Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

salam brother,

Can you please explain what "Evil Eye" is? and why does something of mine gets harm if someone else has an evil`s eye on it... ? though its someone eles`s wrong intentions then why do i have to pay for it ? 

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Answer:

The effects of evil eye

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Can you please explain what "Evil Eye" is?

An ‘evil-eye’ is when someone looks at the grace and favor bestowed by the Lord Most Gracious upon another with evil intentions.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.636 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "The effect of an ‘evil eye’ is a fact."

Your Question: ….why does something of mine gets harm if someone else has an evil`s eye on it... ? though its someone eles`s wrong intentions then why do i have to pay for it ? 

Allah Says in His Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 2:

2 What Allah out of His Mercy doth bestow on mankind there is none can withhold: what He doth withhold there is none can grant apart from Him: and He is the Exalted in Power Full of Wisdom.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 17:

17 If Allah touch thee with affliction none can remove it but He; if He touch thee with happiness He hath power over all things.

Beloved Brother, rest absolutely assured that other than Allah Subhanah, no one and no thing has the power to harm or benefit anyone in the ‘unseen’! The ‘evil-eye’ by itself does not have the power to harm anyone in the least….but it is possible that the person who is envious and jealous and holds evil intentions in his heart only because the Lord has bestowed some favors on another, might say or do something which might bring about some harm.

In the pre-Islamic days of ignorance, when the pagans amongst the Arabs feared the effects of an ‘evil-eye’, in their ignorance, they would perform many a rite and ritual to ward off its evil….like wear amulets, tie their beards, or wear a string around their neck, or cleanse themselves with animal dung or bones, etc. The Messenger of Allah (saws) absolutely and totally forbade the believers to perform such useless and unlawful acts to ward of the expected evil….

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 36 Narrated by Ruwayfi' ibn Thabit

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘You may live for a long time after I am gone, Ruwayfi', so tell people that if anyone ties his beard, or wears round his neck a string to ward off the evil eye, or cleanses himself with animal dung or bone, Muhammad (saws) has nothing to do with him.”

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided the believers to keep their full trust and faith in the Supreme Power and Ability of Allah Subhanah Alone, and absolutely forbade the believers to do or perform any rite or ritual to ward off supposedly expected evils……..and the Prophet (saws) guided the believers that if they feared the approaching of any evil from any quarter of the ‘unseen’, to seek refuge in their Lord and recite the ‘Muawwidaat’ (113^th Surah Al-Falaq and the 114^th Surah An-Naas), for that would more than suffice the believers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 160:

If Allah helps you none can overcome you: if He forsakes you who is there after that that can help you? In Allah then let believers put their trust.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 51:

Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our Protector"; and on Allah let the believers put their trust.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1019 Narrated by AbuSa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) used to seek protection against the Jinn and the evil eye till Surahs al-Falaq and an-Nas (113^th and 114^th Surahs of the Quran) were revealed. After they were revealed he (saws) stuck to them and discarded everything beside them.

If one does any of the self-invented and useless rituals like revolving money around one’s head seven times, or burn something, or revolve something, or burn chilies, or perform any other rite or ritual in their effort to ward of the evil-eye, etc. then they would be held guilty in the Court of Allah Subhanah for following an innovation in the least, or following a rite of the pagans and committing an act of ‘shirk’ at it’s worst!

Thus all one needs to do when one fears that one who is instigated by their ‘evil eyes’ to do or say something which might result in some harm, or one fears any harm from any quarter of the ‘unseen’, one should seek the protection and refuge in Allah Subhanah Alone by being constant in one’s recitation of the 113^th and the 114^th Surahs of the Holy Quran. It is expected that the Merciful Lord would protect them from any and all evil, Insha Allah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan