for the sake of truth, day and night. Al-Bukhārī also transmitted it from Abū Hurayrah with the wording:

“ No envy is allowed except toward two men: a man to whom Allah has given the Qur’an, so he recites it night and day; another man hears him and says, ‘If only I were given what he has been given, I would do what he is doing.’ And a man to whom Allah has given wealth, and he exhausts it in the cause of truth; another man says, ‘If only I were given what he has been given, I would do what he is doing.’ ”

This is the envy the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—prohibited except in two instances. It is what the scholars termed ghibṭah (emulative desire): that one longs for the same condition enjoyed by another and dislikes being outstripped by him. Should it be asked, “Why call this envy when he merely wishes Allah’s favor for himself?” the reply is that the root of this wish is his noticing Allah’s bounty upon someone else and disliking that person’s superiority; had the other not existed, he would not have felt that desire. Because its point of departure is the dislike of another’s advantage, it is envy—an aversion followed by desire.

Whoever wishes Allah’s blessing without any regard for other people’s circumstances harbors no envy at all. Most people, however, are tried by this second form. It may also be called munāfasah (rivalry): two persons compete for a coveted goal, each eager to secure it, because each dislikes that the other outdo him—just as two racers each resent being overtaken. Such rivalry is not absolutely blameworthy; rather, it is praiseworthy when directed toward good. The Exalted says:

“Indeed, the righteous will be in bliss, reclining on couches, looking on. You will recognize in their faces the radiance of bliss. They will be given to drink a sealed nectar, whose seal is musk; and for that let those who compete, compete.” (Q 83:22–26)

Thus He commanded people to compete for this everlasting bliss, not for the perishable pleasures of this world. This accords with the Prophet’s statement, for he forbade envy except toward one who has been granted knowledge and acts upon it and teaches it, and toward one who has been granted wealth and spends it.

As for someone granted knowledge yet neither acting on it nor teaching it, or someone granted wealth yet not spending it in obedience to Allah, such a person is not to be envied, nor should anyone wish to resemble him; there is no good in his state—rather, he stands exposed to punishment.

If a person is entrusted with authority and discharges it with knowledge and justice, returning trusts to their owners and judging among people by the Book and the Sunnah, his rank is indeed great, but it entails a tremendous struggle. The same is true of the warrior in Allah’s path: people do not usually envy one who endures severe hardship, which is why he was not mentioned, even though the warrior is superior to the mere spender of wealth. The giver and the teacher, by contrast, normally face no external enemy; should they have to fight one, their station would be higher still. Likewise, the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—did not mention the devotee of prayer, the faster, or the pilgrim.