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https://journals.riphah.edu.pk/index.php/jitc/article/download/1807/1078
https://journals.riphah.edu.pk/index.php/jitc/article/view/1807
Envy Psychological disorder mental imbalance hatred Hasad Islam
{RJITC} Vol: I, Issue: 02 July-December2023
Riphah Journal of Islamic Thought & Civilization Published by: Department of Islamic Studies,Riphah International University, Islamabad
Email: editor.rijic@riphah.edu.pk
Website: https://journals.riphah.edu.pk/index.php/jitc
ISSN (E): 2791-187X
ENVY IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
Ali Muhammad Bhati
Abstract
A negative feeling that creates displeasure and anger is known as envy. It is produced by the negative attitude towards others, having assets, greater characteristics and fair potential than him. It is a psychological disorder that creates a nuisance in society and leads to social discontent. Such kind of psychological disorder gives rise to hatred and creates an environment of enmity and mistrust. Its magnitude and impact are very high and result in conflicts and jealousy. Such a situation is disliked in Islam and is taken very seriously and rejected at all levels. It is a mental disorder that disturbs the human psyche at local and international levels, resulting in chaos and disorder. Islam guides its followers in particular but humans, in general, to remain away from it to save humanity from anarchy and psychological sickness. Islam respects humanity and guides us to preserve human dignity and values of life. It prescribes detailed solutions to such a problem to preserve human beings. In this paper, an attempt is made and a detailed analysis is provided about its occurrence within the Islamic context and methods of safety are provided to safeguard humans from the malice of envy.
Objectives
The objective is to advance humanistic thought so that people feel at ease in their lives and remain away from envious characters.
To highlight the role of religion particularly Islam to overcome envy to save the human community from chaos and disorder.
Methods.
This paper is descriptive and theoretical and a descriptive analysis is applied to highlight all aspect of envy and its impact.
Keywords: Envy, Psychological disorder, mental imbalance, hatred, Hasad, Islam
Psychological disorder is referred to as mental disorder. In such circumstances, a person is not in a position to do the right actions and negativity dominates oh his/her behaviour. Psychiatric disorders/thinking syndromes are outlines of psychological indications and involve almost all areas of life. These disorders generate anguish among people involved in such a problem. From an Islamic perspective, humans are the best creatures because of their thinking ability and scientific attitude. This gives them an edge over other creatures because they are rational thinkers. At the same time, many people among these rational beings use their faculty of thinking in a negative and give rise to many problems and results sometimes in destruction.1 These disorders, psychologically impact human health and outbursts of envy or hatred in human life. People of different lifestyles sometimes develop jealousy2 about others either on their progress in life or due to competition between them. Every human being needs to think that life is all about struggle and benefits only those who take it positively and provide them contentment. Those people who failed to share the happiness and reward of others had developed behavioral enmity. Such a behavioral enmity is known as envy. The English term “Envy” is derivative from invidere, a Latin word meaning to observe others maliciously.3 High-level distress and mental suffering of the envier can be cared for only through the desirable items from the grudged person. In the Greek language, envy means ‘to boil within’.4 Another Greek word “epichairekakia” and the German word “schadenfreude”5 replicate the emotive and social characteristics of jealousy. Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC), describes ‘envy’ as a negative attitude and agony at the comfort of others”6, while Immanuel Kant (1724-1804 CE), marks it as the nastier cousin of schadenfreude”7.
Envy characterizes fashions human life as psychologically disordered and always tends to do wrong to others. It emerges among the people who do not adopt the lifestyle of friendship, respect for others, loving nature and happiness as well as the philosophy “live and let others live”. Envious people develop negativism, hatred and prejudice without any cause. Such people will never make themselves happy because they have to sort out their psyche in such a way that forces them to get irritated with others’ progress and happiness. Historically such emotional explanations are found in myths, sacred texts art galleries and were depicted as polemic attitudes. But people with perennial envy will never remain satisfied because doubts, anxiety and prejudice remain dominant in their thinking. Such people in the Greek era were known by the phrase “green with envy”8 because they believed in jealousy and due to bile production turned skin slightly green a sign of sickness. However, in Shakespeare’s Othello, they were called “a green-eyed monster.”9 Historically scholars discussed its occurrences differently and devised strategies and mechanisms to overcome such disorders10. Envy is a psychological disorder that initiates hatred and resentment towards others and sometimes towards his own near or dear ones. People who suffer from this disorder have a strong association with irritation, sabotage, or even violence11.
