. Li (cont.)

" ; 1 l¦ " ;-ઍ઎ƶ r-'એઐઑAU u జ :t) "And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others. For men there is reward for what they have earned, and for women is 1 Ibn Katheer, Ta/seer, vol. 2, p. 50. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi reward for what they have earned. And ask Allah of His bounty. Surely, Allah is ever all-knower of everything" (al-Nisaa 32). Hasad is a kind of opposition or discontent with what Allah has decreed. After all, it is Allah who bestowed that bounty upon that other person. If a person dislikes what another person has received, then, in reality, he is showing his dislike for what Allah has decreed. 1 When he gets to that point, as ibn Uthaimeen stated, he is putting his religion into a dangerous and precarious position. He is practically declaring himself a better decision maker than Allah.2 Furthermore, the jealous person does not know why Allah has bestowed that blessing on the other person. Some people get jealous because they see people lying or cheating and then getting what they desire of this world. However, those "bounties" that Allah has given them may simply be the source of their own destruction-- Allah gives them bounties and they continue to disobey Allah by lying, cheating and so forth. Therefore, their punishment will be much greater. Obviously, there is no reason to be jealous of such worldly gains whatsoever. One must leave the decrees and the decisions of this world to Allah and accept whatever Allah has decreed, for Allah is the All­ Knowing, the Just, and the Merciful. Furthermore, the person cannot change what Allah has decreed. In essence, he is fighting a losing battle. He cannot remove that blessing from the other person unless Allah decrees such a thing. However, it was Allah that decreed that the other person should receive that blessing. All his anxiety and stress will be in vain as everything is according to Allah's decree and Allah blesses whomsoever He wills. Hasad also entails a number of negative psychological effects upon the jealous or envious person. As ibn Uthaimeen pointed out, the jealous person may always be in a state of anger and discontent over the bounties that others receive. This is because there is no limit to the number of bounties that Allah bestows upon others. The person may drive himself crazy or even kill himself 1 Allah has delegated specific roles for Muslim males and females. Especially in this day and age, with the advent of the feminist movement, many Muslim women seem to be jealous and envious of the role that Islam has given to men. Many of them do not seem to be happy that, in general, it is the man who is out in the workplace while the woman is at home (or, as some of them say, "Stuck at home with the children" while they want to "be like the men"). Many of them do not seem to be happy that the man has been given the responsibility of being the head of the household. They do not accept the fact that it is the husband's job to provide for and maintain the family, as well as lead the family. Such women must be careful because they must consider who their anger is directed to. Is it not Allah who created them as women instead of men? Is it not Allah who legislated the rights and responsibilities of both sexes? Do these women not think that Allah has done that based on wisdom and that Allah is merciful to all of His servants, male and female? However, what is important, and what is often times missing, is for the wife to be treated froperly and correctly according to Islamic teachings. lbn Uthaimeen, Sharh Riyaadh, vol. 4, p. 704. Hadith #35: "Do not be envious of one another. . . " if he always looks at the bounties others receive and he cannot live with them receiving such bounties. 1 When one realizes all of the negative aspects of hasad and how it is clearly a sign that there is something wrong in a person's heart, especially a person who claims to be a Muslim or a believer, it is not surprising to know that, in reality, has ad and imaan cannot coexist in one heart. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Imaan and hasad do not gather together in the heart of a slave [of Allah]. "2 A Sign That One has the Disease of Hasad According to ibn Uthaimeen, one of the strong signs that a person is inflicted with the disease of hasad is that he always tries to conceal the virtues and goodness of others. He does not like it when others talk about the good that a person has done. He remains silent and pretends like he does not know of the good that the other one has done.