THE EVILS OF JEALOUSY

prove to him that his minister was about to enter into a conspiracy to overthrow him. Convinced that Gawan was a traitor, the King had him put to death on April 5, 1481. He later realized what a grave mistake he had made, and, grief-stricken and filled with remorse, he himself died less than a year later on March 22, 1482. The main culprit in this plot was Malik Nayeb who, a mere five years after the death of his victim, was himself brutally murdered by his opponents. After the death of Gawan, the Bahmani Sultanate could not recover its stability, and it came to an end with the death of its last king. After numerous rebellions, this one sultanate was split up into five separate kingdoms. Jealousy and envy are the opposites of well-wishing. These are destructive emotions that a person may harbour towards fellow human beings. The Prophet of Islam warned against these emotions on many occasions. He said, “Beware of jealousy. Verily, it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood.” (Abu Dawood) That is why believers are instructed to seek refuge in God ‘from the evil of the envier when he envies.’ (113: 5) o