Renewal of the Heart and Soul

Phase 3 – Cleansing the Soul: Letting Go to Grow

Pride, Envy, Anger, and Heedlessness

This morning on the Sehri program my colleagues introduced the concept of spiritual sickness. We learned that the heart can be diseased just like the body, and that recognizing these diseases is the first step toward healing. Now, we go deeper. We examine four of the most destructive illnesses that afflict the human heart. We name them, we understand them, and we expose them to the light.

These four diseases are: Pride, Envy, Anger, and Heedlessness.

They are not minor character flaws. They are spiritual cancers. And if left untreated, they will destroy us from within.

First: Pride (Kibr)

Pride is the original sin. It was the sin of Iblis. When Allah commanded him to prostrate to Adam AS, he refused — not out of disbelief in Allah, but out of pride. He considered himself superior. He said:

“أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ”

“I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.” (Surah Al-A’raf, 7: 12)

This is the essence of pride: believing you are better than others. It manifests in many ways     — looking down on people, refusing to accept advice, being unable to apologize, wanting recognition and praise. The Prophet ﷺ defined it clearly:

“الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ”

“Pride is rejecting the truth and looking down on people.” (Sahih Muslim)

The cure for pride is humility. Remembering that you came from dust and will return to dust.

Second: Envy (Hasad)

Envy is the disease of wishing that others lose the blessings they have. It is being unable to celebrate someone else’s success. The Prophet ﷺ warned us severely:

“إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْحَسَدَ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَدَ يَأْكُلُ الْحَسَنَاتِ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ النَّارُ الْحَطَبَ”

“Beware of envy, for envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes wood.” (Sunan Abi Dawud)

Envy makes you miserable when others are blessed and happy when they suffer. It is a disease that harms the one who harbours it far more than the one envied. The envious person is essentially objecting to Allah’s distribution of blessings.

The cure for envy is recognizing that Allah gives wisdom and withholds wisdom. It is making du’a for the person you envy, and training yourself to celebrate their blessings.

Third: Anger (Ghaḍab)

Anger is a fire that burns within. It clouds judgment, destroys relationships, and leads to words and actions we deeply regret. A man once came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked for advice. The Prophet said:

“لَا تَغْضَبْ”

“Do not become angry.” The man asked repeatedly, and each time the Prophet ﷺ replied the same. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

This does not mean anger is never justified. But uncontrolled rage is a sickness. The strong person is not the one who can physically overpower others, but the one who controls himself when angry. The Prophet ﷺ taught us a practical remedy:

“إِذَا غَضِبَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ فَلْيَجْلِسْ، فَإِنْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْغَضَبُ وَإِلَّا فَلْيَضْطَجِعْ”

“If one of you gets angry while standing, let him sit down. If the anger leaves him, fine; otherwise, let him lie down.” (Sunan Abi Dawud)

Fourth: Heedlessness (Ghaflah)

Heedlessness is the silent killer. It is the state of being distracted from Allah, living as if death will never come, and going through the motions of worship without presence. Allah describes such people:

“وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا”

“And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” (Surah Al-Kahf, 18: 28)

The heedless heart prays but feels nothing. It sins but feels no guilt. It hears the Quran but remains unmoved. Days pass, years pass, and the person drifts further from Allah without even noticing.

The cure for heedlessness is constant remembrance. It is sitting alone and reflecting on death. It is asking yourself: If I die today, where will I be?

My brothers and sisters, these four diseases — Pride, Envy, Anger, Heedlessness — are rampant among us. We normalize them. We excuse them. But they are killing our hearts.

Let us diagnose them honestly. Let us treat them seriously. For a heart free of these diseases is a heart that will find peace in this life and salvation in the next.

May Allah break our pride, cure our envy, calm our anger, and wake us from heedlessness. Ameen.