According to the teachings of Islam, all activities of the human body are governed by the heart, which is a central part of the human body and provides information to the mind, to operate all thoughts and actions in positive and negative ways. When negativism dominates the human heart, they think about others more harmfully to dissociate them from possessions or intellectual excellence. Such attitudes create an imbalance in humans and are not able to decide or behave on true humanistic lines and lose control of one’s consciousness resulting in disorder. The cognitive and dissociation disorders are the output of envy because it involves both physical and mental condition that disturbs normal functioning.12 According to Prophet Muhammad (SAAS), the worst thing humans geminate in their hearts is Envy.13 Whatever you process in your heart, becomes operational through your thinking faculty and the world know it as a mental disorder. According to the American Psychological Association, Psychological diseases are human disorders that design and reorient human thought, behaviour and mood by day.14 According to Ibn Sina15 and Al-Razi, “mental disorders are conditions based on a psychological disorder” and are an outcome of envy. Because it is a state in which the desired advantages enjoyed by another person or group of people causes a person to feel a painful inferiority, hostility and resentment.”16 It is important to note that assistance and help delight human relationships and nearness develop empathy, instead, envy destroys it and merges it into sadness. Envy arises in different ways among humans and affects their lives very severely. Being malicious, it controls humans in six different ways without any outward impression of having any kind of problem; spiritual blockade, covetousness, annoyance, ravenousness, deception and psychosis. All these affect the human psyche very badly and destroy humans without realizing their effects. It is a major issue in the contemporary era and needs to be controlled because the world is encrypted by devastating technology of weapons of mass destruction resulting in calamities ay found in major wars of the world and regional conflicts17.
Historically speaking people from Adam to the present are influenced by negative attitudes and develop envy which always results in greed, lust and falling prey to satanic designs. Envy being satanic, the Quran guides humans to abstain from it and control their feelings and inculcate piety and humanity to save the world from chaos and disarray. Muslims are directed to follow divine thoughts like, Faal-hamaha fujooraha wataqwaha which means “then imbued them with the consciousness of its evils and its piety (knowledge of right and wrong)”18 determines the characterization of Muslim personality and general humanity. People enslaved by envy always think wrong about others evolve negativism and behave in a wicked way. Among all negative traits, such as pride, prejudice, hatred and malignancy, envy is the worst one which always chases to think and snatch what others achieved through their ability. At all levels, local, national and international, envy initiates bitterness and results in wars. According to Dr. Samuel Johnson, “Envy is the only sin practiced always and everywhere. It is the only passion operational and occurs through lies for the desire of irritation and its attempts are always dreaded.19 It is a tenacious mental posture that is mere straight and unadulterated evil and its results are atrocious and terrible.20
Though scholars tried to define it differently, the net result of their opinions is the same. It is seen as the feeling of miserability when others enjoy a superior advantage over the envious person.21 It nurtures hostility and animosity against an individual who is blessed with some wealth or prestige.22 Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, calls it the most dangerous disease of the heart23 because of its worst psychological impact. Psychologically, it is an unpleasant emotion developed by an individual in comparison to others favourably blessed24. Such an envious style is a psychological disorder that initiates hatred and looks toward everyone with bitterness and doubt. Dr. Takahashi, while referring to a famous Japanese quote about an envious person;
“The misfortune of others tastes (sweet) like honey”. He, with his team, has identified the ventral striatum as the producer of that ‘honey25.
He further says “envy spot” on the brain has been identified. “When Your Gain is My Pain and Your Pain is My Gain: Neural Correlates of Envy and Schadenfreude” offers a neuro-cognitive mechanism of a psychologically rewarding reaction, schadenfreude and its relation to envy”26.
The divine guidance positively affirmed envy (hasad), a condition in which one feels jealous about others, uses full strength to vitiate others and enjoys it as an achievement as revealed in the Quran;
"If good befalls thee, it grieves them; but if a misfortune befalls thee, they say, "We took Indeed our precautions beforehand," and they turn away rejoicing." (Surah At-Taubah: 50).
The triumph of others’ is the enjoyment of an envious person. In the medieval era Muslim scholarship developed methods and warned people to remain away from it but developed it under the discipline of Ilm-al Nafsiyat. In the contemporary era modern psychologists focused on the brain and mentality while medieval Muslim scholars under the guidance of divinity considered Qalb as central and the brain as out of actions processed in the heart. Ibn Abi Dunya narrates, that Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) Said, “There are three dangerous forms which nobody can save himself. They are Ill luck, doubt and envy.”27 Among these envy is the worst enemy of humans and destroys human consciousness by developing a negative human psyche. While enquiring about envy, Saint Hasan al-Basri said, “It is a painful and distressing feeling, yet if you don’t act upon it, it will not harm you.”28
Different lifestyles whether clan-based or township do not want to envy their gods and offer different rituals but such acts never stop them from envying each other.29 In Christian religious life, as mentioned in the Bible, the envy of one brother Can murdered his brother Abel.30 Though it seems a new term, its historicity is very old and from time immemorial it has existed among humans even in the Rhetoric of Aristotle it is called epikhairekakia,31 According to Joseph Epstein, of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.32 The word ‘Envy’ is derived from the Latin word “invidia” which means, a form of blindness. Envy leads to hatred, feeling envy means one doesn’t like other people to do well or to achieve anything, possession or status. The envier will not miss an opportunity to devalue the other person’s achievements, to give them a silly comment always, all such conditions emerge one way or another. So, an envious person diminishes other peoples’ progress and tries to defend them. It is just close to propaganda theory which has no reality behind it. The effect of envy within families and siblings highlights dark and worst feelings and gives rise to very damaging feelings and results in worse consequences.33
Etymologically, it is called a disorder or lack of realization or lack of a regular procedure. From a legal perspective, it is called a fissure of order, muddled conduct or civic commotion, to destroy the orders of a socio-political nature.34 Idiomatically it means, to disrupt the physical or mental health peace or functions of any society by imperial designs. Modern psychologists call it a dissociative disorder or mental illness characterized by detachment, a kind of failure to personal identity into a unified whole.35 Envy being disorder, disturbs public peace, politeness and personal peace. Hadrath Ali is of the view that Satan calls his followers and instructs them to develop envy in the hearts of humans so that they remain divided and hate each other. Due to such a design life is made hell and creates Psychic disorders in society. He further says: “Envy is a great trap of Satan.”36 And creates a trap of mental disorder which gives the impression that outwardly the person looks healthy but is originally a disturbed person.37 but mentally he had no control over his /her emotions and all his/her acts resulted in jealousy.
