harbor any resentment in your heart
for long because it would eventually
lead to sin at some point. This problem
often occurs in jealousy.
If you see someone succeeding in
worldly affairs and you wish the same,
you start desiring that his riches,
property, and worldly possessions
should have been yours. Soon the
waswasa starts taking root in your
heart and you feel that he should lose
all the blessings he enjoys. This way of
thinking takes you to the boundaries
of sin. Eventually, the thought makes
its home in the heart, and incites you
to cause harm to the individual, and
eventually you start doing just that.
You may pray to Allah against the
victim of your jealousy, asking Him
to remove his worldly success or
seize his possessions, or you might do
something to make him suffer a loss,
or you might find ways to criticize
him in front of others so that he is
disgraced. You would start doing
things that cause him trouble and
(seemingly) provide solace to your
heart. All these actions are unlawful.
Though the initial feeling is not unlawful,
once it takes root in the heart,
it pushes you towards the unlawful.
Therefore, it is important to remedy
the uninvited feelings of jealousy,
animosity, and anger. If you do not,
they will ruin you.
So, what is the treatment?
First, you must convince yourself that
the thought is evil. Next, you should
recall your own faults and remind
yourself that the person might have
revealed only one of your flaws while
you have many more which he did
not mention.
In addition, supplicate to Allah, “O
Allah, I have this feeling of animosity
toward such and such person. Let it
not provoke me to do something that
might bring my ruin. O Allah, wash
this thought from my heart.”
If you do not treat yourself in this
way, the ill-feelings will dwell in your
heart for long and lead to sins. Try to
ward off these thoughts. If you develop
jealousy, then take measures that
oppose the urgings of jealousy. For
instance, your heart may prompt you
to defame someone, but you should
oppose it with courage and pray to Allah
that He grants him honor instead.
Your heart may incite you to belittle
him, but you should overcome this
urge and pray to Allah that He raises
his honor in the sight of men. These
measures would be painful to your
heart, but the very treatment lies in
this pain.
Maulana Thanawi says in conclusion,
“Ponder over the punishments (of the
Akhira) for sinful deeds. You must tell
yourself that if I let the ill-feelings
make me commit a sin, like backbiting,
then how painful will the punishment
be in the Akhira.”
Reminding oneself of the punishment
of the Hereafter weakens the urge
to react and the thoughts of hurting
someone are supressed in the heart.
Maulana Thanawi then wrote to that
person to report to him after following
his prescription for one week. A
physician evaluates the effectiveness
continued on page 30
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