Theevileye(al-‘ayn)

What the evil eye is

Al-‘ayn, the evil eye, is a harm that reaches a person, animal or possession from the look of someone who admires it, whether or not the admirer intends harm. The scholars describe it as a poisonous "arrow" that leaves the soul of the onlooker and, by Allah's permission, strikes the one looked at.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The evil eye is real. If anything were to outrun the divine decree, the evil eye would have; and when you are asked to wash, then wash" (Muslim). That one hadith affirms three things: al-‘ayn exists, it operates only within Allah's decree, and its cure was taught to us.

Islam neither exaggerates the evil eye nor denies it. Between the person who blames every cold on a neighbour and the person who mocks the whole idea, the Sunnah gives us a calm middle path.

Proof from the Quran and Sunnah

Allah says about the disbelievers of Makkah and their hostility to the Prophet ﷺ:

وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ

Wa in yakādul-ladhīna kafarū la-yuzliqūnaka bi-abṣārihim lammā sami‘udh-dhikra wa yaqūlūna innahū la-majnūn

And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, 'Indeed, he is mad.'

Many of the early scholars explained "make you slip with their eyes" as a reference to the evil eye. Al-Falaq ends with the command to seek refuge "from the evil of an envier when he envies" (113:5), and the envier's eye is the most common channel of that evil.

From the Sunnah:

• The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge for al-Hasan and al-Husayn with the words "I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and poisonous creature and from every evil eye" (Bukhari).
• ‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet ﷺ commanded her to use ruqyah against the evil eye (Bukhari and Muslim).
• Jibrīl performed ruqyah on the Prophet ﷺ himself, saying: "In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah on you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye; may Allah heal you" (Muslim).

How it differs from hasad

Hasad (envy) is a feeling in the heart: wishing that a blessing be taken away from someone. Al-‘ayn is the effect that comes through the look. The two are related but not the same:

• An envier may never see the person, and hasad may remain a sin of the heart without causing harm.
• Al-‘ayn can come from someone who is not envious at all, only amazed and admiring, including someone who loves you.
• Every envier who harms by his eye is an ‘ā’in, but not every ‘ā’in is an envier.

The scholars, including Ibn al-Qayyim, say the evil eye is more general in one respect and hasad in another, and that seeking refuge from the envier in Al-Falaq covers both.

How it happens, even from loved ones and from oneself

The evil eye is not a superpower held by wicked people. It can come from:

• A mother looking at her healthy child, a husband admiring his wife, or a friend admiring your new house or job.
• A stranger in the street who is struck by your appearance, your car, or your children.
• Yourself. A person can afflict himself, his own body, his own work or his own child by admiring it without remembering Allah.

The companion Sahl ibn Hunayf was struck by the eye of ‘Āmir ibn Rabī‘ah, who was a fellow Muslim and meant him no harm. Sahl collapsed after ‘Āmir saw him bathing and remarked on his skin. The Prophet ﷺ was angry that ‘Āmir had not asked Allah to bless him, and ordered ‘Āmir to wash so that the water could be poured over Sahl, after which Sahl got up and walked with the people (Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Malik). This is the primary story that shapes how we treat the evil eye today.

Symptoms

The evil eye can strike the body, the mind, wealth, work, livestock, a business or a marriage. Common signs, always to be weighed against medical and ordinary explanations, include:

• Sudden illness or weakness after a gathering, a wedding, a visit, or a post on social media, with no clear medical cause.
• Yellowing or paleness of the face, sunken eyes, loss of appetite and weight.
• Persistent headache, sweating, frequent urination, or a hot feeling in the body.
• Sadness, tightness in the chest, tearfulness, or a desire to be alone.
• A child who cries constantly, refuses food, or wakes screaming.
• Something that was flourishing (a shop, a project, a car, a garden) suddenly and repeatedly failing.
• During ruqyah: yawning, tears, sweating, sneezing, hot or cold sensations, and then relief.

Prevention

• Dhikr and the daily adhkār. The morning and evening supplications, Āyat al-Kursī, and the last three surahs three times morning and evening are the strongest fortress. The Prophet ﷺ said that Al-Falaq and An-Nās are unmatched for seeking refuge (Muslim).
• Say "Mā shā’ Allāh, tabārak Allāh" and "Allāhumma bārik" when you admire something. The Prophet ﷺ said: "When one of you sees something in himself, his wealth or his brother that pleases him, let him pray for blessing for it, for the evil eye is real" (Ahmad, and similar in Ibn Majah). Allah tells us in the story of the two gardens:

وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

Wa lawlā idh dakhalta jannataka qulta mā shā’allāhu lā quwwata illā billāh

And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah'?

• Do not parade blessings. Ya‘qūb told his sons not to enter Egypt through one gate (Yusuf 12:67), and many scholars understood this as fear of the evil eye for them. Sharing every meal, holiday, purchase and child's achievement online exposes you and your family to eyes you will never meet. Discretion is a Sunnah, not paranoia.
• Seek refuge for your children with the words the Prophet ﷺ used for al-Hasan and al-Husayn.

Cure

• Ruqyah with the Quran. Al-Fātiḥah, Āyat al-Kursī, the last three surahs, and the verses relating to the eye and envy (Al-Qalam 68:51-52, Al-Falaq), recited over the person, into water and oil, over days until relief. The prophetic supplication "Allāhumma Rabban-nās, adhhibil-ba’s..." (O Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm, and heal, You are the Healer; there is no healing except Your healing) is recited as well (Bukhari and Muslim).
• The ghusl of the ‘ā’in, if the person is known. This is the treatment taught in the hadith of Sahl. The person suspected of casting the eye is asked, gently and without accusation, to perform a wash: he washes his face, his hands up to the elbows, his knees, his feet and the inside of his lower garment, into a vessel, and this water is then poured over the head and back of the afflicted person from behind, and the vessel is turned over behind him. It is done with sincerity, and it is not humiliating; a Muslim asked to wash should not refuse, and the Prophet ﷺ himself said, "when you are asked to wash, then wash" (Muslim). If the ‘ā’in is unknown, ruqyah alone is used, and it is enough.
• Wuḍū’ water of the ‘ā’in may also be used where the fuller wash is not possible, and some scholars mention using traces of his clothing; the essence is any water that has touched him.
• Patience and good opinion of Allah. Most cases of ‘ayn lift within days of consistent ruqyah and adhkār.

Misconceptions

• "Wearing a blue eye, a hand, or a hanging Quran verse protects from the evil eye." No. Amulets and talismans are forbidden, and the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever hangs an amulet has committed shirk (Ahmad). Protection is by dhikr, not objects. This includes ta‘wīdh, no matter who wrote them.
• "Only bad or jealous people have the evil eye." As above, it can come from a loving relative, a righteous person, or yourself.
• "You must find out who did it." You do not. If the person is known, the wash is a mercy; if not, the Quran suffices. Hunting for a culprit breeds suspicion and sin.
• "Burning something, breaking an egg, or pouring lead reveals or removes the eye." These are innovations or superstitions with no basis in the Sunnah, and some involve calling on other than Allah.
• "Everything that goes wrong is ‘ayn." Illness, poor planning, and the ordinary tests of life exist. Take the means, and see a doctor.

The evil eye is a real harm and a real test, but it has never overtaken the decree of Allah, and it has never resisted the Quran of Allah. Fortify yourself with what He revealed, ask Him to bless what you admire, and do not let fear rob you of gratitude for what He has given.