The evil consequences of spite:

Some scholars said: “The corruption of the heart by means of hatred is a lethal inveterate disease, and faith escapes such hearts just as liquid leaks from a cracked jug”.

Satan might despair from making a wise man worship idols, but he is keen to divert and misguide man and lead him to destruction. Satan will not fail to distance a person from his Lord, to the point that such a person becomes more ignorant of his Lord’s right than an idolater.

To keep a person away from his Lord, Satan uses tricks like enflaming hatred in the heart towards his fellow Muslims. Once this fire is ignited, Satan sits back and enjoys watching this fire burn his present life and future, and eating away his virtues. This is so, because when evil controls the spiteful heart, the person becomes hardhearted and stubborn, and he severs the ties which Allaah commanded to be maintained and spreads corruption upon the earth.

Spite is the source for many evil acts that Islam has warned against. Falsely accusing the innocent is a crime that only extreme hatred stimulates and Islam has considered this to be one of the worse acts of falsehood.

Backbiting is the way a spiteful person releases his hatred, and that reflects the lack of mercy in his heart. Moreover, Islam has prohibited and warned against all the implications of spite, such as, ill-thinking of others, tracing their faults, mocking and defaming them.

Spiteful people’s hearts boil with hatred because they look in this life to see that they have missed out on what they wished to have while others possessed it. This is the greatest problem that continuously gives them the feeling of apprehension. By doing so, such people follow in the footsteps of Satan, who envied Aadam because he was granted the position which he (i.e. Satan) desired for himself.

This satanic feeling is what boils in the hearts of spiteful people and corrupts their hearts to the point that they lose their determination. It would have been better for them to turn towards their Lord and ask Him from His bounties and strive to attain what the others have attained. The blessings of Allaah are endless and they are limited to certain people, and hoping to attain what Allaah has whilst utilizing all permissible means, is the only lawful thing to do when one sees others blessed with favors from Allaah … There is a big difference between envy and ambition.

Having a pure heart … the way to Paradise:

Allaah Has described the people of Paradise who will have an eternal pleasure as people who are free from spite and envy, and if they had ever experienced any such feelings in this life, then they will be purified from these feelings before being admitted into Paradise, as Allaah says (what means); “And We will have removed whatever is within their hearts of spite (i.e. ill will or sense of injury for what was inflicted upon them during worldly life)”.

This quality of having pure hearts when dealing with others, was one reason for which some of the companions of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) were given glad tidings of Paradise. Anas Ibn Maalik may Allaah be pleased with him narrated: “We were sitting with the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) once when he said: “A man from the dwellers of Paradise will walk in now” so a man from the Ansaar (i.e. residents of Madeenah) walked in whose beard was dripping from the effect of ablution and who held his slippers with his left hand. The next day the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said the same thing, and the same man walked in. On the third day the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said the same thing, and the same man once again walked in. When the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) left the gathering, ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Amr followed that man and said to him: `I had a misunderstanding with my father and swore not to stay in his house three nights, so if you permit me I would like to spend these three nights with you` The man said: `Yes, I permit you`” Anas may Allaah be pleased with him added: “‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Amr told us that he spent three nights and did not notice that the man prayed the optional night prayers during any of these nights, but if he woke up during the night, he would simply mention Allaah. Nonetheless, I never heard him utter except good things, so when the three nights finished, I almost belittled his deeds (as they were insignificant) and I said to him: `O slave of Allaah! There was not dispute between me and my father or anger, but I heard the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) saying thrice: “A man from the dwellers of Paradise will walk in now” and you walked in all three times, so I wanted to sleep in your place to see what you do in order to imitate you, but I did not see that you exert extra effort in performing any extra deeds. How did you reach such status to deserve what the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said about you?` He replied: `My deeds are nothing more than what you saw` Then when I left, he called me back in and said: `My deeds are nothing more than what you saw, but the only thing I do is that I do not hold any grudge against any Muslim nor envy anyone for what bounties Allaah as granted them`” thereupon ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Amr said to him: “This is what granted you this rank”.