Is it a sin to envy a classmate's grades?
It depends on what kind of envy it is. Wishing you could do as well as a classmate is healthy and even praised in Islam. Wishing they would lose their good grades, or resenting them for it, is the blameworthy envy (hasad) that Muslims are told to fight.
Two kinds of envy
Scholars separate two feelings that people often mix up:
- Hasad: wanting someone's blessing to be taken away from them. This is a sin when you act on it or keep feeding it.
- Ghibtah: admiring what someone has and wishing for the same, without wanting them to lose it. This is allowed.
The Prophet ﷺ said there should be no envy except in two cases: a person Allah gave wealth who spends it rightly, and a person Allah gave wisdom who judges by it and teaches it (Sahih al-Bukhari 73). Scholars explain that "envy" here means ghibtah. So looking at a top student and thinking "I want to work like that" is fine.
A passing feeling isn't a sin
Seeing someone's 92% next to your 61% and feeling a sting is human. You aren't held accountable for a thought that crosses your mind and that you push away. What counts is what you do next: whether you let it turn into bitterness, gossip, or hoping they fail. See Is it haram to feel jealous of other people?
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not turn your backs on one another, and be servants of Allah, brothers" (Sahih Muslim 2564).
Ask Allah instead of resenting people
The Quran gives a simple redirect: stop fixating on what others were given, and ask Allah from His bounty.
The same verse goes on to say "ask Allah of His bounty", so turn that sting into dua for your own success.
Practical ways to deal with it
- Say something good: when you see their result, say "Masha'Allah" or "Barak Allahu lak" and mean it. See What do I say to avoid the evil eye when I like something?
- Make dua for them: praying for someone's good is the fastest cure for resenting them.
- Learn from them: ask how they revise. Most strong students are happy to share.
- Compare with your past self, not with the person sitting next to you.
- Don't cut corners: envy can tempt people to copy work. See Is it haram to cheat on exams?
- Wanting a classmate to lose their success (hasad) is sinful.
- Wanting to do as well as them (ghibtah) is allowed.
- A passing feeling you push away isn't counted against you.
- Turn envy into dua, effort and good words.
People also ask
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