Envy develops torment, a negative attitude towards himself, the world around and hopelessness towards the future along with, devastating harmful feelings38 implanted through blaming others39. Such an attitude gives rise to hatred, prejudice, personality defects and such people, even never believe their well-wishers40 due to feelings of inferiority and because of their hostile cheekiness41. Envious people look towards those people who can earn more and hard work by making social comparisons and such feelings lead to lowliness and glumness42. For this very purpose scholars like Bertrand Russell called it a disorder and the dangers of envy results always in communal hatred political envy and conflict between nations. It is a kind of personality defect that forces one to act more superior, revered and praiseworthy and powerful43. According to Smith and Kim, “Envy is a multi-faceted emotion, a complex mixture of different experiences that may include feelings such as longing for the superior fortune, discontent, resentment, anger, and shame about one’s inferior status and ill will”44.
Muslim Societies have different cultural orientations and practices which are indigenously free from any kind of bitterness, resentment, envy and prejudice. Islam encourages its followers to think better for others and to remain hopeful because it helps to counter negativity.
“So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.” (Al-Quran, 94: 5-6)
“And never give up hope of Allah's soothing Mercy: truly anyone despairs of Allah's soothing Mercy, except those who have no faith.” (Al-Quran, 12:87)
These verses help to build character on a human-friendly basis and help to abstain from inhuman activities and provide a shield of hope from depression. As narrated by Abu Hurairah Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) Said: “Beware of envy because it burns into ashes all of one’s good deeds”.45
According to Sadri, Muslims need to rely on divine criteria instead of relying west oriented criteria which leads to further difficulties46. According to him, Qur’anic commands are the best measuring tools to judge one’s personality on human values. Among the best human values is trust as mentioned in the Quran;
“And for those who fear Allah, He always prepares a way out, and He provides for him from sources he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is Allah for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.” (Al-Quran, 65: 2-3).
Trust develops human cognizance and keeps away from all sorts of lowly attitudes towards others while a wicked attitude leads to destructive thinking. According to Badiuzzaman Nursi,
“Viciousness is the most despicable weapon which is used by people of antagonism, envy, stubbornness, and employing a filthy weapon”47.
Islam emphasizes a human-friendly environment and warns against the viciousness of jealousy. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi defined the cruelty of this wicked superiority while quoting Qur’anic verses:
“O! You who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible); for suspicion in some cases is a sin; and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would hate it. But fear Allah, for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful”. (Al-Qur’an, 49:12)
Envious people are greedy for everything for themselves and is known as a snatching attitude based on grudges48 and developing a negative mindset. Another form of approved hasad is called risk (which means what others possess demands the same from God without others’ loss).49 Such attitude acts as a building stone for society. The Qur’an guides humans to pursue humbly the protection of God from the evils of envy;
“I seek refuge of my Lord from the evil of the envier when he envies”. (Qur’an, 113:5)
Abd al-Raḥman ibn Aḥmad ibn Rajab Isfahani in his masterpiece “Fatḥ al-Bari: Sharḥ Ṣahiḥ al-Bukhari” while explains a tradition narrated by Anas,
“Indeed, a man only loves for his brother what he loves for himself if he is free from envy, resentment, wickedness, and viciousness, for that is an obligation.”50
Envy disguises the human heart and corrupts Aql (mind) and initiates a mental sickness with one objective, to harm others. Ibn Taimiyah describes it as a disorder that develops a hostile attitude and engenders hatred towards others by disliking their progress.”51 He further says, “It is animosity and hatred when one sees the good state of the envied person.”52
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi is of the view that “The reason for envy is that when several hands reach out after a single object when several eyes are fixed on a single position, when several stomachs hunger for a single loaf of bread, first envy arises as a result of conflict, dispute, rivalry and then jealousy. Since many people desire the same thing in the world, narrow and transitory as it is, cannot satisfy the limitless desires of man, people become rivals of each other” wilted control of one’s consciousness.53
Envy is a thinking disruption almost the only vice which is practical and practiced in every facet of human life all the time. Such people are always in search of others’ loss and utilize all available tools to disrupt the lives of others and burn down the oil of their hearts unnecessarily for others’ forfeiture. Such people get involved in unending hatred with terrifying results54.
