Selfishness, Envy, and the Divine Reckoning
Selfishness erects barriers between people, fostering aggressive spirits that seek to suppress others and stir up conflict. While Islam permits self-love, it strictly distinguishes between envy (hasad) and gladness (ghibtah).
Envy is wishing a brother’s blessing be removed to transfer to you, whereas gladness is rejoicing in their success while wishing for a similar blessing for yourself, allowing theirs to remain intact.
This is a profound moral imperative. Why wish for the removal of another’s blessing?
Do you fear God lacks a second similar gift? God’s bounty suffices all, and nothing is diminished from it.
As stated in the Qur'an (18:109), even if the sea were ink for His words, it would be spent before they are finished.
Ultimately, we must guard against selfishness. The Qur'an reminds us in Surah al-Nahl (16:111) that the day will come when every soul pleads for itself and is recompensed fully for what it has done, and they will not be wronged.
﷽
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، وَلَا تَرْفَعْنِي فِي النَّاسِ دَرَجَةً إِلَّا حَطَطْتَنِي عِنْدَ نَفْسِي مِثْلَهَا، وَلَا تُحْدِثْ لِي عِزّاً ظَاهِراً إِلَّا أَحْدَثْتَ لِي ذِلَّةً بَاطِنَةً عِنْدَ نَفْسِي بِقَدَرِهَا .
O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, raise me not a single degree before the people without lowering me its like in myself and bring about no outward exaltation for me without an inward abasement in myself to the same measure!
— Sahifa Sajjadiyyah, Prayer 20: His Supplication on Noble Moral Traits and Acts Pleasing to God, Verse 5