—namely, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Envy is warranted only in two cases,” that is, no legitimate sense of emulation should arise over any blessing Allah grants—wealth or otherwise—except in these two:

1. A man to whom Allah has given wealth and who is empowered to spend it until it is consumed in the cause of truth; he puts nothing of it to use except in what pleases Allah. Such a person may rightly be envied, for merchants differ: some pour their money into the path of Allah—into good works and charitable endeavors—relieving the poor, building mosques, erecting schools, printing beneficial books, supporting jihad, and the like. This man has been granted authority to exhaust his fortune in what is right.

   Others, by contrast, squander their money on forbidden pleasures—may Allah protect us. One travels abroad to commit fornication, drink wine, gamble, and waste his wealth on what angers the Lord. Clearly, then, the one whom Allah enables to expend his property for rightful causes is the one who deserves to be envied.

2. A man to whom Allah has given wisdom, meaning religious knowledge. Here “wisdom” stands for knowledge, as in His saying, “Allah has sent down to you the Book and wisdom and taught you what you did not know” (Q 4:113). He judges by that knowledge and teaches it to others: he applies it to himself, to his family, and to all who seek his arbitration, and he also spreads it among the people. He does not merely wait for seekers to come and say, “If they ask me, I will decide”; rather, he both rules and instructs, taking the initiative to guide others. There is no doubt that such a man is truly envied for the wisdom Allah has bestowed upon him.