The Evil Eye in Islam: Sources, Evidence, and Remedies
Lets talk on the topic of the evil eye, which is a belief that some people can harm others by looking at them with envy or malice. This is a common concept in many cultures and religions, including Islam. Here are some of the results I found from different sources:
- From IslamQA, a website that provides Islamic rulings and answers to various questions, I found an article that explains the definition, causes, effects, and remedies of the evil eye according to Islam. It also mentions some of the evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah that support the existence and reality of the evil eye. You can read the full article here: Protection from the Evil Eye: How?
- From Quran.com, a website that provides the text, translation, and tafsir (exegesis) of the Qur’an, I found several verses that mention the evil eye or its related terms. For example, in Surah Al-Qalam (The Pen), verse 51, Allah says: “And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message and say, ‘Indeed, he is mad.’” The tafsir of Ibn Kathir explains that this means that the disbelievers were jealous of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his message, and they wished to harm him with their evil eye. You can read more about this verse and its context here: Tafsir Surah Al-Qalam - 51
- From Sunnah.com, a website that provides the collections of hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions), I found several hadiths that mention the evil eye or its related terms. For example, in Sahih Muslim, Book 39, Hadith 56, Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye, and when you are asked to take bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take bath.” This hadith shows that the Prophet (peace be upon him) acknowledged the reality and effect of the evil eye, and prescribed a remedy for it. You can read more about this hadith and its chain of narration here: Sahih Muslim 2188
- From QuranX.com, a website that provides various resources related to the Qur’an and Islam, I found some commentaries and asbab al-nuzul (occasions of revelation) for some verses that mention the evil eye or its related terms. For example, for Surah Al-Falaq (The Daybreak), verse 1, which says: “Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak’”, Al-Wahidi reports that this verse was revealed when two Jewish men tried to harm the Prophet (peace be upon him) with their evil eye. You can read more about this verse and its reason of revelation here: Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi commentary for verse 113.1