JABRIL.MUHAMMAD
Envy is not one of the attributes of Allah. Envy has never been one of the attributes of the Supreme Being.
Allah did not create the human being to envy others. Then, how did envy first develop? Why did He allow it? Since it exists, how does it serve His purpose?
It takes a minimum of two people for envy to come into existence. Why? Well, can a person envy him or herself? If you think otherwise, prove your idea.
Let’s remember that the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan works day and night to help us rid ourselves of all hindrances in the way of the fullest development of ourselves, that leads to oneness with the Source of our being–Allah, Himself.
If setting up of partners with Allah is the worst of all sins, is it the unpardonable sin that Jesus teaches against? And how does this relate to the words I heard the Honorable Elijah Muhammad say, that an envious person is the worst kind of person because he/she will murder you? That kind of person will murder you, if allowed, for the worst of all reasons–for your possession of your divine gifts or divine talents and what the development and exercise of your talents have earned for you.
Again, in the words of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad about those who are envious, we learn that the envious person actually resents you, or others, for your talents, for the growth of your talents and for what your work from your talents has justifiably brought to you.
Let’s go to the next stage of this discussion with the easier definitions of envy. Various dictionaries state that envy is “a feeling of displeasure or indignation at someone or something regarded as the cause of injury or insult; pique; irritation.”
Envy is “a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by, and in conjunction with, desire for the possessions or qualities of another.”
It’s a “resentful desire for another’s advantages, covetousness, enviousness, begrudging, resentfulness, resentment, grudging, spite.” It’s “to feel indignantly aggrieved at” another for what they have properly earned.
Resentment is “indignation or ill will felt as a result of a real or imagined grievance.”
According to a few thesauruses, the words of an envious person, when that wicked condition is maturing, are filled with “hatred and resentment and indignation, bad feelings, anger, outraged spirit, ire, crossness, bad temper, ill will, rancor; acrimony, bitterness, acerbity, sourness, soreness, irritation, irritability; pique, wounded pride, offense, hurt feelings, displeasure; animosity, animus, malice, vindictiveness, vengefulness, spite.”
Out of envious persons comes: “expressions of dissatisfaction, murmurings; complaint, grumbling, squawking, criticisms, protestations, unjust objections, tirades.” True, these also come from other bad qualities, but these–and also worse–come from envy.
This kind of person is not far from plotting your death. They already are planting this seed in others, or have started to move on you with death themselves–while smiling in your face and telling others they love you.
Certainly, you’ve seen person(s) who are on their way towards the realization of their dreams or vision–that is a divinely accepted part of Allah’s universal order of things, and is based on Allah’s purpose for their gifts and talents–who is yet hated for this by another?
Let’s look at it this way. Minister Farrakhan plays the violin beautifully. It is not his top talent. However, it serves his top talent. He is admired for his ability to play the violin. Those who realize how difficult this instrument is to learn and play especially admire Minister Farrakhan.
They know that he did not really play this wonderful instrument for over 40 years. They deeply appreciate what this has took of him, in terms of his perseverance, his disciplined practice, his dedication, his humility in learning and even accepting correction and advice from his teachers and, most of all, his motives for picking up the violin and presenting his work in the public in the first place.
Now, imagine another person feeling envious resentment over Minister Farrakhan’s work with his violin in the concert, in which he magnificently displayed his talent and the results of his hard work at our Saviours’ Day Convention in February 2002 in Los Angeles, California.
Why would anyone feel envy towards him for his work that day? What would be happening in the mind of that person? For an idea, let’s look a bit further into the words of the definition of this horrible spiritual disease called envy that is given above.
In this imaginary scenario, the envier looks at Minister Farrakhan with displeasure or indignation. This person feels that his effort is the cause of an injury or insult they imagined that has come from him to them. They feel irritated. The envier feels grieved over the success the Minister had that night.
They are experiencing discontent and feel resentment aroused within themselves, because the envier wants, or wishes that he/she had, his talent.
Imagine a person experiencing such ill will towards Minister Farrakhan, that night, even though they have not ever put in the time and never went through all that the Minister had to go through to do what he did that night. And don’t care!
What sparks such a feeling in the envier? The envier makes a comparison between himself and Minister Farrakhan. The manner of this comparison generates “negative” feelings.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, at least once to my knowledge, said that the kind of comparison that the envier makes with his/her victim is “invidious.” An invidious comparison is a comparison that arouses ill will or even hatred.
But why does the envier make any comparison at all? This question of “why” takes us into some chilling, murky, slimy evil, because the “why” takes us into the profoundest denial of the Divine Supreme Being Himself! The envious person, by the very nature of envy itself, rejects what’s often called “the golden rule” which is what makes us a Muslim. That rule has been expressed in many ways, one of which is that, to be a Muslim, we must first love for our Brothers and Sisters that which we love for ourselves.
To be a truthful or genuine lover of that rule means that we really cannot be happy unless you know that your Brother and Sister is on their way toward that which is good for themselves. A lover of this rule is even happier when they can help another on their way to the clearest realization and best use of their gifts.
Look at Minister Farrakhan! He is happiest when he is helping others!
But the envier only pretends to be a lover of this rule and what it leads to or its benefits. The envier lives a life of pretense. Inwardly, the envier seethes–is violently agitated or disturbed–or privately fumes at his or her innocent victim. Time passes and the envier goes to the next stage and slanders their victim. Then, murder begins to grow within their heart.
Meantime, Allah is watching.
Let’s say two people have basically equal knowledge of a third. What makes one look at the talent of the third person with admiration and love, and the other to look at this third person with envy and hatred?
More next issue, Allah willing.
