For “character” is what has become habitual and ingrained in the soul. Allah Most High says:

“And indeed, you are of a great moral character.”

Ibn ‘Abbās, Ibn ‘Uyaynah, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal—may Allah be pleased with them—explained this as adherence to a great religion. In another wording, Ibn ‘Abbās said: “The religion of Islam.” Likewise, ‘Ā’ishah—may Allah be pleased with her—said: “His character was the Quran.” Al-Hasan al-Basrī similarly said: “The conduct taught by the Quran is the exalted character.”

As for “desire,” it may be transient. An “ailment” is a disease: pain in the heart and corruption within it. In the first hadith, he paired envy with hatred because the envious person first resents Allah’s favour upon another, then comes to hate that person. Hatred of an inseparable attribute entails hatred of its bearer. Thus, if Allah’s blessing is inseparable from someone, and the envious person wishes it to disappear, but it can disappear only with that person’s disappearance, he hates him and wishes that he no longer existed.

Envy gives rise to wrongdoing, as Allah Most High tells us concerning those before us: they differed after knowledge had come to them, transgressing against one another. Their disagreement was not due to a lack of knowledge. Rather, they knew the truth, but wronged one another, just as the envious person wrongs the one he envies.

The two Sahīh collections report from Anas ibn Mālik—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Do not envy one another, hate one another, turn your backs on one another, or sever ties with one another. Be brothers, O servants of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to shun his brother for more than three nights: they meet, and each turns away from the other. The better of the two is the one who first offers the greeting of peace.”

He—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—also said in a hadith recorded in both collections, likewise narrated by Anas: “By Him who