Mechanisms of Self-Purification in Curbing Envy and Improving Social Relations

Abstract



The escalation of psychological disorders and the disintegration of social relationships arising from envy—as a deeply rooted moral vice—highlight the imperative to control it through practical mechanisms of self-purification (tazkiyah al-nafs). Employing a descriptive-analytical method and drawing upon Qur’anic verses and prophetic traditions, this study investigates how the process of self-purification, through the redefinition of moral selfhood, neutralizes envy and enhances social relations. The findings reveal that, first, strengthening contentment with divine decree (Qur’an, Al-Hadid: 23) diminishes destructive social comparison and increases inner self-sufficiency, thereby reducing envy. Second, cultivating inner piety (taqwa) as the axis of self-control (Qur’an, Al-Baqarah: 197) establishes an internal monitoring system that regulates negative emotions. Third, transforming envy into ghibta (the aspiration for virtue without coveting the deprivation of others) through self-discipline reconstructs envy into constructive competition rather than social destruction. Fourth, fostering empathy and social trust by emphasizing monotheistic values (Qur’an, Al-Imran: 103) and the ethical maxim “Desire for others what you desire for yourself” (Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter 31) strengthens social capital. Overall, by targeting the existential roots of envy—self-centeredness and discontent with divine ordainment—self-purification not only curbs this vice, but also, through cognitive reconstruction, redirects social relations toward solidarity and constructive interaction.



Keywords: Mechanism, Self-purification, Envy, Social relations