Short answer
Hasad (envy) is disliking a blessing someone else has and wishing it were taken from them. It is haram. Wishing for the same good without wanting them to lose it is ghibta, which is allowed and even praised in good deeds. A passing jealous feeling you dislike and do not act on is not sinful.
Envy that you accept and act on, by word, deed or wishing harm, is haram. A passing feeling that you resist is not held against you. Ghibta, wishing to have the same as someone without wanting them to lose it, is permitted.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
The Quran tells us to seek refuge 'from the evil of an envier when he envies' and blames those who envy people for what Allah gave them. The Prophet ﷺ said: do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not turn your backs on one another, and be servants of Allah, brothers.
The scholars separate three things:
- Hasad: 'I wish she did not have that.' Haram, because it objects to how Allah divided His blessings.
- Ghibta: 'I wish I had that too.' Allowed. The Prophet ﷺ said there is no envy except in two: a man Allah gave wealth who spends it in truth, and a man Allah gave wisdom who acts on it and teaches it. Here 'envy' means healthy ghibta.
- A passing feeling: a pang when a friend gets engaged or promoted. Not a sin if you dislike it, do not act on it, and pray for them.
How to treat envy:
- Say Masha'Allah or Barakallahu lahu when you see a blessing on someone.
- Make dua for the person you envy. It cuts the feeling at its root.
- Remember that Allah divides provision with wisdom, and count your own blessings.
- Stop comparing your life with curated pictures online.
Envy is also linked to the evil eye. See is the evil eye real and how to remove nazar. 'Protective jealousy' (ghayrah) between spouses is a different thing, and in moderation it is praised. The four schools agree on this ruling.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Falaq 113:5
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ﴿٥﴾
And from the evil of an envier when he envies."
Envy is an evil to seek refuge from.
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:54
أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۖ فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُم مُّلْكًا عَظِيمًۭا ﴿٥٤﴾
Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.
Envying people for Allah's gifts is blamed.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6065
Sahih... لا تباغضوا ولا تحاسدوا ولا تدابروا ...
"Do not hate one another, do not envy one another, and do not turn away from one another."
Envy is forbidden between Muslims.
Sahih al-Bukhari 73
Sahih... لا حسد إلا في اثنتين ...
"There is no envy except in two cases."
Wishing for the same good deeds as others (ghibta) is praised.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Ihya Ulum al-Din (al-Ghazali), Book on condemning anger, hatred and envy. Defines hasad and ghibta and explains the cure.
- Riyad al-Salihin (Nawawi), Chapter on the prohibition of envy. Gathers the verses and hadith that forbid envy.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.