Envy is a dangerous Heart Disease, Envy, Jealousy (Hasad) (Jinn (Genie) Magic story)

This legendary story is well known. Yet, it is worth repeating. Once a person went through a rigorous process of penance to please Jinn (Genie) and he succeeded. Jinn (Genie) appeared and said, "What is your wish, my dear?" The person prayed, "My Jinn (Genie)! Kindly promise that you would grant whenever I wish for any thing!" The Jinn (Genie) agreed, "All right, you will always get whatever you wish for, but there was a condition to your wishes your - that whatever you wish for, your neighbour will get just the double." And the person went home, happy. Next morning, he wished for a palatial house. KAZAM He got one, and his neighbour got two! Then, he wished for a luxury car. KAZAM He got that also. Again, the neighbour got two luxury cars! Desires are self-feeding. So, they multiplied manifold in his case too. He wished for more and more. The gracious Jinn (Genie) granted all his wishes. He became very prosperous. But the neighbour becomes twice as prosperous! Now, the person was very jealous and envied. What to do! He found a clever solution. He prayed Jinn (Genie) to take one of his eyes. KAZAM The wish was granted. He lost one eye and his neighbour lost both eyes. He further asked the Jinn (Genie) to take one of his hands and then one of his legs. In this way, he lost one eye, one hand, and one leg. And the neighbour lost both eyes, both hands, and both legs. Now, the person felt contented and said, "It is wonderful, indeed. Thanks a lot, the great Jinn (Genie)!" Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person is not satisfied until the blessing (from the person he envies) is lost

Envy in Islam, Jealousy and Islam, Hasad (Destructive Jealousy), Sickness of Soul and Heart

