The evil eye, known in Arabic as "al-‘ayn," is a widely recognized concept within Islamic tradition. In Islamic belief, the evil eye refers to a gaze or stare that can bring misfortune or harm to an individual physically and mentally.
This concept is not merely a societal belief; it is also rooted in the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith. Many Muslims believe that envious glances can lead to negative consequences, making it essential to protect oneself from such harmful influences.
The Reality of the Evil Eye
The existence of the evil eye is affirmed by the Prophet Muhammad in one of his Hadiths:
الْعَيْنُ حَقٌّ وَلَوْ كَانَ شَىْءٌ سَابَقَ الْقَدَرَ سَبَقَتْهُ الْعَيْنُ
"The evil eye is real; if anything were to precede fate, it would be the evil eye." (Hadith narrated by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj).
Scholars or ulama have interpreted ‘ayn in various ways, including:
والعين نظر باستحسان مشوب بحسد من خبيث الطبع يحصل للمنظور منه ضرر
“The evil eye is a gaze of admiration mixed with envy from someone with a bad nature that causes harm to the person being looked at.” (Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalany, Fath al-Bari, vol. 10, p. 200).
Al-Munawi define evil eye or al-‘ayn as:
وهي النظر إلى شئ على غلة واستحسانه والحسد عليه من غير ذكر الله
“The evil eye is the gaze upon something with admiration or envy without mentioning Allah.” (Al-Munawi, Faid al-Qadir, vol. 15, p. 474).
References in the Qur'an
The concept of the evil eye is also implicitly mentioned in the Qur'an in the following verse:
وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُواْ الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ
"And indeed, the disbelievers were almost causing you to slip with their eyes when they heard the message and they said, 'Indeed, he is mad.'" (QS al-Qalam: 51).
Imam Ibn Kathir interprets the term "gaze" in this verse as a look accompanied by the power of the evil eye. The effects of being afflicted by the evil eye can vary, causing the person being looked at to become ill, suffer misfortune, or even lead to death.
An example from the time of the Prophet Muhammad illustrates this: when the companion Amir bin Rabiah bathed alongside his friend Sahl bin Hanif, he was astonished by Sahl's fair and clean body.
Suddenly, Sahl fainted, prompting the other companions to call upon the Prophet ﷺ. After performing a ruqyah (spiritual healing) on Sahl, the Prophet said:
إِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ أَوْ مَالِهِ أَوْ أَخِيهِ مَا يُعْجِبُهُ فَلْيَدْعُ بِالْبَرَكَةِ فَإِنَّ الْعَيْنَ حَقٌّ
"When one of you admires himself, his wealth, or his brother, let him invoke blessings upon him, for the evil eye is real." (HR Nasa’i and Hakim).
The Importance of Seeking Protection
Unsurprisingly, the Prophet Muhammad regarded the evil eye as a genuine threat that should be taken seriously. This is evident in one of his prayers seeking protection from the evil eye:
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ
"I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from every devil, poisonous creature, and harmful eye." (HR al-Bukhari).
According to Al-Qurthubi, the background of this verse's revelation relates to an Arab man who fasted or secluded himself for two or three days without food. After setting up a tent, he marvelled at the camels and goats passing by, saying, "We have never seen camels and goats like today!" Shortly after, some of those camels and goats fell and died.
The disbelievers then asked this man to harm the Prophet Muhammad with his gaze, and he agreed. When the Prophet passed by, the man remarked, "Your people truly believe you are a leader bringing good tidings, but in reality, you are merely a leader afflicted by the evil eye." However, Allah protected the Prophet, and the verse was revealed in response to this incident.
The Dangers of the Evil Eye
The dangers of the evil eye are significant, as Imam as-Suyuthi cites a Hadith from Ibn 'Adiyy and Abu Nu'aim in the book al-Hilyah, narrated by Jabir RA, where the Prophet Muhammad said:
الْعَيْنُ تُدْخِلُ الرَّجُلَ الْقَبْرَ وَالْجَمَلَ الْقِدْرَ
"The evil eye can put a man in the grave and a camel in the pot (causing death)."
Furthermore, according to a narration by As-Suyuthi in Ad-Durrul Mantsur, the danger of the evil eye ranks second after death caused by Allah's decree. As-Suyuthi states:
أَكْثَرُ مَنْ يَمُوْتُ مِنْ أُمَّتِىْ بَعْدَ قَضَاءِ اللهِ وَقَدَرِهِ بِالْعَيْنِ
"Most of my community will die, after Allah's decree, due to the evil eye."
The severity of the evil eye is also highlighted by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, stating that if anything could precede Allah's decree, it would be the evil eye. This aligns with a Hadith narrated by Imam Muslim from Ibn Abbas RA, where the Prophet Muhammad said:
الْعَيْنُ حَقٌّ لَوْ كَانَ شَيْءٌ سَابَقَ الْقَدْرَ سَبَقَتْ الْعَيْنُ فَإِذَا اغْتَسَلْتُمْ فَاغْسِلُوْا
"The evil eye is indeed real. If anything could precede fate, it would be the evil eye. Therefore, if you are asked to bathe (to remove the effects of the evil eye), then do so."
Conclusion
Given the dangers of the evil eye, the Prophet Muhammad taught protective prayers to shield oneself, children, spouses, and others from its effects. On one occasion, the Prophet felt distressed because the evil eye afflicted Sayyid Hasan and Sayyid Husain. Then, Jibril AS came and taught a prayer, as quoted by Ibn Kathir in Tafsir Al-Quranil Azhim:
اللَّهُمَّ ذَا السُّلْطَانِ الْعَظِيمِ وَالْمَنِّ الْقَدِيْمِ ذَا الْوَجْهِ الْكَرِيْمِ وَلِيَّ الْكَلِمَاتِ التَّامَّاتِ وَالدَّعَوَاتِ الْمُسْتَجَابَاتِ عَافِ الْحَسَنَ وَالْحُسَيْنِ مِنْ أَنْفَسِ الْجِنِّ وَأَعْيُنِ الْإِنْسِ
"O Allah, the Possessor of great authority, the One with ancient grace, the One with a noble face, who manages the perfect words and answered prayers. Heal al-Hasan and al-Husain from the evils of the jinn and the eyes of humankind."
Since this prayer was recited for Sayyid Hasan and Husain during the Prophet's time, their names can be replaced with those currently affected by the evil eye.
In addition to the prayer taught by the Prophet, Ar-Razi also cites in Mafatihul Ghaib that QS. Al-Qalam verse 51 can serve as a remedy for the calamity of the evil eye. Wallahu a'lam.
