M1:434 — ور حسد گیرد ترا در رَه گلو / در حسد ابلیس را باشد غُلو

Translation: And if envy seizes your throat on the path, In envy, Iblis himself had an extreme excess (ghuluw).

Meaning: This verse warns against envy as a formidable obstacle on the spiritual journey, linking it to the foundational sin of Iblis, whose excessive pride stemmed from envy.

Mowlana, in this verse, calls the reader's attention to a profoundly significant and deep issue: envy (hasad). This warning immediately follows Mowlana's advice in preceding verses to seekers of knowledge that if they cannot reach Shams-e Tabrizi, they should inquire about the path to Zia'ul-Haqq Hosamoddin. This reference to Hosamoddin, Mowlana's beloved companion and successor, is not without reason; rather, it alludes to both historical and psychological nuances. Hosamoddin held an unparalleled position in Mowlana's esteem, to the extent that he became his successor. Such popularity and proximity inevitably stirred the envy of courtiers and even intimates. Mowlana himself was not oblivious to these jealousies and frequently alludes to them in the Masnavi; for instance, in Book Six, he states that some, like 'clumps of mud' (gel-pāreh-ā), sought to obscure Hosamoddin's 'sun,' and Mowlana himself suffered 'soul-destroying wounds' (zakhmih-ā-ye ruh-farsā) from these 'poison-breathing evil eyes' (chashm-hā-ye bad-e zahrāb-dam). Thus, the mention of hasad here serves as both a general admonition to the spiritual wayfarer and an allusion to the prevailing situation and jealousies surrounding Hosamoddin.

From Mowlana's perspective, envy has deep roots in history and human nature. From the story of Cain and Abel, where the first fratricide occurred due to envy, to the tale of Joseph and his brothers, where 'this envy is a mighty wolf in ambush,' all bear witness to this ancient root. Mowlana himself attributed some of the opposition he faced to envy, and in Book Three, he speaks of the 'foul smoke that arose from the people of envy,' fearing it might 'disturb the simple-hearted.'

Yet, Mowlana also invokes the envy of Iblis here. Iblis, out of envy for Adam, refused to prostrate, and it was this 'excess' (ghuluw) or 'arrogance' (ʿuluw) in envy that led him to rebellion. According to Mowlana, envy arises when a person casts an eye upon the perfection or possession of another that they deem attainable. We never envy God, because we perceive Him to be beyond our realm of possibility; but we envy our fellow humans who possess wealth, beauty, perfection, or status, because we imagine, 'I, too, might be able to have that.' This is the 'difficult pass' (ʿaqabe) and arduous obstacle for the wayfarer: 'There is no pass harder than this on the path / Blessed is he with whom envy is not a companion.'

However, Mowlana does not merely condemn envy but also offers a positive remedy. He says: 'Then acquire a perfection yourself / So that you do not fall into grief from the perfections of others.' This affirmative solution means that instead of grieving over another's perfection, you should adorn yourself with your own perfections, thereby expelling envy from the heart. This is the very point about which the great philosopher and scholar, the late Mohammad-Taqi Ja'fari, upon hearing this verse, remarked that a whole book could be written on it.

Nevertheless, Mowlana also employs a 'second-degree perspective' that transcends mere ethical exhortation. From this higher vantage point, envy is not merely an individual vice but one of the pillars by which this world is governed. Like heedlessness (ghaflat), greed (hirs), and war, it is an inseparable part of the cosmic order. Mowlana states: 'Indeed, the pillar of this world is heedlessness itself / And awareness is its bane.' He adds: 'From that (other) world, but a faint emanation reaches / So that greed and envy do not disappear from this world.' This implies that if full awareness and the light of the Unseen were to shine upon this world, neither art nor vice would remain, and this life would not continue in its current form. Envy and greed, though censured, function as the fuel and heating agent for this vast worldly apparatus. This is a descriptive view from a divine perspective on the world's functioning, not a prescriptive one for human actions. Yet, even with this secondary understanding, Mowlana never ceases his personal struggle against envy and counts himself among those who have 'cast dust upon envy,' advising others to 'cast dust upon envy like us.' Hafez, with his mystical optimism, also says: 'Do not be sorrowful by the taunt of the envious, O heart / Perhaps when you look closely, your good lies in this,' which supports this dual perspective on envy: a malevolent trait in the individual, yet sometimes with beneficial functions in the entirety of existence.

Key takeaways

• Envy Towards Hosamoddin: Mowlana's verse not only denounces a universal vice but also addresses the specific jealousies directed at Hosamoddin, his beloved companion and successor, within his immediate circle.
• The Iblis-like Roots of Envy: Mowlana links envy to Iblis, identifying his 'excess' (ghuluw) or 'arrogance' (ʿuluw) in envying Adam as indicative of this destructive trait's fundamental nature.
• Envy Targets the Attainable: Envy arises towards perfections or possessions that one perceives as attainable for oneself; we never envy God, as His stature is beyond our reach.
• Envy as the Hardest Obstacle: According to Mowlana, envy is the most challenging impediment on the spiritual path, a pass whose crossing is essential for salvation.
• The Affirmative Cure for Envy: Mowlana's solution to overcoming envy is not mere suppression but the acquisition of personal perfections, so that 'you do not fall into grief from the perfections of others.'
• Second-Degree View of Envy: Mowlana considers envy, alongside heedlessness and greed, as a necessary pillar of this world's order, which will not be eradicated until absolute divine awareness arrives from the unseen.