As far as the action-cure is concerned, you must make yourself do the opposite of what envy calls you to. If it makes you arrogant, you must humble yourself. If it provokes you to withhold blessing, you must make yourself increase blessing. This is the action-cure.
As for what is necessary in order to prevent envy in the heart when someone irritates you, you should know that if you want blessing to leave him and you direct your tongue against him, then you are an envier. By your envy, you commit an act of rebellion. If you want the blessing to leave him while you restrain yourself outwardly in every way, but you do not dislike your state, then you are also envious and you commit an act of rebellion. This is because envy is an attribute of the heart, not an attribute of action. If you dislike this state by insight, and you restrain your outward actions as well, you have then done what is necessary.
The purification of the heart from showing-off (riya’)
Showing-off is one of the blameworthy qualities which it is forbidden to have. God Most High said, “Woe to those who pray and are heedless of their prayers, to those who show off and withhold” (Q 107:4–7).
As far as its reality is concerned, you should know that showing-off (riya’) is derived from seeing (ru’ya). Its root is to seek reputation in people’s hearts. You desire to make them see good qualities in you, and by that, to obtain high rank in their hearts. You can seek high rank by all actions. However, the name “showing-off” specifically refers to seeking high rank in people’s hearts through acts of ‘ibada. The definition of showing-off then, is the obtaining of people’s own desires through obedience to God, the Majestic, the Mighty.
Showing-off is of five types: The first is showing-off with the body. That is by outward emaciation so that people will imagine that you are intense in your striving. By emaciation, you also want to indicate scarcity of good. The second is showing-off by dress and appearance. That is by dishevelled hair, tattered garments, bowing the head while walking, leaving the mark of prostration on the face, rolling up your garment, and not cleaning it.
The third is showing-off by words. That is to make remembrance (dhikr) apparent in other people’s presence, and to command the good and forbid the objectionable in full view of created beings. It is to manifest anger at objectionable things in the presence of created beings, and to move the lips with dhikr in full view of other people. It is also to raise the voice, indicating that it is from sorrow and fear.
The fourth type of showing-off is by action. That is like someone who prays and shows off by standing for a long time, by doing ruku‘ and prostration for a long time, by not turning aside, by keeping still and silent, and by keeping the feet and the palms level. It is the same with fighting in the way of God, the hajj, and sadaqa.
The fifth is showing-off by associating with people. For instance, a man will mention the Shaykhs often in order to show that he has met many Shaykhs and profited from them. He says, “All the Shaykhs I have met,” and “I met so-and-so,” and “I went about in the land and served the Shaykhs.” He talks about everything that has happened to him.
This, and all that preceded is blameworthy since by it, you seek high rank and reputation in people’s hearts.
As for the cure of it, you should know that showing-off is man’s nature when he is a child. You can only manage to tame it by intense effort.
There are two stations in its cure: The first is to pluck it out by its roots. These are love of the pleasure of being praised, flight from the pain of criticism, and greed for what other people have. The second is to repel it immediately whenever it comes to mind.
The remedy is to know that showing-off is harmful and corrupts the heart. It prevents success and prevents position with God Most High. It brings punishment and disgrace to the extent that when you are in front of people, there will be shouts of, “You shameless liar! You two-faced deceiver! Why weren’t you ashamed when you sold obedience to God Most High for God’s hatred out of desire for the world and love of high rank among people? You sought their pleasure in exchange for the wrath of God, and you sought nearness to them in exchange for distance from God.”
If you reflect on this shame, you have no alternative but to turn away from showing-off together with turning your attention in this world to dispelling your concern for consideration in the hearts of others. Pleasing people is a goal which you will never attain. If you seek to please them in exchange for the wrath of God, God will be angry with you.
The cure for the greed for what others have is that God Most High is the One who subjects the hearts to withholding or giving. If you bring the bliss of the next world to your heart, you think very little of anything connected to creation. You direct your heart to God. By acts of unveiling, things are opened to you which increase you in intimacy with God—glory be to Him!—and alienate you from creation. This is the knowledge-cure.
As far as the action-cure is concerned, it is to make yourself conceal your acts of ‘ibada until your heart is content with the knowledge of God Most High.
The action-cure for the second station is to repel any of it that appears, repelling it through dislike of it.
Turning away with regret from all acts of rebellion (tawba)
Tawba is one of the praiseworthy attributes which you must acquire. God Most High said, “Turn in tawba to God altogether, oh believers so you might prosper” (Q 24:31).
Its reality is freeing the heart from wrong actions which you have done out of desire to exalt God, the Mighty, the Majestic, and to flee from His wrath. This is not the result of worldly desire, nor is it out of fear of people, out of seeking praise and renown, or out of weakness.
That which will help you in it consists of three parts: The first is to remember the end of ugly wrong actions. The second is to remember the intensity of God’s punishment. The third is to remember the weakness of your body. When you persevere in remembering these three, good counsel will move you to repentance (tawba), God willing.
You should know that in general, wrong actions are of three types: One of them is to abandon your obligations to God Most High—prayer, fasting, zakat, kaffara (reparation), or anything else of that nature. You fulfil whatever you can of them. The second are wrong actions between you and God—glory be to Him! Like drinking wine, playing wood-wind pipes, consuming usury, and things like that. You regret those actions and keep it in your heart never again to repeat it. The third are wrong actions between you and the slaves of God. They are more difficult, and fall into various categories. The wrong action may be concerned with property, the self, reputation, respect, or the religion. You make reparation lawful for all you can of these things which were mentioned. If you cannot, you turn to God with humility and sincerity so that He may be pleased with you on the Day of Rising.
Zuhd (doing-without) in this world
Zuhd is one of the praiseworthy qualities which you must acquire. God Most High said, “Do not extend your eyes to what We have given pairs of them to enjoy, the flower of this life” (Q 20:131).
Know that there are two types of doing-without: one is a doing-without which is decreed for you, and the other is a doing-without which is not decreed for you. The one which is decreed for you has three things: The first is to abandon seeking what is lost of this world. The second is to part from what you have of it. The third is to abandon will and choice.
The doing-without which is not decreed for you is coolness in the heart towards this world. What will help you in it is to remember the harm of this world. The decisive word is that this world is the enemy of God while