Friday Sermon: The Harmful Effects of Envy on the Community

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds and all creation. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the best of Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and all who follow them until the Day of Judgment.

Dear brothers and sisters! One of the most harmful diseases of the heart is hasad, or envy. It is not just about disliking someone’s blessing. It is a deep spiritual issue that can turn into hatred, resentment, and even harmful intentions. Islamic scholars describe hasad as having layers, each darker and more dangerous than the last.

In our daily lives, we can see hasad working quietly between friends, coworkers, siblings, and even strangers online. But Islamic teachings show that hasad can go beyond just a passing negative feeling.

This sermon will look at the levels of hasad, how they show up in everyday life, and the scary reality of hasad when it becomes spiritually harmful. We have different types of hasad as follows:

1. The Everyday Shade of Hasad: Wanting Someone to Lose Their Blessing

This is the most common type of envy. It is when someone wishes another person would lose the blessing Allah has given them, even if they don’t gain anything from it.

For example, when you see someone succeed in their career, instead of saying Mashaa Allah, you feel tightness in your heart. Or when you hear that someone bought a new house or got married, and you wish it hadn’t happened. If a coworker gets promoted, part of you wants them to fail or feel embarrassed. When a friend shares joyful news online, you feel angry instead of happy.

Allah the Almighty mentions this type of hasad in the noble Qur’an. Some People of the Book envied the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) for what Allah had given him, not because they wanted those blessings, but because they didn’t want him to have them.

This is the “hater” energy we talk about today, people who don’t want good for others. It is an internal poison. It eats away at the soul before it affects anyone else.

2. Deep-Rooted Hasad: When Hatred Fills the Heart

At this stage, envy becomes intense. The person becomes angry, frustrated, and obsessed with the one they envy. They cannot find peace. Their feelings turn into hatred. They want the other person to fail, even if they gain nothing.

It is not about gaining or improving. It is about destruction. This level of hasad is spiritually dangerous because it corrupts the heart. It leads to sinful actions like backbiting, slander, hatred, and conflict. It blinds a person to the blessings Allah has given them. This is what scholars call the pure form of destructive envy.

3. The Most Dangerous Shade: When Envy Becomes a Physical Force

Islam teaches that harm can come from a person whose envy is very strong. Not everyone can do this, just like physical strength varies, not every soul has the same spiritual impact.

But some people do. This is what many call the evil eye (al-ain). Here is how scholars describe it: a person’s envy carries negative spiritual energy. When this energy leaves the heart and eyes of the envious person, it can affect someone unprotected. It can cause real effects like illness, sudden misfortunes, emotional breakdowns, financial setbacks, and in extreme cases, even death. It is like a dark superpower that only certain souls with intense negativity possess.

But not everyone has this ability. Not every act of envy leads to the evil eye. The harm only touches those who lack spiritual protection through Azkar, Du’a, and the Qur’an.

It is a scary reality, but Islam clearly recognizes it. Islamic scholars explain that even a person capable of giving the evil eye does not always succeed. It is like a projectile: sometimes it lands, sometimes it misses.

Most of the time, the blessings Allah gives act as a shield. But when it strikes someone unprotected, it can have real effects. This is one of the highest and most dangerous shades of hasad.

The story of two men in a city who envied each other shows this well. Their hatred was so strong that it poisoned the whole community. People talked about them constantly. Finally, the king called them and said:

“You have poisoned the whole city with your hatred. Either you fix this now, or I will imprison or execute both of you.” One man replied: “Your Majesty, I have a solution. Put me in charge of him, and you will never hear about us again.”

The king asked, “How will that solve the problem?”

The man answered:

“If I am above him, he will die from frustration, and I will die from happiness. That will finally take care of both of us.”

That is how deep envy can go, it destroys both the envious and the envied.

Fellow brothers and sisters! Hasad is a fire that burns the one who carries it. It exists on a spectrum:

Mild dislike of others’ blessings. Wishing for the blessing to be taken away. Hatred and obsession. Envy so strong it becomes harmful, the evil eye.

Each level is dangerous, and it harms the person before it harms anyone else. Islam teaches us to fight this disease through gratitude, humility, Du’a for the one we envy, daily Azkar for protection, hiding our blessings, and purifying the heart.

Respected servants of Allah! Hasad is a serious spiritual disease that harms the one who holds it more than the one who is envied. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) described it as a fire that consumes wood, showing the destructive nature of envy on the soul.

