And when He prohibited killing; and prohibited eating by false means through action; and both are from the actions of the predatory creatures; so that the outward becomes pure from the grave sins; He prohibited wishing; which is a precursor to eating; so that the prohibition of eating is more emphatic; for wishing may lead to envy; and this is what is prohibited here; as is evident from the verse; and it is forbidden; and being content with the forbidden; and wishing in this manner leads to eating; and eating returns to killing; for whoever grazes around the forbidden area is about to fall into it; and the prohibition here is for the sake of making it unlawful; according to most scholars; and He said: "And do not wish for what Allah has favored some of you over others"; meaning: do not follow your souls in that; "what Allah has favored"; meaning: He to whom all greatness belongs; so nothing diminishes Him; "by it"; meaning: from wealth; and others; "some of you over others"; meaning: in inheritance; and others; from all the virtues of the soul related to the intellectual power; such as complete intelligence; and perfect intuition; and an increase in knowledge in quantity; and quality; or in practical power; such as chastity; which is a mean between rigidity; and debauchery; and courage which is a mean between recklessness; and cowardice; and generosity which is a mean between extravagance; and stinginess; and using these powers in the manner that is appropriate; which is justice; or the physical virtues; such as health; and beauty; and long life; along with pleasure; and joy; or external virtues; such as having many righteous children; and many tribes; and friends; and supporters; and complete leadership; and the effectiveness of speech; and being beloved by people; and having a good reputation among them; these are the sources of happiness; and some of them are theoretical with no means of acquisition in them; and some of them are acquirable; and whenever the wise person reflects on that; he finds it to be pure bounty from Allah; so whoever witnesses another who is higher than him in any of these conditions; his heart will ache; and he will have two states: one is that he wishes to attain such happiness for himself; and the other is that he wishes for it to be removed from its possessor; and this is the blameworthy envy; because it is like objecting to Allah; who divided this division; for if he believes that he is more deserving than him; he has opened for himself the door of disbelief; and has attracted the darkness of innovation; and erased the light of faith; for Allah is effective in what He wills; He is not asked about what He does; so there is no objection to Him; and just as envy is the cause of corruption in religion; it is also the cause of corruption in the world; so everyone must be content with what has been divided for him; knowing that this is beneficial; and if it were otherwise, it would lead to corruption; for all of that is a division from Allah; stemming from His judgment; and His management; and His knowledge of the conditions of the servants in what benefits them; and what corrupts them.

As for wishing for something similar; if it is religious, it is good; as he said, blessings and peace be upon him: "There is no envy except in two cases." If it is worldly, some people have permitted that; and some of them said - and they are the scholars - that it is not permissible; because that blessing may be harmful to him in religion; and detrimental in this world; like the story of Qarun. Imam al-Razi (p-265) explained this meaning. And when He, glorified and exalted is He, prohibited that; He justified it by what alerts to striving for sustenance; and being general in seeking; as he said, blessings and peace be upon him, in what Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah narrated from Shaddad ibn Aws - may Allah be pleased with him: "The wise one is the one who holds himself accountable; and works for what comes after death; and the incapable one is the one who follows his desires; and wishes upon Allah." And as he said, blessings and peace be upon him, in what Muslim, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah narrated from Abu Huraira - may Allah be pleased with him: "The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer; and in both there is good; be keen on what benefits you; and seek help from Allah; and do not be incapable; and if something befalls you, do not say: If only I had done such and such; but say: Allah has decreed, and what He wills, He does; for indeed, 'If only' opens the work of Satan." He indicated that no one achieves all that they hope for: "For men is a share of what they earn"; meaning: it has been determined; so it does not increase; nor decrease. And He, glorified and exalted is He, clarified that seeking and working is necessary; as indicated by the hadith; He said: "Of what they have earned"; meaning: they are tasked to exert themselves; and tire themselves in earning; from the matters of the two abodes; from rewards and their causes from acts of obedience; and from inheritance; and striving in profits and gains; "My provision has been placed under the shadow of my spear"; "He provides for you as He provides for the bird; it goes out hungry in the morning and returns full in the evening." "And for women is a share of what they have earned"; meaning: likewise, wishing in this case is not beneficial; thus, engaging in it is merely a burden. And when he indicated by partiality that attainment is by His decree; not by the earning which He made a cause; for sometimes it succeeds; and sometimes it fails; thus the decree was: "So earn; and do not be incapable by wishing"; He commanded to turn towards Him - in wealth and everything - indicating the activation of the cause; while being general in seeking; He said: "And ask Allah"; meaning: the One who possesses all attributes of perfection.

And when - glorified and exalted is He - His greatness does not diminish by anything; even if it is great; He said: ﴿From His bounty﴾; meaning: from His treasures which do not run out; and nothing can deplete them; and in that is an indication of the absence of specification; because it could be a cause of corruption; rather the request should be for what is good for him; and the best of the supplications that is narrated; and the best of it is: ﴿Our Lord, grant us in this world good and in the Hereafter good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 201]; then he explained that (p-267) by saying: ﴿Indeed, Allah﴾; meaning: the greatest King who holds the keys of everything; ﴿is All-Knowing of everything﴾; meaning: He is capable of everything; for the perfection of knowledge necessitates the comprehensiveness of power - as will be clarified - if Allah (glorified and exalted is He) wills - in Surah