What is Evil Eye?
The Quran
“And from the evil of the envier when he envies.”
Al – Falaq 113:5
he Arabic word “al ayn” , referred to as the evil eye refers to when a person harms another with his eye . It comes from a resentful envy where a person is envious of something and then his evil feelings affect it. This envy can be directed at so many things including a person’s wealth, beauty, religion, family, social status, education, health, morality , property and many more. Ibn Qayyim Rahimahullah said in his book Zad al Ma’ad (adapted from this) that the evil eye is like an arrow that comes from the soul of the one who is the envier and the one that puts the evil eye on another towards the one who is envied and on whom the evil eye is put. Sometimes the arrow hits him and sometimes it doesn’t , if the target is exposed and unprotected then the arrow may effect him. However if he is cautious and armed then the arrow will have no effect and may even come back on the one who launched it.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“The evil eye is true. If anything could outdo the decree, it would be the evil eye.”
Muslim
This is in reference to the speed of the evil eye and that if anything were to overtake the decree of Allah it would have been the evil eye in its speed.
In another hadith:
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to tell me to recite ruqyah (incantation) for protection against the evil eye.
Sahih Muslim and Bukhari
Envy and it’s types
Evil eye is a destructive jealousy that can have varying degrees.
- There may be an instance where a person wants a blessing to be removed from someone even if that blessing does not come to him , he is envious that Allah has blessed someone else. He may use his speech or actions to bring an end to the blessing for this person, without necessarily destroying the blessing itself. This is the worst kind of envy as the person wants to destroy this blessing purely because it was given to someone else and not them , they don’t care whether the blessing comes to them or not.
- Another type of envy is where a person wants for a blessing to be taken away from somebody else because he wishes it to come to him instead. Unlike the instance mentioned above , this persons envy is due to his hope that the blessing will come to him if it is removed from the one who is envied.
- This type of envy is where a person sees someone who has a blessing , and he wishes that he could too have that blessing without it being removed from the other person. This type of envy is not impermissible and is not classed as ayn/hasad as it is envy without any malice or bad feelings.
Symptoms of evil eye afflictions
Symptoms of evil eye afflictions
Those who deal with ruqyah as prescribed in Islam have mentioned some of the symptoms that a person might display if they have been afflicted with evil eye. These symptoms are not set in stone and may vary from person to person , being more or less in each case. If the person has no illness or condition which causes these symptoms then it could indicate evil eye affliction:
Headaches that move from one part of the head to another; yellow pallor in the face; sweating and urinating a great deal; weak appetite; tingling, heat or cold in the limbs; palpitations in the heart; pain in the lower back and shoulders; sadness and anxiety; sleeplessness at night; strong reactions due to abnormal fears; a lot of burping, yawning and sighing; withdrawal and love of solitude; apathy and laziness; a tendency to sleep; health problems with no known medical cause. These signs or some of them may be present according to the strength of the evil eye or the number of people who put the evil eye on others.
Shaykh Al Sadhan, Al-Ruqyah al-Shar’iyyah
How to protect oneself from evil eye
How to protect oneself from evil eye
- Not only will we be classed as those who remember Allah , the morning and evening adhkars are also a shield for you. Ibn al-Qayyim said, “The morning and evening adhkar play the role of a shield; the thicker it is the more its owner will not be affected. Rather, its strength can reach to such an extent that the arrow shot at it will bounce back to affect the one who shot it.” There will be a section on the next page that details specific duas for evil eye and also recommended morning and evening adhkars.
- Safeguard your own blessings and possessions through saying Ma sha Allah on them. If somebody gifts you something ensure you use terms such as Barakallahu Feekum and Jazak’Allah Khair in order to wish blessings and good upon that person.
- Be mindful of what you share to others. Only share good news/ blessings with those who will rejoice at this news. The sad reality is that even close family and friends can be envious of you so conceal your good. A huge aspect of this lies with social media , as we live in an age where many people use social media as a connection between friends , family and even strangers. We should refrain from posting pictures of ourselves , our children , our possessions and insight into our lives on social media. We should also refrain from looking at what blessings other people have and comparing them with our own , we could unintentionally put evil eye on others through this.
- Try to always be kind and show good manners to people. Give salaam to your fellow brothers and sisters , be helpful towards them within your means and display good character and manners towards them. This will help to remove people’s evil thoughts and jealousy towards you.
- Children are such a beautiful blessing that indeed evil eye is so commonly directed towards them , and at a young age they are not able to recite ruqyah or even recognise the signs of evil eye nor protect themselves. Parents should recite ayat ak Kursi and the last three surahs of the Quran and blow on their children. It is an important part of tarbiyyah (upbringing) and tawheed to teach children how to do this for themselves as they grow older and are more capable.
- In regards to avoiding passing on evil eye to others , we should always ensure that we praise Allah by saying Ma sha Allah/ Allahumma Barik Laha/Lahum / BarakAllahu Feek if we see something that pleases us. Make dua , praise and do good deeds for those who we envy in order to rid our hearts of any evil desires. Be wary of how dangerous envy is and ask Allah to rid us of any envy we feel and to make us content with his decree.
How to treat evil eye
How to treat evil eye
- Reciting ruqyah – it is preferred to recite ruqyah upon yourself , but if you are unable to or the affliction is very severe then you are also able to listen to ruqyah audios or visit a raaqi.
- Asking the person who has put the evil eye on another to wash, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded ‘Amir ibn Rabi’ah to do. Then the used water of the one inflicted the should be poured over the one who has been afflicted. Of course this isn’t always possible so if a person is unable to obtain this water then he should perform ruqyah on water as we have mentioned in the previous sections , and bathe in this water daily for 10-20 continuous days until the symptoms disappear.
