hāsid or hasūd, with the plural forms hussād and hasada.” (1)

Know that envy is one of the diseases of the heart—we seek refuge in Allah from it. It originates in anger, rancor, and discontent with divine decree, predestination, and one’s allotted provision. It sows discord, harms one’s religion, destroys affection, spreads hatred among Muslims, and deters a person from righteous deeds, remembrance, and worship. Al-Ghazālī even counted it among the causes that prevent a person from performing the night prayer. There is no might nor power except with Allah.

Definition of al-adm

When a man—or a woman or child, whether human or jinn—wishes to obtain a blessing and to see it removed from someone else, but this does not harm the envied person—that is, it neither causes harm as envy does nor takes effect—this is al-adm. This is one manifestation of Allah Most High’s mercy toward His servants and of His averting adverse decrees from them. Were Allah Most High to allow every instance of envy to take effect, the world would be ruined and people’s livelihoods corrupted. There is no might nor power except with Allah.

It is stated in al-Ayn: “Al-adm is envy and rancor harbored in the heart which a person is unable to put into effect.” End quote. (2)

Al-adm does not take effect like the evil eye, even though it belongs to the same general category. Rather, it more closely resembles the rancor that leads to arrogance, rejection of the truth, and contempt for others, such as that which arises among peers in every profession and setting. Among students of knowledge, for example, envy may prompt one to disparage another as foolish, diminish his standing, deny him his due, make light of his importance, belittle his status, or even impugn his honor because of some statement, opinion, or the like. This is neither the praiseworthy emulation mentioned in the hadith nor the evil eye that causes harm. Rather, it is part of the clashes and disputes among peers, something manifest and well known. Allah Most High knows best. Of this, the poet said:

They envied the youth when they could not equal his striving—
for people are their enemies and foes.
Like the co-wives of a beautiful woman, who said of her face,
wrongly and falsely: “It is ugly.”