Defining Hasad — and the Critical Distinction from Ghibta
Hasad is wishing that a blessing (ni’ma) someone possesses be removed from them — whether or not one wishes it for oneself. The crucial element is the desire for removal: seeing someone’s success, beauty, wealth, health, or status and wanting them to lose it. It may be accompanied by active effort to harm them (the worst form) or be a passive smouldering resentment.
Ghibta (غِبطَة — emulation, positive aspiration) is the permissible counterpart: wishing for the same blessing for oneself without wishing its removal from the other person. The Prophet (SAW) permitted ghibta in two specific cases: “There is no envy (la hasad) except in two things: a person whom Allah has given wealth and power to spend it in the truth, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom and who judges by it and teaches it.” (Bukhari) — The translation “no envy” here means “no [objectionable] envy/no hasad,” but a permissible aspiration to share in these blessings.
The line: ghibta says “I want what they have” — hasad says “I want them to not have it”. The spiritual harm of hasad comes precisely from this element of wishing deprivation on another person.
Why Hasad Is Spiritually Destructive
The Prophet (SAW) used a precise metaphor: “Envy devours good deeds as fire devours wood.” (Abu Dawud) — The imagery captures how hasad operates internally:
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It preoccupies the heart with another person’s blessings: The one afflicted with hasad constantly compares, measures, and suffers when they see others prosper. This preoccupation crowds out gratitude, reliance on Allah (tawakkul), and contentment (qana’ah).
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It causes the heart to reject Allah’s wisdom in distribution: At its root, hasad is a rejection of qadar — divine decree. Allah, in His wisdom, gave a particular blessing to a particular person. Hasad is implicitly saying “Your distribution was wrong.” The Quran says: “Is it they who distribute the mercy of your Lord?” (43:32) — Distribution of blessings belongs to Allah alone.
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It activates against the afflicted believer’s own spiritual capital: The classical tradition warns that the envier is in torment even when nothing bad happens to the envied — they suffer with every blessing the other person receives. The Quran describes the envier as someone who “becomes indignant when you prosper” (3:120).
The Most Dangerous Form of Hasad
The worst form of hasad is the envy felt toward fellow Muslims for their deen — their nearness to Allah, their knowledge, their sincerity, their rank in the community. This is the disease of the scholars, the hypocrites, and those whose pride makes another person’s spiritual excellence unbearable.
The Quran describes this pattern in the case of those who rejected the Prophet (SAW): “Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty?” (4:54)
Al-‘Ayn — The Evil Eye
Al-‘Ayn (العَين — the eye; the evil eye) is a distinct but related concept. The Prophet (SAW) confirmed its reality: “The evil eye is real, and if anything could run ahead of destiny, it would be the evil eye.” (Muslim) — The ‘ayn is caused when someone looks at another with admiration or intense envy, and that gaze (sometimes unintentionally) causes harm.
This is not magic or superstition in Islamic theology — it is a created harm that operates through the decree of Allah, just as disease operates through pathogens while remaining within divine qadar.
The protection from ‘ayn:
- Masha’Allah (ما شَاءَ اللهُ — “Whatever Allah wills”) — said when seeing something good, to attribute the blessing to Allah and protect against the gaze of admiration becoming harmful
- La quwwata illa billah — acknowledging that power and blessing come only from Allah
- Reciting al-Mu’awwidhatain (Surah al-Falaq and Surah al-Nas) morning and evening, and specifically upon a child or a blessing one fears being afflicted
- Reciting Ayat al-Kursi (2:255)
The remedy when ‘ayn has struck: The classical cure is ghusl al-‘a’in — taking the water in which the person who gave the evil eye performed wudu and pouring it over the afflicted person. The Prophet (SAW) is reported to have ordered this in specific cases.
The Spiritual Cure for Hasad
The cure for hasad operates on several levels:
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Recognizing that hasad harms the soul first: The envier suffers most — their heart is in constant torment when others are blessed. This awareness can motivate seeking a cure.
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Cultivating gratitude (shukr) for one’s own blessings: Hasad flourishes in a heart that does not count its blessings. Regular reflection on what one has — ihsa al-ni’am (enumerating the blessings) — shifts the focus from what others have.
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Making du’a for the envied person: The spiritual tradition advises actively making sincere du’a for the person one feels jealous of. This acts as a cure by reorienting the heart toward their well-being rather than their loss.
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Remembering qadar: Allah distributed blessings in His wisdom. He gave each person what was destined for them; someone else’s gain does not diminish what is destined for you.
See also: Spiritual Diseases, Tawakkul Trust In Allah, Muhasaba, Kibr, Riya, Akhlaq, Understanding Dua, Shaytan Iblis