Envy is a kind of ludicrousness and swanky illness in which people act in an adverse way through vexing behaviour towards others through mediocrity. Such mental condition leads to damaging social values and humanity55. Their attitudes consider themselves as rightful heirs of worldly possessions and are wandering above the ground of their rational processes. Though its symptoms include a feeling people are unreal, blunt and chronic and severe enough to hamper normal functioning in the community. According to the Quran and the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAAS), in such satanic character, humans befall into many trials, evils and snags. 56
According to Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, “It is because of envy that instead of respect, obedience, and love ascending from the lower classes to the upper classes, shouts of revolution arise and daunts of envy and cries of hate and revenge. Similarly, instead of kindness, generosity, and favour descending from the upper to the lower classes, the fires of tyranny and oppression, and volleys of insult rain down on them”.57
Humans are directed to remain cautious so that integrity and wholesomeness of human values may not be diluted, deteriorated, tarnished or demolished through diseases of allusions to Satin which result in envy and the misapprehensions of transitory desires of the modern worldview covered through sensual desires by eroding others character.58
Envy is a deep-rooted disease among humans devastating the cultural, social, economic, political, and ethical base of a civilization.59 Muslim leaders develop traits of confidence and respect for others60. According to Allama Iqbal love, respect and a selfless attitude help people overcome hatred and envy.
“Spiritual perfection is achieved by Individuals and nations only through shunning down jealousy and safeguarding selfhood assimilation.” 61
Envy mutilates the relations having blood ties, cultural relations and friendly relations at local, national and international levels and develops discontent and hatred on the ranks someone achieves. Allah informs us about the character of the brothers of Yusuf (AS) who developed envy against their paternal brother;
The brothers said: "Truly, Yusuf and his brother are loved more by our father than we, while we are a strong group. Our father is in a plain error. Kill Yusuf or cast him out to some other land, so that the favour of your father may be given to you alone, and after that, you will be righteous folk." One among them said: "Kill not Yusuf, but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well, he will be picked up by some caravan of travellers. (Al-Quran: 8-10)
According to Maududi, “People express ill of others willingly because of the diseases in their hearts such as Envy, animosity, ignorance & Hatred. People of such character incessantly scorn people and try to accomplish things in a mundane way. 62 He is also of the view,
“Hasad has a means that a person should feel unhappy at the better fortune, superiority or good quality that Allah has granted to another, and wish that it should be taken away from the other person and given to him, or at least the other one should be deprived of it.”63
People across the globe are trying to camouflage their envy but still, it is grassed via Schadenfreude a kind of pleasure in the trouble and disaster of others Islamically known as Hasad.64 Envy never involves a compromise but keeps one boiling internally and results in hatred, pride and prejudice. It also instigates rudeness, satire, disdain, superciliousness, and selfishness. From an Islamic point of view, the human heart is the center of the thought process and applied through reason as per conditions prevailing or favourable. So, envy is morph into resentment, a reassignment of the pain that occurs due to failure or inferiority65.
The Islamic approach to life is to look at human psychological issues from an all-inclusive perspective to understand human problems from a social and emotional point of view.66 These complications facade the spiritual heart and developed irritating mind but Islam rejects such unusual approaches in society and instead develops community traits to overcome envy and fraud.67 It is acutely entrenched in the human psyche of the modern-day world and conjoins people and time without any distinction. It develops such a mental illness, which results in killing or attempting to kill one’s brothers. The only option to overcome envy is all spiritual perfection only if they guard their selfhood from jealousy.68
"And! Recite to them the story of the two sons of Aadam (Habil and Qabil) in truth; when each offered a sacrifice (to Allah), it was accepted from the one but not from the other. The latter said to the former: "I will surely kill you." ………. (Surah al-Maidah; 5: 27).
According to this verse, humans apply fujoor which results in a mental disorder that gives rise to hostile reaction that soars at the level of comparison and feels unblessed than others.69 So, religion is an important element in making a strong bond (asabiyah) to overcome envy. In this regard Ibn Khaldun is of the view;
“Religious colouring does away with mutual jealousy and envy among people who share in a group feeling and cause concentration upon the truth.”70
Envy is harmful and fraudulence is one of the reasons that devastate family, social national and international life. It corrupts the power of positive thinking and leads to domestic violence, family abuse and foreign relations. Philosophers directly discuss the occurrence of its effects which are valueless and develop mental illnesses.71 They argue that mental illness is often caused by to enforcement of power absoluteness, which gives rise to high-level stress.
