How can I overcome jealousy?
Is it possible to rid myself of envy (hasad)? How can I get rid of this feeling?
First, the envious person needs to realize his feeling and strive against it
What suits a Muslim is to hate the feeling of envy when it occurs in his heart and strive to eliminate it. (Kutub al Sitta)
Heart diseases such as envy can be treated by ilm (knowledge) and amal (deed)
Hasad (envy) is one of the most dangerous diseases of heart which can be treated only by ilm (knowledge) and amal (deed). What is required to treat hasad (envy) is to gain information about the harms and effects of envy to religion and personal and social life.
The envious person needs to reflect on the ultimate fate of the things he envies
Let the envious reflect on the ultimate fate of those things that arouse his enmity. Then he will understand that the beauty, strength, rank, and wealth possessed by his rival are transient and temporary. Their benefit is slight, and the anxiety they cause is great. If it is a question of personal qualities that will gain him reward in the hereafter, they cannot be an object of envy. But if one does envy another on account of them, then he is either himself a hypocrite, wishing to destroy the goods of the hereafter while yet in this world, or he imagines the one whom he envies to be a hypocrite, thus being unjust towards him. (Letters)
Ibn Shirin said that:
“I’ve envied no one for a worldly matter. How shall I envy a person having worldly possession if he deserves jannah, since worldly possession is worthless in jannah? And how shall I envy a person deserving hell for worldly reasons since he is to end up in hell?”(Zubdatul Ihya)
The envious one should make dua to overcome hasad
“The jealous person should ask Allah to bestow His grace; because He gives what is good and He is the All-Knower.” (Tafhimul Quran)
The envious person should think that envy harms both his world and his religion
“Envy in the first place consumes and destroys the envier and its harm for the one envied is either slight or nonexistent.” (Maktubat)
"The jeolous one should know that envy harms his religion and his world while it does nothing to the envied person but benefits his world and his religion." (Ihya)
Asmai asked an Arab:
"How long have you lived?" and he answered:
"I’ve had an easy life since I haven’t envied anyone.." (Adab-i Dunya vad-Din)