The Hidden Barrier to Du’ā: Envy and Comparison

One of the hardest truths to admit—even to ourselves—is the feeling of envy. That quiet, lingering question of why them and not me? It’s a feeling we often suppress, knowing it’s wrong, yet it creeps into our hearts when we see others blessed with things we’ve been yearning for.

Maybe you’ve made du’ā for something for years, and then suddenly, someone else—someone you perceive as less deserving—receives it effortlessly. Maybe you’ve been striving in your faith, your efforts sincere, yet you watch others, who seem less committed, receiving the very things you beg for. And deep down, a whisper forms: Why am I being overlooked?

But what if that very feeling—the jealousy, the resentment, the silent comparison—is the barrier standing between you and your answered du’ā?

The Weight of a Pure Heart

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“By the One in whose Hand is my soul, no servant truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Du’ā is not just about asking; it’s about the state of the heart while asking. When a heart is tainted with envy, it carries a weight—a weight that distances it from sincerity, gratitude, and trust in Allah’s wisdom. How can we fully believe that Allah is Al-Karīm (The Most Generous) if we secretly feel He has favoured others unfairly?

The truth is, every blessing given to someone else does not take away from what Allah has written for you. His treasures are infinite. Your time will come—in the way, at the time, and in the form that is best for you.

A Shift in Perspective: From Envy to Du’ā

Instead of allowing envy to build resentment, turn it into a means of nearness to Allah:

1. Make du’ā for others:

The Prophet ﷺ taught us that when we sincerely make du’ā for someone else, an angel says, “Ameen, and for you the same.” (Muslim) Imagine if the very thing you envied became the reason Allah granted you something even better.

2. Trust that Allah knows what is best for you:

What you want may not be what you need. Allah sees the full picture, while we only see a fragment. What if delaying your du’ā is actually protecting you from harm? What if not granting you what you want is leading you toward something greater?

3. Turn envy into gratitude:

Whenever you feel jealous of someone else’s blessings, say Alhamdulillah—not just for them, but for the countless, often unseen blessings in your own life. Jealousy blinds us to what we already have. Gratitude opens our eyes to it.

Your Du’ā is Not Rejected—It is Redirected

Every du’ā is heard. No du’ā is ignored. But some are answered in ways we don’t expect:

• Sometimes Allah delays a du’ā because He wants to give you something better.

• Sometimes He withholds it because the thing you desire would have harmed you.

• Sometimes He replaces it with something even greater in the Hereafter.

“And it may be that you dislike something while it is good for you, and it may be that you love something while it is bad for you. Allah knows, while you do not know.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:216)

Allah’s Infinite Treasures

If envy makes us feel as though someone else’s blessing has taken away from our share, then we have misunderstood who Allah is.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:

“O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I possess, except what is decreased of the ocean when a needle is dipped into it.” (Muslim)

Allah’s treasures are limitless. He does not run out of provision, nor does giving others take away from what is written for you. If we truly understood this, we would never feel jealous of anyone’s blessings. Instead, we would turn our hearts fully to Him, knowing that what is meant for us will reach us—at the perfect time, in the perfect way.

If you’ve been making du’ā and wondering why it hasn’t been answered, ask yourself: Is my heart at peace with Allah’s plan? Do I trust that He knows what is best for me?

Purify your heart, make du’ā for others, and trust in the One who never forgets, never overlooks, and never withholds except to give you something better. Your time will come—exactly when, how, and in a way that is perfectly written for you.