So you don't like a person because he/she possesses some thing you imagine to be good that you don't have? You feel 'sick' whenever you see him/her; hear people talking about him/her or even when you think of him/her while you are alone. This is because he/she is smarter or wealthier or more knowledgeable or intelligent or virtuous than you are. And you are not able to appreciate his/her unique talent or possession or popularity. And by your behavior you try to downgrade, avoid, or defame him/her, feel happy when he/she suffers a loss or is in a difficulty. But you hide this feeling inside yourself. Do you know that this condition is a sickness of soul and heart and it also harms your physical health is called as Envy, Destructive Jealousy (Hasad)? Hasad (destructive jealousy) is among the most destructive emotions or feeling which a man may have towards his fellow human being. It causes him to wish evil for others and to be happy when misfortune befalls them. On the other hand, what Islam permits in contrast to Hasad (destructive jealousy) is Ghibtah (envy that is free from malice), which means neither loving the loss of the blessing nor hating for it to remain with the person, but desiring the same for oneself without the removal of the blessing from others. The Prophet of Allah (SWT)said: Beware of envy because indeed envy destroys good deeds in the same manner as fire destroys wood Imam al-Baqir (as) said: Verily envy destroys faith like fire destroys wood The Prophet of Allah (SWT) said: Envy appears to take over destiny The Prophet of Allah (SWT) said: Allah (SWT) the Almighty said to Musa bin Imran (as), Oh son of Imran, don't be envious of what I have given to people from my grace and don't enchant your eyes with the blessings and don't put your soul in search of them, because the envious person is unhappy at my blessings that I have distributed among my servants The Prophet of Allah (SWT) said: Beware! Don't be enemy of blessings of Allah (SWT). (He was asked: Oh Prophet of Allah (SWT) "who are those who keep enmity with the blessings of Allah (SWT)?" The Prophet of Allah (SWT) replied: "Those who are envious." The Prophet of Allah (SWT) said: Beware! Indeed a disease that afflicted past nations before you has reached you like an ant and that is envy because it doesn't eat hair but eats away (your) religion The Prophet of Allah (SWT) said: Don't be desirous of achieving blessings except from two: A person whom Allah (SWT) has bestowed wealth and he spends it (in the way of Allah (SWT)) day and night and the other person is the one whom Allah (SWT) has given knowledge of Noble Qur'an and he keeps it up with him day and night Imam Ali (as) said: Envy is a disease without remedy Imam Ali (as) said: Envy is worst of diseases Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person is permanently sick Imam Ali (as) said: The health of body is in absence of envy Imam Ali (as) said: Envy is prison for spirit Imam Ali (as) said: Envy is an exhausting ride Imam Ali (as) said: Envy is the great trap of Shaitan (Satan) Imam Ali (as) said: Envy is the source of humiliations Imam Ali (as) said: The one who loves envy, is loved by the troubles Imam Ali (as) said: The fruit of envy is the misery of world and the hereafter Imam Ali (as) said: Envy weakens the body Imam Ali (as) said: Envy dulls the complexion Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person cannot get relief (from envy) Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person cannot be a leader Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person is angry over the destiny Imam Ali (as) said: An envious person is a bad companion Imam Ali (as) said: The one who gives up envy is loved by the people Imam Ali (as) said: Expecting good advice from envious is fruitless Imam Ali (as) said: It is enough for you that the envious person is sad at your happiness Imam Ali (as) said: The envious is fast to leap in an attack while slow in showing kindness Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person is sick although he (apparently) possesses healthy body Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person has many unfulfilled desires and his sins are double Imam Ali (as) said: Envy doesn't bring anything other than harm and anger and weakens your heart and makes your body sick Imam Ali (as) said: May Allah (SWT) deal with envy! For what an enemy it is! It kills the one who has it Imam Ali (as) said: The one who is envious imagines that the blessing possessed by envied will be lost and reach him Imam Ali (as) said: The envious person looks like a loving friend by his speech, but hides malice behind his actions, he is friend only by name but by his characteristics, he is an enemy Imam Ali (as) said: I have not seen an oppressor so similar to oppressed like an envious person, (because he is) with permanently sick soul, disturbed heart and inseparable sorrow Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: The envious person harms himself before he harms the envied, like Iblis who because of his envy left the legacy of curse on himself and for Adam (as) became the source of God's selection (over himself) Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: There is no tranquility for the envious Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: There is no prosperity for envious Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: Calamities for one's religion are envy, self-admiration and pride Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: Satan (Iblis) says to his gang: 'Instill envy and disobedience among them (human beings) because these two are equal to shirk (polytheism)' Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: Beware of envying each other for indeed the basis of disbelief (kufr) is envy Hazrat Luqman (as) said to his son: The envious person has three signs: backbiting behind them (whom he envies), flatters them in front and is happy when they are in trouble. So what should a believer do when he/she observes a blessing that he/she lacks is possessed by another servant of Allah (SWT)? He/she should desire that the blessing possessed by another servant of Allah (SWT) should remain as such and increase and may Allah (SWT) bestow him/her with the same blessing. He/she must not desire that the blessing be lost from the servant of Allah (SWT). He/she must appreciate that Allah (SWT) has bestowed the blessing to His servant by His own grace and he/she should be happy with Allah (SWT). Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: A believer desires (to achieve) a blessing and avoids envy while a hypocrite envies and is not desirous of (achieving) the blessing O Allah, Bless Muhammad and his Household and provide me with a breast safe from envy, such that I envy none of Thy creatures and in anything of Thy bounty and such that I see none of Thy favors toward any of Thy creatures in religion or this world, well-being or reverential fear, plenty or ease, without hoping for myself better than it through and from Thee alone, who hast no associate! Imam Zainul Abideen (as)

Islamic Sayings on Anger (Ghadab), Prophetic Sayings on Anger, Diseases of the Soul

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Anger corrupts faith in the same way that vinegar destroys honey." Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) narrated on the authority of his father Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) that a Bedouin came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and said: "I live in the desert; hence, I want you to instruct me the comprehensive of speech." The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "I instruct you not to be angry." As the Bedouin repeated the same request three times, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) repeated the answer three times. The Bedouin commented: "I will not ask you for anything any more. Certainly, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) has instructed me the best." Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Anger is the key (that opens the door) to all kinds of vices." Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "A Mu'min (believer) is the person who when angered, his anger doesn't lead him away from that which is true." Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) said: "A man often becomes so angry that he is never pleased until this causes him to be in Hell."

