The Insidious Nature of Envy

Thomas Hibbs, philosopher at Baylor University and a passionate advocate of liberal education, discusses the insidious nature of envy with Hamza Yusuf. They explore how this sin is a type of disordered thinking- and how we might turn away from it.
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, A SPECIAL RENOVATIO SERIES HOSTED BY HAMZA YUSUF
Hamza Yusuf converses with scholars, leaders, and writers to explore one of religion's most enduring conceptual frameworks, the Seven Deadly Sins. These compelling conversations shed light on how the sins manifest themselves within us, illustrate their devastating consequences on our culture, and elucidate their corresponding virtues for all of us who struggle with sin.
For more articles, conversations, and podcasts, visit Renovatio: renovatio.zaytuna.edu

[@ilvanajacqueline1282]

Envy: “The disaster of counting other people’s blessings.” Beautifully said. Thank you for yet another timely and enlightening discussion.

[@muhammadalijauhar3553]

Hello Zaituna College! If Zaituna can conduct lectures on Imam Fakrudheen Razi and Imam Nawawi by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, it would be great asset to the global Muslim Community. Also one lecture on Sayyid Naqeebul Attas.

[@cafeihsan6529]

Great thoughts, Brother 🌸

[@marzali8400]

Of all the disorders of the soul, envy is the only one man does not admit too Envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide

[@MrHawkMan777]

This is great because I'm doing my dissertation at university on envy and scapegoating in the Soviet Union with the dekulakization. From reading accounts of Russian peasants you see the word 'Kulak' become literally the mask word for the people I envy so resent. I'm also amazed at how little scholars within Soviet history or history in general ever attribute these events to envy. It's one of the most common emotions yet it's like it doesn't exist within academia and I think it's an element of academics who can be some of the most envious people in society, not wanting to spread light on their own sins so pretend it doesn't exist.

[@MrHawkMan777]

@Mr.Smartie I'm looking at how the Soviet system enhanced envy and used it as power to destroy a class of people who they felt threatened by, I'm not trying to say the Soviets invented envy, of course not. It would be interesting to compare. My suspicion is that what happened to those groups you mentioned is more based on a dehumanising which allows them to be used and abused in many ways, but what happened in the Soviet Union in my opinion was actually worse because what the Americans did was based on greed but the Soviets did it based on envy and I think envy is a worse sin, the worst. The Soviet Union completely eliminated the class and it then led to a famine killing about 8 million people because that class you just killed were the best producers. It not only harms the victims but also harms to guilty. It's a counter-productive genocide that can only be done through envy. I mean as sad as it is to recognise the American genocide and forced immigration of natives benefited the colonists because they had more land and America would use that land to become the richest economy on the planet. There have been thousands of such genocides like this through history, Mongolian genocides, Roman genocides of Celts, Chinese current genocide of Uigurs etc. But the envy based ones are worst and seem to be characteristic of modern ideology, with communist and Nazi genocide being prime example.

[@fire.smok3]

@@MrHawkMan777 you put it really well. The only point I wouldn’t really agree with is to say certain atrocities were worse than others but I get what you mean. It honestly baffles when some people say religion is the root of all wars and conflict. Undeniably many great conflicts have broken out because of religion but when you look at the history of war and the level of their brutalities and their causes, the overwhelming majority of the causes behind them are rooted in the exact sins religion wars about - envy as you said, or pride, or greed, etc., and also just the fact that among greatest levels of bloodshed in human history was during the great world wars of the 20th century in which all the major powers involved were either secular or outright state-atheist entities is a big blow to the claim of religion being the prime cause of regression in civilizations

[@MrHawkMan777]

@@fire.smok3 yes I've always said the same. It's athiest nonsense when they say such things as 'religion causes all wars'. I think some religions can glorify war. Pagan religions do this most notable was the Mongolian faiths which was based around Genghis khan conquering the world and millions would die in his name. But the abrahamic faiths are not like this, same with Buddhism as well. The ideal of these faiths is peace and is why so many did convert to them over history. Of course all of these religions have had people war under their name but the faith itself is peaceful.

[@Anna-tj7mp]

@@fire.smok3 excellent point.

[@YEPutrie]

it's interesting that you mentioned about academia, bcs Imam al-Ghazali in his volumes of Ihya' Ulumuddin discussed about how envy in academia and scholars are dangerous for society, science, and knowledge development. and the purification of the heart is the way to erase envy and to control our lower selves.

[@Feisal13]

قال ﷻ : {وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا} [طه : 114] .

[@shines7232]

Yay. Just getting started on these. Awesome! Alhamdulillah. Thank you JazakAllah Khayr

[@aqlin000]

This was a delightfully insightful and thought provoking conversation. I learned so much from this video alone. I'm just getting started on this video series. Thank you for producing these !

[@halimawurge4716]

Great leacture

[@amoubamou]

Salam! Can I send a message to Shaykh Hamza? I think it would be wonderful if he looked into Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s work on parenting. He talks a lot about why hierarchy is critical in the family and I think it goes along with Islamic teachings and needs to get more attention to help parents. He says a lot of similar things to what was mentioned here about why equality has become so popular and how it’s so not PC to bring hierarchy back into the family, but it is CRUCIAL to healthy development.

[@amoubamou]

He talks a lot about the phenomenon of “peer orientation” which explains why many people cannot admit to envy; this would be acknowledging others’ superiority and make that hierarchy apparent. Many people are stuck in an alpha mode (also known as pride, but I find the language and understanding of alpha as helpful). They do not like being dependent. This is also leading people away from God. All because hierarchy is seen as evil.

[@ShikaibSaleem]

Also make a series on Seven Heavenly Virtue.

[@sindibadmoroplovac8240]

Philosopher is another name for the one who wants to know everything, but doesn't. Polymath is, on the other hand, the one who has mastered various sciences and can actually prove that. Like literally. Having 10 undergraduate degrees, multiple masters and a couple of phDs. Being a doctor of philosophy is not the same as being a polymath. To the contrary. It is said that a phD is a licence for the one who knows more and more about less and less. Commentar on the commentary of the commentary without the mention of the original text.

[@ahmedelakrab]

32:12

[@sindibadmoroplovac8240]

May Allah protect us from envy, there is nothing closer to evil than it. It is true that envy stems from admiration, perhaps the admiration that is obsessive, on the verge of worship that fails to recognise the source of the blessing to be coming from the bounty of God, the One who owns everything and is not only able to grant it, but is enormously generous in doing so. So, rather than focusing on the blessed person in obsession, the envier should focus on the One who granted it, and remove any obstacles with being deemed worthy before God. And obstacles in their own selves, stemming from the ego. Of coarse, there are those who gain wealth in particular, because beauty or knowledge are harder to steal, in a corrupt manner, but this kind of wealth is mostly short-lived and highly unstable. God is absolutely Just in His distribution if wealth, but we perceive it not. Poverty is not honoured in Islam, although pseudo sufism that is akin to communism tends to issue fatwas to that extent,. Prophets were wealthy, noble class of people who Brough philosophies to enable full human potential, and not justifications for mediocrity, or worse.

[@gladstonespacemoney]

Vindictive admiration in love results in envy or cruelty or both

[@banarchehab5710]

What is the name of the guest?

[@joefilter2923]

Thomas Hibbs. It’s easy to miss. I had to see the book before the speaking starts and look it up.