Muslim philosophers profoundly discussed the impact of envy on human personality. Imam Ghazali is of the view that,
“Human beings have weaknesses that make them exposed to the devil, in other words, mental disorders because he is the one who poisons our hearts and minds” 72 and results in Jealousy and prejudice.
Islam vehemently hampers Muslims to remain away from envy and Allah will accept prayers of only those who perceive hearts of purity free from every kind of jealousy and bigotry.
“Only those who come before Allah with a pure heart ˹will be saved.” (Al-Quran 26:89)
Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi, a jurist cum commentator explains a pure heart is free from all kinds of hate and disdain.
“He does not have, in my view, a pure heart if he holds malice and envy, proudly and arrogantly, for the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) has made it a requirement of faith that he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”73
Envy also involves many epistemological issues that decide the relationship between mental illness and diagnosis74. Envy has no clear signs or symptoms but it arises from inner of the human psychology and leads to disowning others qualities and achievements. It is a lethal disease of the heart and mind, the worst act that gave birth to many vicious acts such as hypocrisy, backbiting, abuse, curses, slandering, taunting and torture. Envy narrows down the human heart and pervades a human’s internal strength. In this regard it is mentioned in Ibn Majah;
“Greed is a sickness as is miserliness, and jealousy is worse than miserliness as; “Jealousy eats away all good deeds, just as fire eats away firewood.”75
The origin of envy is a threefold process and all three feelings disclose the envious persons.
One must be confronted with a person with possession, quality, or achievement that has left behind others.
One must desire something for oneself in a selfish manner.
One must feel individually pained by the associated emotions and his/her feelings result in outrage. So, envy is the pain caused by selfish desires by hating other people’s progress and achievements. Nelson W Aldrich Jr in his masterpiece “Old Money” describes envy as, the almost hysterical sense of bareness inside oneself, and force to induce other hatreds. In this regard, envy is the worst, most shameful and deadly sin.76
Envy is the same as other vices and evils but has very little difference. Envy is, the personal pain caused by the desire for the advantages of others, while jealousy is the personal pain caused by the fear of losing one’s advantages to others, but both are vicious and evil and create mental disorders. Sayed Ruhullah Musawi Khomeini defines envy as;
“A psychic state in which a person wishes for the deprivation of a blessing, talent or merit, real or imagined, possessed by another person. It does not make any difference to the envious man whether he possesses it or not, whether he can acquire it or not.”77
It is development and directed towards people whom we consider as our contenders. In modern-day life, the impact of envy is worse than ever. In this age, people of all aspects of life feel they are dethroned due to competition. In the contemporary era, social media and the internet, in general, have given rise to envy with the thought that I have to compete for one and all. People were warned by Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) from such a maligned trait (envy) and commanded to abstain or to remain away from it
O' people, there is a vilified trait that the Prophet warned his Ummah from it, and forbade from it. He said: "The disease of the nations who came before you have started to spread among you: envy and hatred……"78
Moreover, he said; “Do not be envious of one another; do not hate one another; do not artificially raise prices against one another; do not turn ones back on each other, and do not undercut one another in business transactions. And be, [O] servants of Allah, brethren. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not belittle him. He does not forsake him. He does not betray him. And he does not show contempt for him. It is sufficient enough of evil for a person to despise his Muslim brother Every Muslim’s blood, wealth and honour is sacred.” 79
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, for jealousy is one of the most destructive characteristics that has spread in this Ummah and consequently, it has terrible effects”80.
At the social level, the pain of envy is the nastiest because of the feeling it causes by observing oneself as inferior to a person being well off and has enormous possessions. Such thinking upsets psychological flair and results in anxiety and leads to irrational and unfair decisions81. It develops negative thinking and costs the loss of friends, relatives and allies, undermines the closest relationships and brings one to disgrace. Islam discards all sorts of undesired crazy feelings of evil temptation and commands its followers to remain away from evil desires82. Envy also conceives negative thoughts and in Arabic known as wasawis (pl. of waswas). Wasawis develops evil thoughts due to whispering by Shaitan to think about others negatively, enviously and in enmity83. Islam guides humans in general and strictly Muslims in particular to remain away from such attitudes which creates indecency. Shaitan develops traits of superiority in the human heart which results in envy and gives rise to hatred and pride. It creates disorder and arouses insulting others with ill will. Such mental activity is inhuman and natural which occurs through mental disorder and results in pride and prejudice. An envious person gets involved in mental imbalance and creates problems for himself and his family. All families are bound to develop and train their members to develop traits of human love instead of envy but people of envious character work otherwise. Envy always leads to negative thinking and is called Quranically utter ignorance. Envy and ignorance are fundamentally equal, being anti-reality. People across the globe develop a negative approach called conscious ignorance. People of ignorant behaviour conceive an anti-humanistic approach. According to M. Ashraf Adeel said;
“Thinking a false thought about an entity is to apply a wrong predicate to it and hence, when someone is having thoughts of ignorance in this sense, s/he is applying the wrong predicate to entities”84
While pondering on the nature of envy, it conceives a negative approach about anybody, prosperity, possession, and personality in this way results in the application of false thoughts about others. So, to overcome envy it is necessary to understand the philosophy of life, its nature, its originality and the purpose of positivity. People with a positive approach never fell prey to jealousy and save themselves from its ill will by exercising epistemic virtues.85 Envy corrupts the power of real decision-making and develops not only mental but physical illness too. Envy is implanted inside the human soul and derails from the right decisions. In modern-day life envy at the international level as well as local level can easily understood via Cold War designs and hatred towards others. Such conflicts have worsened the family as well as individual life.
