yet the Prophet ﷺ said: “I was sent only to perfect good character” (Ahmad).

He also said: “Nothing is heavier on the scale of the believer on the Day of Resurrection than good character” (Tirmidhi).

Character is not a side issue in Islam; it is at the centre of the mission of every prophet.

Working on a clean heart (salamat as-sadr) is therefore not only a personal improvement project.

It is an act of worship, a way of following the Sunnah and a means of drawing closer to Allah. A Muslim who prays but neglects character has understood only part of the religion.

The companions learned the Quran ten verses at a time and did not move on until they had acted on what they learned.

That same approach, learning a little and living it fully, is the key to building a clean heart (salamat as-sadr) today.

Practising A Clean Heart (Salamat As-Sadr) in Daily Life

Character grows through small, repeated actions rather than occasional dramatic efforts. The following daily routine can help:

1. Morning intention. After Fajr, ask Allah to help you show a clean heart (salamat as-sadr) in everything you do that day.
2. One deliberate act. Choose one situation, at home, work or school, where you will consciously practise it.
3. Guard against the opposite. Notice the moments when envy appears in your thoughts, words or actions, and stop it early.
4. Dhikr through the day. Short phrases of remembrance keep the heart soft and alert.
5. Evening review. Before sleep, ask yourself where you succeeded and where you fell short, then seek forgiveness.
6. Weekly learning. Read or listen to one verse or hadith on this topic each week and reflect on it.

Imam Al-Ghazali explained that good character is acquired by repeatedly doing the actions of that character, even with effort, until they become natural.

At first it may feel forced, but over weeks and months the heart changes.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Knowledge comes by learning, and forbearance comes by practising forbearance” (Al-Khatib).

Common Obstacles and How to Overcome Them

Teaching Children This Virtue

Children learn character mainly by watching adults. If parents show a clean heart (salamat as-sadr) at home, children absorb it more deeply than through any lecture.

Tell them stories of the Prophet ﷺ and the companions that illustrate this quality, and praise them specifically when they show it.

Avoid shaming them when they fall short; instead, gently explain what a better response would be and why it pleases Allah.

Simple family activities help: a weekly family circle where each person shares one moment they practised good character, a chart for younger children, or memorising a short hadith together.

Connecting character to the Quran, by reading verses about it with meaning, teaches children that good manners are part of worship, not merely social rules.

Questions for Reflection

1. Where in my life is a clean heart (salamat as-sadr) strongest, and where is it weakest?
2. When did envy last appear in my heart, and what triggered it?
3. Which verse or hadith in this article affected me most?
4. Who in my life is an example of this quality, and what can I learn from them?
5. What one small step will I take this week?

Write your answers in a notebook and revisit them after a month.

Honest reflection, combined with du’a and consistent action, is the path the righteous have always followed in purifying the heart.

“He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who corrupts it” (Ash-Shams 91:9–10).

A Four-Week Plan to Apply What You Learned About hasad in islam

Knowledge sticks when it is turned into a routine. Here is a simple four-week plan to build on this guide.

• Week one: Re-read this article slowly and write down the three points that were newest to you. Share one of them with a family member, because explaining an idea is one of the best ways to understand it.
• Week two: Connect the topic to your daily Quran reading. Each day, look for one verse or phrase in your portion that relates to hasad in islam, and note it in a small notebook.
• Week three: Ask questions. Bring anything that is still unclear to a qualified teacher, and correct any misunderstanding before it becomes a habit.
• Week four: Review your notebook, choose one practical change and commit to it for the next month. Small, consistent actions are more beloved to Allah than large efforts that do not last.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if they are small.”

Apply that principle here, and this topic will become part of your life rather than something you read once and forgot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hasad in Islam?

Wishing that a blessing given to someone else would be taken away.

What is the difference between hasad and ghibtah?

Hasad wants the blessing removed from the other person; ghibtah wants a similar blessing without wishing them harm.

Was hasad the first sin?

Iblis’s envy of Adam is considered the first sin in the heavens, and Qabil’s envy of Habil the first on earth.

How do I stop envying someone?

Make du’a for them, do good to them, remember Allah’s wisdom and count your own blessings.

Which surah protects from envy?

Surah Al-Falaq, which ends with seeking refuge “from the evil of an envier when he envies.”

Final Thoughts

Hasad in Islam is a disease of the heart that harms the envier more than anyone else. Its cure is humility, gratitude and du’a for the very person you envy.

Tonight, think of someone whose blessing makes you uncomfortable, and ask Allah to increase it for them.

You may find, like the Ansari man of Paradise, that a clean heart is the greatest blessing of all.