How do I cure envy in my heart?
Al-Ghazali dedicated a full book of the Iḥyāʾ to the causes, symptoms, and cures of ḥasad. His prescription is practical and unsentimental — not "be grateful," but a set of specific spiritual exercises.
10 passages from 7 books in the library
Al-Ghazali, who devoted a full book of the Ihya to envy (hasad), treats it as a curable disease of the heart rather than something to simply feel guilty about. He warns in Book 25 that wishing to keep your own blessings safe from others' envy while resenting theirs is itself "foolishness," since every envious person craves that same special privilege — so the cure begins with honesty about one's own heart. He also observes that envy only torments its owner: the sages found "the most sorrowful people to be the envious," while the content are at peace. Solitude, he adds, exposes these vile traits.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 7 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
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"the other envious, and the other saying, if I am the most envious, my wife is thrice divorced."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"If you desire blessings to remain with you despite others' envy, this is foolishness, as every envious person desires this special privilege."
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"of the blessing, without any aversion to this state, you are also an envious person disobedient,"
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"or action, such that it becomes apparent in your voluntary actions, then you are an envious"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"is content, and any angry, spiteful, or envious person alone does not exhibit their vile traits."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Another sage remarked, I found the most sorrowful people to be the envious and the most content"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Yet, if a peer gained the ruler's favor and interceded for Muslims, they would feel envious"
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"The seeker of leadership inevitably becomes hypocritical, envious, arrogant, ostentatious,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"Amongst friends, one may encounter the envious who sees a flaw where there is none or the"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Engaging in pleasing hearts, guarding one's status, thwarting the plots of the envious,"
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