Adapted from Badaaiul Fawaaid vol.2 pp. 33-34
The envious person is the enemy of blessings. This evil arises from the nature and disposition of the envious soul itself; it is not something acquired from external sources but stems from its own inherent malice and corruption. This differs from sorcery, which is practiced through learning external means and seeking assistance from demonic spirits. For this reason—Allah knows best—the surah (Al-Falaq) mentions the evil of the envious alongside that of the sorcerer. Seeking refuge from the evil of these two encompasses protection from all evils inflicted by human and jinn devils. Envy originates from both human and jinn devils, while sorcery can come from both kinds as well.
There remains one category unique to the devils among the jinn, which is the whispering that takes place in the heart. This is addressed in another surah (An-Naas), as will be discussed, insha’Allah. The envious person and the sorcerer harm their victim (the envied and the bewitched) without any action on the part of the victim—it is external harm. Therefore, their mention is combined in Surah Al-Falaq.
However, the whispers of the devil harm a person internally through their acceptance and receptivity to them. This is why a person is held accountable for the evil caused by the devil’s whispers when those whispers lead to decisive actions and intentions. Such harm is the result of the individual’s own striving and will, unlike the harm caused by envy or sorcery, for which the victim is not accountable, as it does not result from their own actions or intent. For this reason, the evil of the devil’s whispers is addressed separately in a surah (An-Naas), while the evil of the sorcerer and the envious is combined in a single surah.
Often, the Quran associates envy and sorcery due to their connection. This is why the Jews are described as the most envious and the most adept in sorcery. Due to their intense corruption, they possess an extraordinary degree of both sorcery and envy. Allah describes them in His Book with both traits. He says:
"They followed what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon. Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and what was revealed to the two angels in Babylon—Harut and Marut. But the two angels did not teach anyone unless they said, 'We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve.' And [yet] they learned from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And they learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But they certainly knew that whoever purchased it would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if only they knew." (Al-Baqarah: 102)
The discussion on the secrets and rulings of this verse, its principles, and the refutation of those who deny the reality of sorcery—and the distinction the verse draws between sorcery and miracles—will be addressed elsewhere. Those who denied sorcery did so out of fear of confusing it with miracles. However, the verse includes the clearest distinction between them, in a context other than this, as intended here.
The discussion revolves around the profound wisdom contained in these two surahs (Al-Falaq and An-Naas), the great need of creation for them, and how no other surahs can replace their function. As for the description of envy in the Quran, it is mentioned frequently, such as in the verse:
"Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty?" (An-Nisa: 54),
and in the verse:
"Many among the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after your belief, out of envy from themselves after the truth has become clear to them." (Al-Baqarah: 109).
The devil accompanies both the sorcerer and the envious person, conversing and associating with them. However, the envious person is assisted by devils without actively seeking their help, as envy is inherently similar to the nature of Iblis. In reality, the envious individual is one of Iblis's followers because they desire what pleases the devil: the corruption of people and the removal of Allah's blessings from them. Just as Iblis envied Adam for his honor and virtue, refusing to bow to him out of envy, so too is the envious person a soldier of Iblis.
The sorcerer, on the other hand, explicitly seeks the assistance of devils, often worshiping them instead of Allah to fulfill their desires, sometimes even prostrating to them.
The books on sorcery and hidden secrets contain astonishing details in this regard. For this reason, the more corrupt, evil, and hostile a sorcerer is toward Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, the stronger and more effective their sorcery becomes. This is why the sorcery of idol worshippers is more powerful than that of the People of the Book, and the sorcery of the Jews is stronger than that of those who claim affiliation with Islam. Indeed, it was the Jews who cast a spell on the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
In Al-Muwatta, Ka'b (al-Ahbar, a former Jewish scholar who embraced Islam) said:
"Words I have memorized from the Torah, which, if not for them, the Jews would have turned me into a donkey: 'I seek refuge in the Glorious Face of Allah, than which there is nothing greater, in the perfect words of Allah, which no righteous or wicked person can surpass, and in the beautiful names of Allah—those I know and those I do not—from the evil of what He has created, originated, and spread.' (A weak mursal narration)
The point here is that both the sorcerer and the envious person share an intent to cause harm. However, the envious person's harm stems from their own disposition, self, and hatred toward the envied, while the devil associates with and assists them, beautifying their envy and commanding them to act upon it. The sorcerer, on the other hand, causes harm through their knowledge, deliberate efforts, and association with devils.
Culled and edited by Aboo Aamir.
