Every crime leaves a trace
There are things in our life that can truly be envied. Such envy is not condemned in Islam. On the contrary, “white envy”, which implies the desire to have what another person has, without wanting the other to lose it, is even encouraged.
It was reported from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There should be no envy of anyone except two: a person whom Allah has given wealth and the ability to spend it properly, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom, who judges based on it and passes it on to others.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
As you can see, even in this sense envy should be shown only towards character and good deeds. It should contribute to the performance of good deeds and the improvement of a current situation.
However, most people, despite this, envy someone’s wealth, fame, high position in society, etc. Having these values, a person thinks that life is a success and everything is in his hands but this is far from true.
The most admirable qualities in people are knowledge, honesty, justice, fortitude, strong faith, will, humanity, whereas wealth, fame and status are temporary benefits that can leave a person overnight. Even if they remain with a person for his entire life, in any case they are transient, because all the benefits of this world are given to a person only for a certain time. What can we say about benefits, if the person himself is only a guest in this world?
Almighty Allah said in the Holy Koran (meaning), “The life of this world is only a pleasure which is a delusion (a transitory world that only a fool enjoys).” (Safwat at-Tafasir, Sura Ali-‘Imran, ayah 185).
It was narrated from Mujahid that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said, “One day the Messenger of God ﷺ took me by the shoulders and said, “Behave in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller.”
The narrator of this hadith said that ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar often advised, “If you live until evening, do not expect to live until morning, and if you live until morning, do not expect to live until evening. Take from your health what will be useful for your illness and from your life what will be useful for your death.” (Narrated by Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi)
That is, do good deeds while you are alive and healthy and use all your opportunities for this, taking into account the inevitability of the moment when these opportunities will be exhausted.
Good character, strong faith and human qualities praised by the Sharia can become the reason for a person’s happiness in both worlds. Those who possess such qualities often have a hard time, because living in the modern world while maintaining human qualities is not an easy task.
In the modern world, many people’s priorities have changed dramatically. What was until recently considered unacceptable in normal society has today become the norm, even for some Muslims.
Many people live in this world as if they are going to stay here forever. They mistakenly consider the presence of certain worldly goods to be happiness, not even suspecting that they are temporary and illusory.
True happiness lies in the understanding that a person came to this world for a while and he will spend a certain period of time here. After all, in fact, this is true! The one who realizes this simple truth shows fortitude and patience in any situation. He lives without holding any grudge against anyone in his heart and without causing harm to others.
But unfortunately, such good nature is not always reciprocated and it often happens that it is precisely towards such a person that many people develop black envy. And this despite the fact that such a person lives within his means, earns a living in a permitted way, does not approach the forbidden and does not offend anyone.
But envious people want such a person to also have problems, so that he also makes mistakes and “stumbles” on the path of life. Some do not stop at desires but begin to implement them. Waiting for a convenient opportunity, they begin to put a spoke in his wheel.
In addition, these envious people believe that no one will know about the atrocities that they commit against good people. They apparently do not realize that the Almighty Creator knows and sees all their crimes.
Allah said in the Holy Koran (meaning), “And do not think, [O Muhammad], that Allah is heedless of what the wrongdoers (oppressors) do. He only gives them a respite (postpones their punishment) until the Day of Judgement, when their eyes will roll back from great fear (they will rise and remain open and stare).” (Safwat at-Tafasir, Sura Ibrahim, ayah 42).
If a person commits an evil deed oppresses a good person, slanders him, and tarnishes his honour, let him not hasten to sigh with relief, because his evil deed will not go unnoticed. He will pay for all his evil deeds and he will be repaid in full.
Almighty Allah said in the Holy Koran (meaning), “Whoever in his life did an atom’s weight of evil (misdeed), I will see it and he will be recompensed.” (Safwat at-Tafasir, Sura Az-Zalzalah, ayah 8).
As you can see, no evil deed of a person, no matter how insignificant it may be, disappears without a trace. A person will see each of his evil deeds on the Day of Judgment and will be punished for it, if God does not have mercy on him.
As for the evil deeds that a person has committed against another person, especially a righteous one, it is impossible to avoid punishment for this unless the one he has offended forgives him.
Therefore, it is best not to commit an evil deed at all, not to oppress anyone and not to slander anyone. If this suddenly happens, one must, without delay, hurry to this person with a request for forgiveness, because on the Day of Judgment a person will no longer be able to ask for forgiveness.