RESULT
Envy has overwhelmed humanity at local and global levels as is evident from the destruction due to world wars and regional wars. Such destruction is all outcome of envy, one nation with another and somewhere it is internal jealousy that corrupts the mental faculty and creates psychological disorder. Many well-off families were brought to the ground by envious characters and many nations due to envious disorder resulted in the destruction of their own countries as well as opponents. The prize of envy is always paid by both envier and envied at all stages being individualistic, familial and communal. The Qur’anic teachings directed its followers to understand the worst impact of envy and to take refuge in Allah from the envier. It is developed by internal and external forces to grab others’ right to prosperity and achievements. It is being satanic in design results not only in rejection of the worthiness of others but also develops the human psyche of lowly nature and tries to gratify selfish desires unnaturally. On such grounds, Shari’ah takes it more seriously by declaring, that faith and envy cannot live or be joined together. To set the world order in the proper practice first channelize the individual character for human betterment, to overcome inequality at all levels, from economic to cultural inequality and from Eastern to Western inequality challenges of global nature. The rapid technological developments instigated envy and produced weapons of mass destruction to dominate others. In this way, humanity lost its essence and false allegations sprouted against each other resulting in loss of life.
CONCLUSION
Envy is a psychological disorder that prevails among humans based on greed and jealousy as well as pride and prejudice. An environment of respect and fondness for humanity needs to be channelled as national and international policy and grouping against each other become a bone of contention between nations, communities, families and individuals. Islam believes in true universal brotherhood and propagates the thought “What you like for yourself, like it for your brother. Out of self-interest, Islam commands humans to establish peace and good relationships and does not believe in human condemnation but in respect for all races, religions and regions. It is important to understand envy and its dangers and causes otherwise it would engulf humanity. The present chaos at local, national and international levels is the outcome of envy and the need of the hour is to develop positive psychological traits to enrich human values as being a true representative of humanity. According to Islam, no human is superior to others, and no region is superior to others but one is pious and progressive. As per the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAAS), “We are all responsible beings and will be questioned about our responsibility on the day of Judgement”. In this way, envy or any other social evil has no room or value before God and must be avoided, being a sin deeply ingrained like some humans. God completely rejects disorder that prevails due to envy and directs humans to restore true divine order as the primary goal of divinity. So that everyone feels free and happy. While concluding egotistic determinations of individual or international nature are the outcome of envy and are highly hazardous for the human community. Humans should not develop the behaviour of envy but develop characteristics of patients, forbearance and tolerance because God loves those who love His creation and develop the patience to overcome mental /psychological disorders.
REFERENCES
i Islamic University of Science and Technology, IUST
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9Anna Ogarkova, Kyiv, “Green-Eyed Monsters”: A Corpus-Based Study of Metaphoric Conceptualizations Of Jealousy And Envy In Modern English, Metaphorik. De 13/2007, 87-148
10Eriv Shiraev, A History of Psychology, A Global Perspective, Sage publication, London, 2015, 30-33
11Buckley PF, Noffsinger SG, Smith DA, et al, Treatment of the psychotic patient who is violent Psych Clin N Am. 272
12M. B., & Wakefield, J. C., Diagnostic criteria as dysfunction indicators: Bridging the chasm between the definition of mental disorder and diagnostic criteria for specific disorders. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 2013, Vol.58, 663–669
13 Ahmad, vol. 5, 36, 38.
14Lukoff D, Lu F, Turner R. Toward a more culturally sensitive DSM-IV. Psych religious and psych spiritual problems. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1992; 180:673–82; Neeleman J, Persaud R. Why do psychiatrists neglect religious? Br J Med Psychol. 1995; 68: 169–78..
15 Murad I, Gordon H. Psychiatry and the Palestinian population. Psychiatric Bulletin 2002; 26:28-30.
16 Smith, R. H., & Kim, S. H. Comprehending envy. Psychological Bulletin, 2007, 133(1), 46–64.
17 Lindholm, Charles, Culture and Authenticity, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 2007
18 Surah Shams; 91:08, Translation by Dr. Mustafa Khattab, “the Clear Quran”
19Dr. Samuel Johnson, Rambler No. 183 [Envy], Saturday, December 17, 1751 published on 6 September 2003
20Ibid. retrieved on 26/12/2022
21 Salovey, P., Rodin, J., Provoking jealousy and envy: Domain relevance and self-esteem threat. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 1991, 10, 395–413
22 Parrott, W.G., The emotional experiences of envy and jealousy. In: P. Salovey (ed.), The Psychology of Jealousy and Envy, New York: Guilford Press, 1991, 3–30
23 Aliah, B. Purwakania Hasan, The Implementation of Mental Health Concept by Imam Al-Ghazali in Islamic Counselling Guidance, Journal of Strategic and Global Studies, 2000, Vol.1, No.1, 8-12, Ghazali, Revival of religious Learning: Imam Ghazali Ahya Ulum ud Din, 1993, 272
24Smith, R.H. and Kim, S.H., Comprehending Envy. Psychological Bulletin, 2007, 133, 46-64.
