The Prophet f said, ‘Beware of envy, for it devours good deeds just as fire devours wood or grass.’24 It is an interesting hadith because jealousy is a feeling, and in Islam, the general rule is that we are not accountable for our feelings and thoughts until we act upon them. But here we see that some feelings are an exception to the rule, and harbouring them makes us liable. Jealousy is foremost amongst them, and if we don’t empty our hearts of this vice, it will consume our good deeds.
