Malice
Holding grudges and harboring hatred toward people.
Malice (Hiqd)
Malice is holding grudges and harboring hatred toward people in your heart. It is not wanting someone's blessings removed (that's envy) — it is wanting harm to come to them, or simply refusing to let go of resentment long after the offense has passed.
Definition
Hiqd is a persistent hostility lodged in the heart. The malicious person replays offenses, waits for the other person's downfall, and refuses to forgive even when forgiveness is possible. It poisons the one who holds it far more than the one it's directed at.
Signs of Malice
- Replaying past wrongs in your mind repeatedly
- Feeling satisfaction when someone who wronged you suffers
- Refusing to forgive even when the other person has apologized
- Cutting people off permanently over things that could be resolved
- Harboring silent hatred while acting civil on the surface
- Hoping for someone's failure
Islamic Perspective
Allah says: "And let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you?" (An-Nur 24:22)
The Prophet ﷺ said about the man who would enter Paradise: "He does not carry any hiqd (malice) in his heart toward any Muslim." (Nasa'i)
When asked about the best people, the Prophet ﷺ described them as "every person with a clean heart" — a heart free from malice, envy, and deceit.
Treatment
- Forgive for Allah's sake: Not because they deserve it, but because your heart deserves freedom
- Make du'a for the person you resent: It is almost impossible to hate someone you sincerely pray for
- Remember your own sins: You need Allah's forgiveness too — how can you withhold forgiveness from others?
- Let go of the replay: When the memory surfaces, say "I forgive them for Allah's sake" and redirect your thoughts
- Understand that grudges hurt you: The other person may not even know you're suffering
- Study the Prophet's forgiveness ﷺ: He forgave the people of Ta'if, he forgave Quraysh at the conquest of Makkah — follow his example