25 Takahashi H, Kato M, Matsuura M, Mobbs D, Suhara T, et al., when your gain is my pain and your pain is my gain: Neural correlates of envy and Schadenfreud. Science, 2009, 323: 937-939.
26 Ibid, 937-39.
27 Imam Birgivi, The path of Muhammad. A book on Islamic morals & ethics, World Wisdom, Inc. 2005, 168.
28 Ibid, 169
29Symbolism of the Apple in Greek Mythology Highgate Private School Nicosia, Cyprus, 2-3
30Kajal Kapoor, Karna (The Unsung Hero of Mahabharata: The Voice of the Subaltern), International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Culture Vol. 2, No. 4, November 2016, 15-25
31 Aristotle, Rhetoric. (R. McKeon, Ed.) New York: Random House, 1941, 335
32 Joseph Epstein, Envy, Oxford University Press, USA,2006, 12
33 Brenda L. Volling, Denise Kennedy, Lisa Jackey, The Development of Sibling Jealousy in Handbook of Jealousy: Theory, Research, and Multidisciplinary Approaches, April 2010. 2-5
34 Jaspers K. General Psychopathology. Johns Hopkins Paperbacks edition. London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, The patient's attitude to his illness, 1913, 414–27
35American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington: American Psychiatric Association; 1994; Saxe GN. Berkowitz R, et al. Dissociative disorders in psychiatric inpatients. Am J Psychiatry. 1993;150:1037–1042
36 Al-Amadi, Gharar al-Hakam wa darar al-Kalam, hadith no. 1133
37 Gharar, hadith no. 1963)
38 Gotlib IH, Joormann J. Cognition and depression: current status and future directions. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2010, vol.6, 285–312
39 Hartlage S, Arduino K, Alloy LB. Depressive personality characteristics: state dependent concomitants of depressive disorder and traits independent of current depression. J Abnorm Psychol. 1998, Vol.107, 349–354. Phillips KA, Gunders. 147, 830–837.
Gold BT. Envious on JG, Hirschfeld RM, Smith LE. A review of the depressive personality. Am J Psychiatry. 1990, Vol. 147, 830–837.
40 Gold BT. Enviousness and its relationship to maladjustment and psychopathology. Pers Indiv Differ. 1996, Vol. 21, 311–321
41 Smith RH, Kim SH. Comprehending envy. Psychol Bull. 2007, Vol.133, 46–64
42 Smith RH, Parrott WG, Ozer D, Moniz A. Subjective injustice and inferiority as predictors of hostile and depressive feelings in envy. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 1994, Vol.20, 705–711.
43 Russell, Bertrand, The Conquest of Happiness. New York: H. Liver wright, 1930
44 R.H. Smith and S.H. Kim, Comprehending Envy, Psychological Bulletin, 2007, 133, 46-64
45 Abu Dawood
46Sri NurulMilla et.al, Initial Development of Islamic Envy Management Scale, Psikologika, 2015, Vol.20 No.2, 117-18
47 Nursi, Badiuzzaman Said, Nursi Mektubat (Istanbul: Envar Nesriyat, 1993, 276 Letters 1928-1932 (Eng. Trans) (Istanbul: Sozler Publications, 2nd edn. 1997), 327.
48 Firuzabadi, M. M. Y. al-Qamus al-Muhit (Beirut: Mu’assassat al-Risala, 1993, 353.
49 Elmalili, H. Y. Hak Dini Kur’an Dili (Istanbul: Azim Dagitim, (n.d) x, 172-3.
50 Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Aḥmad ibn Rajab, Fatḥ al-Bārī: Sharḥ Ṣahīḥ al-Bukhārī, al-Madīnah alNabawīyah: Maktabat al-Ghurabā’ al-Atharīyah, 1996, 1:45
51 Taqī al-Dīn ibn Taymīyah, Amrāḍ al-Qulūb wa Shifāʼuhā (al-Qāhirah: al-Maṭba’ah al-Salafīyah wa Maktabatuhā, 1966, 14
52Ibn Taymiyah,Amrad al-Qulub wa Shifauha, al-Qahirah: al-Matba’ah al-Salafiyah wa Maktabatuha, 1996,14
53 S. Nursi, Lemālar [Flashes]. Istanbul: Sozler publications, Söz Basım Yayın, 2003, 284.
54Samuel Johnson S, Rambler no. 183(Envy) December 17, Victorian Web, 1751
55 Meleis A, La Fever C. The Arab American and psychiatric care. Prospect Psychiatric Care. 1984;12:72–86
56 Al-Quran; Surah Al-Isra’ 62; Dawood: Book 14: Hadith. 2653
57S. Nursi, Sign of Miraculousness: The Inimitability of the Qur'an’s Conciseness, Vahide, S. (Trans.), Istanbul: Sozler Publications A. S. 2004, P. 45.
