WHAT IS EVIL EYE 

The Arabic word al-‘ayn (translated as the evil eye) refers to when a person harms another with his 
eye. It starts when the person likes a thing, then his evil feelings affect it, by means of his repeated 
looking at the object of his jealousy. Allah commanded His prophet, to seek refuge with Him from 
the envier, as He said ​“And from the evil of the envier when he envies [113:5]”​. Imam Ibn Qayyam says, 
“The evil eye is like an arrow which comes from the soul of the one who envies and the one who puts the 
evil eye on another towards the one who is envied and on whom the evil eye is put; sometimes it hits 
him and sometimes it misses. If the target is exposed and unprotected, it will affect him, but if the 
target is cautious and armed, the arrow will have no effect and may even come back on the one who 
launched it”​ [Zaad al-Ma’aad].  
 
Although it is correct that the evil eye comes from people who feel jealous (hasad), it may also come 
from a person who is not jealous but merely likes something. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said, ​“Whoever among 
you sees something in himself or in his possessions or in his brother that he likes, let him pray for 
blessing for it, because the evil eye is real ​[al-Haakim]​”.​ Ibn al-Qayyim said: ​“And a man may put the 
evil eye on himself.”​ A man may harm his wife with the evil eye by looking at her and noticing her 
beauty and admiring her, even if he does not actually say to her “You are beautiful.” It is mustahabb 
(recommended) for him to say, ​“Allaahumma baarik fihaa (O Allaah, bless her)”.  
 
Ibn Katheer uses the following verse of Quran as evidence to show that the evil eye is real and that 
it has the ability to affect people, ​“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.” (Al-Qalam: 51)”. 
 
TYPES OF EVIL EYE 
● (‫ )اﻟﻌﯿﻦ‬Ayn - The eye from someone who may love or know you and not have evil intentions 
towards you. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:​ “The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake Qadr 
(divine decree), it would have been the evil eye…”​. This alludes to the speed of the evil eye and 
expresses that if anything was to overtake the decree of Allah it would have been the evil 
eye, i.e. in its speed.  
● (‫ )اﻟﺤﺴـــﺪ‬Hasad - The envious eye from someone who hates or dislikes you or something you 
have but wants it removed from you. Iblees envied Adam as he disliked his creation and the 
fact he was ordered to prostrate to him. He thought he was better because he was made 
from fire and Adam was created from clay. Therefore it was only envy which pushed iblees 
to transgress and disobey the order of Allah. 
● (‫ )اﻟﻨﻔﺲ‬Nafs - The admiring eye which a person can put on themself. The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ 
“Whoever among you sees something in himself or in his possessions or in his brother that he 
likes, let him pray for blessings for it because the evil eye is real [al-hakim]”. 
 
One doesn’t need to physically look at someone to give them evil eye, even a blind person can give 
evil eye. One can even give the evil eye merely by listening to the description of a person’s blessings. 
[Zaad Al Ma’ad] 
 
“....Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl (bathed), and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin. 
‘Amir ibn Rabee’ah looked at him whilst he was doing ghusl and said: “I have never seen such beautiful 
skin as this, not even the skin of a virgin,” and Sahl fell to the ground. They went to the Messenger of 
Allah and said, “O Messenger of Allah, can you do anything for Sahl, because by Allah he cannot raise 
his head.” He said, “Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?” They said, “‘Amir ibn Rabee’ah looked at 
him.” So the Messenger of Allah called ‘Amir and rebuked him strongly. He said, “Why would one of you 
kill his brother? If you see something that you like, then pray for blessing for him.” Then he said to him, 
“Wash yourself for him.” So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and 
inside his izaar (lower garment) [wash the place where the waist belt is tied] in the vessel. Then that 
water was poured over him, and a man poured it over his head and back from behind. He did that to 
him, then Sahl got up and joined the people and there was nothing wrong with him [Ahmad]”. 
 

Compiled by Zaid Khalid

DU’AS FOR PROTECTION 
● Reciting al-Mu’awwadhatayn [the last two surahs of the Quran] 
● Surat al-Ikhlas 
● Surat al-Fatiha 
● Ayat al-Kursi 
● A’oodhu bi kalimat-illah il-tammati min sharri ma khalaqa 
● ‫ﱠﺎت ِﻣ ْﻦ َﺷ ﱢﺮ ﻣَﺎ َﺧﻠَ َﻖ۔‬ ‫َﺎت اﷲِ ﱠ‬
ِ ‫اﻟﺘﺎﻣ‬ ُ ‫اَ ُﻋﻮ‬ 
ِ ‫ْذ ِﺑ َﮑﻠِﻤ‬
● “Hasbi Allahu la ilaha illa huwa, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabb ul-‘arsh il-‘azeem [9:129]  
 
TREATMENTS RECOMMENDED 
‘Aa’ishah said: “The man who cast the evil eye would be commanded to do wudoo’, and then the man 
who was affected would wash himself with (the water).” [Abu Dawood]  
 
Reciting ruqyah - Jibril used to do ruqyah for the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and say, “Bismillahi arqeeka min kulli 
shayin yudheeka, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘aynin hasid Allaahu yashfeek, bismillahi arqeek 
َ ‫ﺎﺳﻢ اﷲِ اَ ْر ِﻗﯿ‬ َ ْ ُ َ ِ ‫ْﻦ َﺣ‬ ‫ﱢ‬ ‫ْﮏ ﻣ ْ ﱢ‬
  ‫ْﮏ۔‬ ِ ْ ‫ اﷲ َﯾﺸ ِﻔﯿْﮏ ِﺑ‬،ٍ‫ﺎﺳﺪ‬ ٍ ْ‫ِﻦ َﺷ ﱢﺮ ُﮐﻞ َﻧﻔ‬
ٍ ‫ﺲ اَ ْو َﻋﯿ‬ َ ‫ْﺊ ﯾﱡ ْﺆ ِذﯾ‬
ْ ‫ْﮏ ﻣ‬ ٍ ‫ِﻦ ُﮐﻞ َﺷﯿ‬ َ ‫ﺎﺳﻢ اﷲِ اَ ْر ِﻗﯿ‬
ِ ْ ‫ِﺑ‬
 
Aisha reported: If the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was afflicted by 
something, the Angel Gabriel would supplicate over him, saying, “In the name of Allah, may he cure 
you, may he heal you from every ailment, from the evil of the envier when he envies, and from the 
evil of every eye.” [Muslim] 
‫ﱢ‬ َ ‫ِﻦ ُﻛ ﱢﻞ دَا ٍء َﯾ ْﺸﻔ‬ َ ‫ﺎﺳﻢ اﷲِ ُﯾﺒْﺮ‬
ٍ ‫ﺎﺳ ٍﺪ إِ َذا َﺣ َﺴ َﺪ َو َﺷ ﱢﺮ ُﻛﻞ ذِي َﻋﯿ‬
 ‫ْﻦ‬ ِ ‫ِﻦ َﺷ ﱢﺮ َﺣ‬
ْ ‫ِﯿﻚ َوﻣ‬ ْ ‫ﯾﻚ َوﻣ‬ ِ ِ ْ ‫ِ​ﺑ‬
 
Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that when the Messenger of Allah fell ill, he would 
blow on himself and recite the Mu‘awwidhaat, and wipe his hand over him. She said: When he 
became ill with what would be his final illness, I began to blow on him and recite the Mu‘awwidhaat 
that he used to recite and blow on himself, and wipe over the Messenger of Allah with his own hand. 
 
 
 

Compiled by Zaid Khalid