 say envy is one of the evil symptoms and is generated by the combination of miserliness and greed in the soul. those who speak about moral reform call the evil one who naturally takes pleasure in the harms that befall people and hates what happens with their consent even if they do not see it or harm it just as they call the good one who loves and takes pleasure in what happens with the agreement and benefit of people. envy is worse than miserliness because the miser does not like or see that anyone should gain anything from what he owns and possesses and the envious person loves that no one should gain any good at all even from what he does not own and it is a disease of the soul that greatly harms it. what repels it is for the wise person to contemplate envy for he will find that it has a great share of the evil character since the envious person is described as hating what happens with the agreement of someone who does not see it or harm it. this is part of the definition of the evil one the evil one deserves hatred from the creator and from people. as for the creator it is because he is opposed to him in his will since he glory be to his name is the one preferred over all and wants good for all. as for the people it is because he hates and oppresses them. for whoever loves for harm to befall a person or does not love for good to reach him hates him. if this person is one of those who did not spare him or harm him then he is still oppressing him. also the one who is envied did not remove from the envious person anything that is in his hands nor did he prevent him from
أقول إن الحسد أحد العوارض الردية ويتولد من اجتماع البخل والشره في النفس. والمتكلمون في إصلاح الأخلاق يسمون الشرير من يلتذ طباعا مضار تقع بالناس ويكره ما وقع بموافقتهم وإن كانوا لم يتروه ولم يسوؤه، كما أنهم يسمون الخير من أحب وإلتذ ما وقع بوفاق الناس ونفعهم. والحسد شر من البخل لأن البخيل إنما لا يحب ولا يرى أن ينيل أحدا شيئا مما يملكه ويحويه، والحسود يحب أن لا ينال أحد خير بتة ولو مما لا يملكه، وهو داء من أدواء النفس عظيم الأذى لها. ومما يدفع به أن يتأمل العاقل الحسد، فأنه سيجد له من رسم الشرير حظا وافرا إذ كان الحسود يرسم بأنه كاره لما وقع بوفاق من لم يتره ولم يسئ به. وهذا شطر من حد الشرير، الشرير مستحق للمقت من البارئ ومن الناس. أما من البارئ فلأنه مضاد له في إرادته إذ هو عز اسمه المفضل على الكل المريد الخير للكل. وأما من الناس فلأنه مبغض ظالم لهم، فإن من أحب وقوع المكروه بإنسان ما أو لم يحب وصول خير إليه مبغض له. فإن كان هذا الإنسان ممن لم يتره ولم يسئ به فإنه مع ذلك ظالم له. وأيضا فإن المحسود لم يزل عن الحاسد شيئا مما هو في يديه ولا منعه من