58Abdul-Rahman, Zohair, “Islamic Spirituality and Mental Well Being.” Yaqeen Institute, 2007.
59McKee, D.D. & Chappel, J.N., Spirituality and medical practice. Journal of Family Practice, 1992, 35, 203.
60Ather, S. M. and Sobhani, F. A., Managerial Leadership: An Islamic Perspective, Chittagong: IIUC Studies, 2007, Vol. 4, 5
61 Kulliyat Iqbal,(Persian) Rumuz-e-Bekhudi, 188
62 Maulana Maududi, Tafheem ul-Quran, Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, 2011, vol. 2, Surah Al-Qasas; 28:79
63 Maulana Maududi, Tafheem ul-Quran, Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, 2011, vol.6, Surah Al-Falaq; 113:5
64 Feather, N. T., & Sherman, R. Envy, resentment, schadenfreude, and sympathy: Reactions to deserved and undeserved achievement and subsequent failure. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 2002, 953-961
65 Rawls, John. “The Problem of Envy.” (From a Theory of Justice), In Virtuous Persons, Vicious Deeds: An Introduction to Ethics, edited by Alexander E. Hooke. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1999. 306–311
66 Al-Issa, I., ed., Al-Junūn: Mental Illness in the Islamic World. Madison, CT: International Universities Press, Inc. 2000, 88; Muslim (b). Sahih Muslim 2559 b. Chapter: The Prohibition of Mutual Jealousy and Hatred and Turning away From. In-book reference: Book 45, Hadith 28. USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 32, Hadith 6207. Edalati, A., and Redzuan, M., The relationship between jealousy and aggression: A review of literatures related to wives’ aggression. European Journal of Scientific Research, 2010, 39(4), 498–504.
67 M. Kamal Hassan, “Psychological Disorders and The Spiritual Perspective of the Qur’an and The Sunnah” Keynote Address at The Symposium on Psychological Disabilities Organised by Counselling Centre, IIUM, Centris, IIUM, 12 November 2020
68 Kulliyat Iqbal (Persian) Rumuz-e-Bekhudi, 188
69 Smith, R. H., & Kim, S. H., Comprehending envy. Psychological Bulletin, 2007, 133(1), 46-64.
70Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah. An Introduction to History, Translated by Franz Rosenthal, London and Henley; Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1958, 211
71 Ghaemi, Nassir, The Concepts of Psychiatry Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003, 291
72 Deniz Ecem Şen, The Rise of Anxiety Disorders: Islamic Understanding of Anxiety and Muslim Scholar’s Suggestions to Cope with Distress and Achieve Happiness, International Journal of Depression and Anxiety, 2021, Volume 4 | Issue 2, 2-5
73Abu Bakr Muḥammad ibn Abdallaah Ibn al-’Arabī, Aḥkam al-Qurʼaan, Bairūt: Dār al-Kutub al-’Ilmīyah, 2003, 3:459
74 M. G. Henriksen, Epistemology, Phenomenology, and Empathy in Psychiatry, Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, January 2017, 48:149-154
75 Sunan Ibn Majah
76 Hacker, Diana. A Canadian Writer's Reference, 2nd Ed. Nelson Canada, 1996, 23.
77Sayyid Ruhullah Musawi Khomeini, Chapter: Fifth Hadith: Envy (Hasad) Forty Hadith, An Exposition, Second Revised Edition, Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project 1995-2022.
78Sunan Trimidhi, Kitab Sifat al-Qiyamah wa al-Raqaiq wa al-Wara
79Sahih Muslim Tahqeeq, Muhammad Fawad Abdul Baqi, Dar al Haya al-tarath al Arabi Beirut.
80Muhammad ibn Islamail Bukhari, Sahih al Bukhari, (Eng. Trans.) Muhammad Mohsin Khan,Riyadh: Darussalam publishers and Distributors, 1997, Hadith 3612
81 Khan IA, Ghani U, Hasad (Malicious Envy) and Ghibtah (Descent Envy): History, Culture and Philosophy. J Psychol Psychother, 2018, 8: 337; Dover, H. "The Varieties of Religious Therapy: Islam." Therapy (2011), 23-33
82 Sells, Michael Anthony, Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur’an, Miraj, Poetic and Theological Writings. Paulist Press, 1996, 143
83 Fahd, T.; Rippin, A., ""S̲h̲ayṭān"". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd Ed.). 24 April 2012.
84 M. Ashraf Adeel, Epistemology of the Quran, Springer, vol.29, 23
85 Ibid, 28-54
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