Hasad is more than just being bothered by someone else’s blessings. It shows up in three levels as mentioned above:

1. Mild Hasad: Feeling unhappy when someone else is blessed. For example, you hear about a colleague’s promotion and feel discontent.

1. Moderate Hasad: Wishing someone loses their blessings so that you might gain them.

1. Severe Hasad: Wishing someone loses their blessings regardless of who benefits. This level is the most dangerous and consumes the envious person with grief.

Hasad is a major sin because it shows a lack of trust in Allah’s justice. By envying others, we question Allah: “Why did He give it to them and not me?”

Allah the Almighty says in the Qur’an:

“We have apportioned their livelihood in this life and elevated some of them in rank above others.” [Qur’an, 16:71]

This divine wisdom keeps balance in society. If everyone had the same wealth or status, important roles would be neglected.

Signs that someone suffers from hasad include:

1. Feeling annoyed when others are praised or if their good deeds are mentioned.

1. Ignoring the good deeds of others.

1. Taking joy in bad news about others.

It is normal to feel some level of envy, but it becomes dangerous when acted upon or spoken.

My beloved people! The main causes of hasad include:

1. Arrogance (Kibr): Feeling better than others and unable to handle their success.

1. Enmity: Personal grudges or unresolved issues can fuel envy.

Islam teaches that a true Muslim loves for their brother what they love for themselves.

Permissible Forms of Envy-Hasad

Not all envy is a sin. Islam allows righteous envy in two cases:

1. Wishing to have someone’s knowledge of the Qur’an and the ability to act on it.

1. Wishing to be like someone who spends their wealth on charity.

The key difference is that you want to gain similar virtues or blessings without harming the other person.

For the person suffering from hasad: Remind yourself of Allah’s greatness and wisdom. Fight against envy internally and, even though it is hard, make Du’a for the person you envy. And remember that envy harms you more than it harms the person being envied.

For the person being envied: Seek protection through daily Azkar. Limit public displays of wealth or blessings to cut down envy’s chances.

Use Prophetic practices like ruqyah and Du’a for protection. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said that envious people suffer in every part of life, gatherings, solitude, death, resurrection, and in Hell.

Be careful about what you share, especially online. Showing off blessings can attract the evil eye or envy. Teach your children to say “Mashaa Allah” when they see something good.

Use prayers to protect your family and home from envy.

Wallahi, hasad is a subtle but dangerous spiritual disease. If ignored, it can destroy our peace and relationships. Through awareness, self-control, prayer, and supplication, we can clear our hearts and protect ourselves and our loved ones from its harmful effects.

Dear brothers and sisters! Hasad is a dangerous spiritual disease that eats away at a person’s good deeds like fire consumes wood. It breaks the very foundation of our Ummah. It breeds resentment, backbiting, and division, making people blind to the blessings Allah has given.

Once again, hasad is when you dislike the blessings Allah has given someone else and wish those blessings taken away. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) warned us:

“Beware of envy, for it eats good deeds like fire eats wood.”

It leads to other bad traits like hatred, hypocrisy, and slander. It can even grow into sabotage and oppression.

Envy is spiritually dangerous because, at its core, it questions Allah’s wisdom and justice in His distribution of blessings.

The Qur’an shows the destructive path of hasad through deep stories. The first act of hasad was Iblis’s refusal to bow to Adam, which led to his expulsion from Allah’s mercy. Jealousy drove Qabil (Cain) to kill his brother Habil (Abel). The hasad from Prophet Yusuf’s brothers made them plot against him, casting him into a well and causing years of family pain.

While hasad is a natural human feeling, a Muslim must fight it. Focus on your own blessings. Remember the Prophetic advice to look at those who have less than you in worldly things, and those who have more in spiritual matters.

Islam encourages Ghibtah, wishing for similar blessings for yourself without wanting harm to the original owner.

Protect yourself from the hasad of others by guarding your daily Azkar and reciting the last three Surahs of the Qur’an.

May Allah protect us from envy, keep our hearts clean, and shield us from those who wish us harm. May Allah keep our hearts free from envy, protect our families from the evil eye, and fill our homes with love, mercy, and peace. May our last deeds be good, and our final words be prayers for the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. May peace, security, and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, his family, all his Companions, and true followers.