M1:437 — این جسد خانه‌یْ حسد آمد بدان / از حسد آلوده باشد خاندان

Translation: Know that this body is the house of envy; For by envy, the family/household (existence) becomes polluted. Meaning: This verse warns that our physical being is the primary seat of envy. If envy takes root in our core, it not only corrupts the individual but also pollutes their entire existence and community.

This verse is, unequivocally, a primary ethical warning from Mowlana about one of humanity’s foundational vices: envy. I believe Mowlana here describes our corporeal body as the “house of envy,” a dwelling where, if this unwelcome guest takes residence, not only the individual but their entire “household” — which can mean family, or even their very being and the overall domain of their life — becomes defiled and corrupted. Envy can be seen as a product of narcissism, excessive desire, and ill-will, ultimately leading a person to ruin.

However, Mowlana's perspective on envy, like many other ethical phenomena, does not remain solely on the first level of moral conduct. Mystics, and Mowlana preeminently among them, also possess a “second-order” gaze upon the world; that is, they view the overall functioning of the universe from a higher vantage point, from God’s perspective. From this higher perspective, envy, much like heedlessness, greed, and even war, is an integral pillar in the administration of the world. Mowlana himself states explicitly:

Hence, heedlessness itself is the pillar of this world; Awareness is a blight upon this world. Little emanation reaches from that world, So that greed and envy may not depart from this world.

These verses articulate a profound philosophy: our world is governed by human imperfections and shortcomings. If perfect awareness and complete revelation from the unseen world were to descend, this system would collapse. In essence, God manages the world through the heedlessness, greed, and envy of its inhabitants. This, of course, does not mean condoning or recommending envy, but rather describing a cosmic reality. Just as a philosopher of science analyzes the phenomenon of science but does not issue instructions for scientific discovery, the mystic describes the world's function, rather than issuing moral commands to every individual.

Mowlana indicates elsewhere that “this world subsists by this very conflict.” Conflict and strife, and naturally envy which is one of their roots, are not merely transient phenomena; they are pillars upon which the stability of this world depends. As long as this world remains a world of imperfections and contradictions, envy will persist as an indispensable part of it.

I find this consistent with the Quranic view as well. In Surah Al-Falaq, we are commanded to seek refuge with God “from the evil of an envier when he envies.” This demonstrates that envy is not only a real and tangible evil but also deeply rooted and enduring, leaving no recourse but to seek refuge in the Beloved from its malevolence. Hafez also alludes to this subtly when he says:

Be not sad, O heart, by the taunts of the envious; For perhaps, when you see it, your good lies within it.

This insight of Hafez, that the envy of the envious sometimes inadvertently leads to the good of the envied, speaks to the same second-order perspective on the permanence of envy within the cosmic order. Envy in this world can have a dual function; it is like a bath whose water is heated by the fire of greed and envy, yet the wise bathe in it and derive benefit from it. Therefore, while we are obliged to combat envy within ourselves and society, we must not forget that this phenomenon, from a higher perspective, is part of the world’s architecture, which God, in His wisdom, has established.

Key takeaways

• Our body is the primary abode of envy; envy corrupts both the individual and their broader existence/family.
• Envy is a vice rooted in narcissism, excessive desire, and ill-will.
• Mowlana holds a dual perspective on envy: it is both a moral vice to be shunned and an integral part of the cosmic order.
• From a higher viewpoint, envy, like heedlessness and greed, is one of the pillars by which God administers the world.
• The world is sustained by human imperfections; if absolute divine awareness descended, the current order would collapse.
• The Quran also enjoins us to seek refuge from the evil of the envious, underscoring the reality and persistence of this evil.