Anger in Islam, Anger (Ghadab), Bad Temper, Human Vices, Anger Management in Islam

Those who spend (freely) whether in prosperity or in adversity; who restrain their anger and pardon men; And Allah loves those who do good. (Noble Qur'an, 3:134) Anger is a mental condition that provokes the excitement of man in words and deeds. Because of the dangers and sins such like mocking, gibe, obscenity, beating, killing, and the like evildoings - that are resulted from anger, it has been considered as the door to every evil. According to Ibn Maskawayh, Anger, in fact, is an inner psychic movement due to which a state of agitation is produced in the heart's blood, arousing a desire for vengeance. And when this agitation becomes more violent, it intensifies the fire of anger. A violent commotion in the blood seizes the heart, filling the arteries and the brain with a flurry of dark smoke, on account of which the mind and the intellect lose control and become powerless. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as)said: "Verily, anger is a spark ignited by the Shaitan (Satan) in the human heart. Indeed, when anyone of you gets angry, his eyes become red, the veins of his neck become swollen and Shaitan (Satan) enters them. Therefore, whosoever among you is concerned about himself on account of it, he should lie down for a while so that the filth of Shaitan (Satan) may be removed from him at the time." Anger is one of the conditions of the soul, and possesses three states. 1. The state of excess, which is defined as what would put one outside the bounds of religion and its laws. 2. The state of deficiency, which is defined as the state in which one fails to take a violent action even though it is necessary for his self defense. 3. The state of moderation, in which anger is stimulated in appropriate and permissible circumstances. Thus it is clear that the first and the second states are amongst the vices of the soul, while the third is amongst ethical virtues produced by courage. Excessive anger is a fatal disease, which can be considered as a type of temporary madness. When it subsides, it is immediately followed by remorse and repentance, which represent healthy responses of a rational person. Amirul Muminin, Imam Ali (as)said: "Anger is a stroke of madness, since the afflicted later feels remorse and regrets. If someone does not feel any remorse after anger, it means that his madness has become fixed." Amirul Muminin, Imam Ali (as) said: "Protect yourself from anger for its beginning is insanity and its end is remorse." Moreover, absolute absence of anger is also a vice, which drags man into humiliation, subjugation and inability to defend his rights. In order to cure excessive anger, one must first remove its causes. These may be pride, selfishness, stubbornness,greed and other such vices. One must also consider how unseemly excessive anger is, and how evil its consequences may be. Secondly, he must examine the benefits of forbearance and self-restraint, and associate with people who possess these qualities. He must also realize that Allah's power is supreme, and everything is under His command, which would make him realize his own weakness compared with the infinite power of Allah. Thirdly, he should know that a person in a state of anger is not loved by Allah; moreover, he may do something in anger, of which he will be ashamed later on. The opposite of anger is mildness and forbearance characteristics which count amongst perfect qualities of the soul. They make a person forgiving and merciful, although he may have complete power to take revenge. Keep to forgiveness, and enjoin what is fair, and turn away from the ignorant. (Noble Qur'an, 7:199) And the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Forgiveness raises a man's station; forgive so that Allah (SWT) may honour you."

Islamic Sayings: Involving Parents in the Education of Their Children (Muslim Parenting)

Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: A virtuous child is a fragrant flower from the flowers of Heaven. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Be kind to your children, and excel in this kindness. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Have your children to learn swimming and shooting. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Train your children in three things: The love of your Prophet, to love the Ahlul Bayt, and the recitation of Noble Qur'an. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When your children are grown up to seven years, teach them the prayers, and when they are ten years old, seriously admonish them for it (in order that they establish prayers); and separate their sleeping beds from each other. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The child is the master for seven years and a slave for seven years and a vizier for seven years; so if he builds a good character within 21 years, well and good, otherwise leave him alone because you have discharge your responsibility before Allah. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Among the rights of the child over the parent are three: To give him a good name, to teach him to write and to marry him when he comes of age. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When a person's son matures and he has the financial ability to marry him but does not do so, the boy will commit sin and the sin will be on the father. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: May Allah have mercy on the one who helps his child towards righteousness by being good to him, appealing to him, teaching him knowledge, and training him. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: The right of a child upon his father is that he should give him a nice appellation, train him well and teach him the Noble Qur'an (with its rules). Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: No milk is greater in prosperity than the mother's milk for the baby to suck from. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: Do not force your children to behave like you, for surely they have been created for a time which is different to your time. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: Mould clay as long as it is pliable and plant seedlings while they are still supple. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: A child that has to be restrained is like an extra finger: if you let it be, then you dislike it, and if you cut it off, then it is painful. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: It should be your aim to display more kindness towards your child than the kindness that he displays towards you. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: If you scold a child, then leave him room to turn away from his wrong action, so that you do not leave him with obstinacy as his only way out. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: Since you sat down wherever you wished when you were small, sit down where you do not want to now that you are grown up. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: The first things that children should learn about are the things that they will need to know when they become men. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: The more forceful the pretence is in the beginning, the harder it will be to keep up the pretence in the end. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: Surely the heart of a child is like fallow ground: whatever is planted in it is accepted by it. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) said: When a father beats his child it is like putting manure on a young crop. Imam Sadiq (as) said: Take action in teaching traditions (of Ahlul Bayt) to your children before the corrupted persons precede in corrupting them. Imam Sajjad (as) said: The right of your child is that you know that he has emerged from you in this world; his right and wrong are attributed to you. You are responsible of his fine teaching and training, guiding him to his Lord, Almighty and Glorious, and, assisting him to obey Him. Therefore, be sure that if you do a favour to your child, you will obtain it; and if you act viciously against him, it will come back to you, too. Tarbiyat-e-Aulad

Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Loving Children

Once a companion (Sahabi) visited theMessenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when he was engaged in caressing his two grandchildren, Hasan and Hussain. Being surprised at this act, the companion said: "O Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! Do you also caress children, I have ten children but I have never fondled even one of them." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) raised his eyes and remarked: "It seems mercy and kindness has left your heart." Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was very kind to children and loved them very much. He used to carry them on his shoulders. The children would become very happy and laugh. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), too, would become happy at the pure happiness and laughter of the children and a smile would appear on his face. Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to give his Salaam (greetings) to children and would tell hiscompanions (Sahaba): "I give my Salaam to children and respect them, and Muslims should follow my behavior and always be warm and loving with children." Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to speak about children - boys and girls - and Say: "O Muslims, O fathers and mothers, O my followers, be kind and compassionate towards children, for someone who is not kind to children has no place amongst the Muslims."

Children are blessings: (Muslim children, Islam and children, Qur'an and children, Muslim Parenting)

Allah (SWT) says in Noble Qur'an: "Kill not your children for fear of want. We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is great sin." Noble Qur'an (17: 31) Once a Companion, Sahabi (Allah be pleased with him) submitted to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which is the greatest sin?" Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed: "Polytheism" The Companion, Sahabi (Allah be pleased with him) again submitted: "And what next?" Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed: "Disobedience to parents" The Companion, Sahabi (Allah be pleased with him) submitted for the third time: "And which sin is the greatest next to it?" Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed: "To kill your children fearing that they will share your sustenance."

Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) and Loving Children (Rights of Children in Islam, Muslim Parenting)

Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) was very kind to children, especially to orphans. If he ever saw an orphan crying, he would stop whatever he was doing, bend down, give the child his Salaam (greetings), wipe away the child's tears, put his hand on the child's shoulder and say, "My child, why are you crying? Has someone hurt you? Come; let me take you to my house." Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) would take the child home and treat him better than any father. He would bring the child sweets, cakes and honey and put them in the child's mouth himself. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) used to tell his followers to love and be kind to orphans, especially the orphans of martyrs killed in the path of Allah. "They have lost their loving fathers," he used to say. "So cheer them up and look after them just like a father. Their fathers were martyred in Jihad and for the sake of Islam and they have rights on you. Make their souls pleased with you by cheering up their children and looking after them." Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) was always attentive to orphans especially to those of the martyrs. He used to visit them and sit, chat and play with them He used to take care of their education and training. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) would strive to solve their difficulties and always offered them guidance and advice. He would bring them gifts and, if they were poor, he would respectfully provide their expenses. Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as) was so kind to orphans and laid so much stress on them in his teachings that one of his companions (Sahaba) said: "How I wish that I too was a young orphan so that I would receive kindness and love from Imam Ali son of Abu Talib (as)."

Relationship between Parents and Children in Islam: (Muslim Parenting, Muslim Parents)

"Your parents and your children, you know not which of them is the nearer to you in usefulness; this is an ordinance from Allah: Surely Allah is Knowing, Wise." Noble Qur'an (4:11) The above verse from Noble Qur'an shows the Islamic attitude towards the relationship between parents and children. From infancy to adulthood, it is unparalleled tender love and care of the parents which brings the child from the stage of absolute weakness and helplessness to perfect strength and independence. Conversely, in old age a man becomes like a small child; the mind and body turn so weak that Allah (SWT) says in Noble Qur'an: If We grant long life to any, We cause him to be reversed in nature: Will they not then understand? Noble Qur'an (36:68) Yesterday, your parents looked after you when you were too feeble to look after yourself; today you must look after them.