What did al-Ghazali say about envy (ḥasad)?

"without hesitance. When this reached the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he said, Are you amazed by the jealousy of Sa'd? By Allah, I am more jealous than him, and Allah is more jealous than I. Because of his jealousy, Allah has prohibited immorality, both apparent and concealed, agreed upon. In both Sahih collections, it is reported from him, Indeed, Allah has a sense of protective jealousy, and the believer also has a sense of jealousy, and Allah's jealousy is that his servant commits what he has forbidden to him. In both Sahihs, it is narrated from him, No one has more protective jealousy than"

"Thus, one should not say, "I am jealous over اللّٰه," but rather, "I am jealous for اللّٰه." The jealousy of a person from themselves is more important than their jealousy from others. If you are jealous from yourself, your jealousy for اللّٰه from others will be sound. But if you are jealous for Him from others and not from yourself, then the jealousy is flawed."

"disguising their obstruction as jealousy. How far is this from jealousy for اللّٰه, which necessitates honoring His rights and purifying one's actions and states for Him? The knowledgeable person is jealous for اللّٰه, while the ignorant person is jealous over اللّٰه. Thus, one should not say, "I am jealous over اللّٰه," but rather, "I am jealous for اللّٰه.""

"a woman's character as it is. The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said, There is a kind of jealousy that Allah Almighty detests, which is the jealousy of a man for his family without any suspicion. This type of jealousy arises from evil suspicion, which is forbidden as some suspicion is sinful. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, advised, Do not excessively harbor jealousy over your family, for you may be accused of evil on their behalf. However, jealousy in its proper place is necessary and praiseworthy. The Prophet, peace be upon him, explained, Allah the Almighty is jealous, and so is the believer. Allah's jealousy is that a believer"

"Al-Hassan used to say, Do you allow your women to jostle with foreigners in the markets? May Allah curse whoever does not possess jealousy. The Prophet, peace be upon him, stated, Verily, there is a type of jealousy Allah loves and a type he detests, and a type of arrogance he loves and a type he detests. The jealousy that Allah loves is in cases of suspicion, and the jealousy he detests is without suspicion. The arrogance Allah loves is a man's self-assurance during battle and confrontation, and the arrogance he detests is pride and falsehood. The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said, I am indeed jealous, and any man who is not jealous has a corrupt heart."

"Allah the Almighty is jealous, and so is the believer. Allah's jealousy is that a believer commits what he has forbidden. He also remarked, Are you amazed at the jealousy of Sa'd? I am, by Allah, more jealous than him, and Allah is more jealous than me. Because of Allah's jealousy, he has prohibited immoralities, both apparent and hidden. Allah loves excuses, which is why he sent warners and bearers of glad tidings. He also loves praise, which is why he promised paradise. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, shared an experience from his night journey. One night, while I was led on my night journey,"

"is no conceivable jealousy of a rival over Him; that would be mere envy. Rather, the praiseworthy jealousy in His regard is that the lover be jealous over his own love for Him, lest he divert it to another; or jealous over it lest another become aware of it and so spoil it for him; or jealous over his deeds lest anything in them be for other than his Beloved; or jealous over them lest they be tainted by what his Beloved dislikes — showing off, or self-admiration, or a love that others should look upon them, or his being absent from witnessing God's favor upon him in them."

"A benefit: Jealousy is of two kinds — jealousy for a thing and jealousy from a thing. Jealousy for the beloved is your eagerness to keep him; jealousy from what is hateful is that a rival should crowd you out of him. So jealousy for the beloved is not complete without jealousy from the rival. This is praiseworthy where the beloved is one in whose love sharing is repugnant, as with a created being."

"As for the jealousy of his Beloved over him, it is His dislike that the servant's heart should turn away from loving Him to loving another, such that the other shares in his love. For this reason, God's jealousy is that a servant should do what He has forbidden him. And it is because of His jealousy, glory be to Him, that He forbade indecency, both what is outward of it and what is hidden — for creatures are His male and female slaves, and He is jealous over His handmaidens as a master is jealous over his maidservants — and to God belongs the highest likeness."

"A further hadith says, "Whoever suppresses his anger while being able to enact it," recorded by Abu Dawood and others. By combining envy and backbiting, you harm yourself, gifting your good deeds to the one you envy. Your backbiting does not harm him but benefits him by transferring your good deeds to him. Embracing envy and folly, your criticism might spread the virtues of the one you envy, as it is said: "When God wants to spread a virtue, He allows a jealous tongue to reveal it.""