Ruthlessness arises from covetousness, and covetousness arises from envy. Envy arises from desire, and desire arises from injustice, greed and ignorance.
To get rid of envy, the envious person should remember that what he imagined about the object of his envy and the life he leads and the pleasures he enjoys are probably distorted. Man desires things always and thinks that those who have them are happy, riding the crest of pleasure’s wave. When he does achieve it, however, he is only happy for a moment before he thinks of the next thing to covet. The position which he longed for yesterday no longer seems worth wanting. The same happens when he achieves the next higher position; he is never happy, since he spends all his time planning his next ascent.
It is wrong to think that those who enjoy wealth and pleasure are commensurately happy. Those who have everything in the world lose the ability to enjoy them. They are too familiar with the pleasures. The good things in their hands which other people desire become the things that they regard as day-to-day essentials. The pleasure that they take is no greater than anyone takes in what he has. This is because they are always belittling what they have and longing for more; they are always tense and ambitious and have less relaxation than those below them.
If a thoughtful man remembers all this, and does not chase after every whim, he will know that happiness and relaxation is within his grasp; he only has to be happy with what he already has. Sufficient is enough.
It is useful to add some points to the context of the cure for envy. A prosperous person who attracts envy should not encourage the development of envy by spending extravagantly. He should be moderate in his lifestyle. He should not be arrogant towards the people he should try to soften their hearts so that they feel no grudge or envy. He should be charitable towards the needy and give alms from his wealth. This will safeguard him against envy and give him the strength to withstand misfortune. He should pray, invoking God’s name and seeking His assistance and protection. There are certain formulae of supplication in the Qur’ān and ahadīth which are designed to protect belongings. If he is a great scholar he should not boast of the fact; he should be humble, and cultivate the goodwill of his fellow scholars. Envy between scholars is proverbial.
If someone is beautiful or handsome, he or she should not boast of it, but always give thanks to God for it and seek His protection.
Imām Abū Muhammad Ibn Hazm al-Andalusī
Kitāb al-Akhlāq wa’s-Siyar
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