Table of Contents
Understanding the Evil Eye
Islam teaches that the evil eye is a real and harmful phenomenon. It occurs when a person looks at someone or something with amazement or envy, without remembering Allah, and harm happens by the permission of Allah. This is part of the unseen world, and a believer deals with it through reliance on Allah, lawful protection, and avoiding superstition.
The Prophet ﷺ clearly affirmed its reality. He said:
“The evil eye is real.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
Harm from the evil eye never occurs independently. It only happens if Allah allows it. Allah says:
“And indeed, the disbelievers almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, ‘Indeed, he is mad.’ But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.”
(Qur’an 68:51–52)
This verse shows that the gaze can have an effect, yet the Qur’an remains a reminder and protection for the believers.
A Muslim must avoid exaggeration or fear that contradicts trust in Allah. At the same time, one should not deny what the Prophet ﷺ confirmed. Recognizing the evil eye is part of belief in the unseen, while maintaining that only Allah creates benefit and harm.
Important: The evil eye is real, but it does not act by itself. Only Allah creates harm and benefit. A believer takes lawful means of protection while placing full trust in Allah alone.
Causes and Symptoms of the Evil Eye
The evil eye usually arises from envy, jealousy, or excessive admiration without remembrance of Allah. Sometimes it may even come from a person who loves the one they harm, because the effect is tied to the state of the heart and the gaze, not only conscious malice.
Allah points to envy as a source of harm:
“Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty?”
(Qur’an 4:54)
And also:
“And from the evil of an envier when he envies.”
(Qur’an 113:5)
Symptoms that people often associate with the evil eye can be physical, emotional, or spiritual, such as sudden unexplained tiredness, illness, loss of blessing, or unusual disturbance. However, these signs are not a precise diagnosis. Illness and hardship can come from many causes, and a Muslim should combine practical means like medical treatment with spiritual means like duʿā and ruqyah.
A Muslim must avoid rushing to accuse others of giving the evil eye, and must not develop hatred or suspicion of family and friends. The Prophet ﷺ taught believers to maintain brotherhood, not to tear it down with baseless doubts. He said:
“Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech. Do not spy, do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from each other, but be, O servants of Allah, brothers.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
The focus should be on correcting one’s own heart and protecting oneself through remembrance of Allah.
Lawful Means of Protection
The strongest protection from the evil eye is sincere faith, remembrance of Allah, and reliance upon Him. Islam provides specific practices that guard the believer while keeping the heart attached to Allah alone.
Allah commands seeking refuge in Him:
“Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of what He has created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.’”
(Qur’an 113:1–5)
And He says:
“And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing.”
(Qur’an 7:200)
Protection is not through objects or charms, but through words of remembrance, supplication, and recitation of the Qur’an.
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged the morning and evening supplications, recitation of Sūrah al-Falaq and Sūrah an-Nās, and the remembrance that preserves a servant throughout the day. These adhkār are guardians granted by Allah to His servants.
He ﷺ said:
“Whoever says, ‘In the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing in the earth or in the heaven can cause harm, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing,’ three times in the morning and three times in the evening, nothing will harm him.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd)
He ﷺ also said about the last two chapters of the Qur’an:
“Do you not see that there have been verses revealed to me tonight the like of which has never been seen before: ‘Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak’ and ‘Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.’”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Reciting Āyat al-Kursī (Qur’an 2:255) at night is also a strong protection, as comes in the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ with the one who taught Abu Hurayrah the verse for protection, and the Prophet said:
“He told you the truth, though he is a liar. That was a devil.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
These protections are acts of worship. They must be performed with presence of heart, belief in Allah’s promises, and persistence.
Key rule: Protection from the evil eye is through tawḥīd, duʿā, Qur’an, and prophetic adhkār, not through amulets or superstitious objects.
Ruqyah for the Evil Eye
Ruqyah is recitation of Qur’an, duʿā, and authentic words of remembrance as a means of seeking healing from Allah. It is one of the most important ways to treat the evil eye, spiritual harm, and even physical illnesses, with the condition that it stays within the limits of the Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ allowed ruqyah as long as it is free of shirk and forbidden words. He said:
“Present your ruqyahs to me. There is nothing wrong with ruqyah so long as it does not involve shirk.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
The Prophet ﷺ himself performed ruqyah and taught it. When al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, his grandsons, needed protection, he recited:
“I seek refuge for you in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and poisonous creature and from every evil eye.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī)
He ﷺ said:
“Your father (Ibrāhīm) used to seek refuge for Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq with these words.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī)
Ruqyah can be performed by the person on himself, or by another Muslim for him. Common practices include reciting Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, Āyat al-Kursī, Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, Sūrah al-Falaq, and Sūrah an-Nās, blowing lightly with a small amount of spittle, and asking Allah for healing. The Prophet ﷺ would recite and blow over himself. It is reported:
“When the Prophet ﷺ went to bed every night, he would cup his hands together, blow in them and recite, ‘Say: He is Allah, One,’ ‘Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,’ and ‘Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind.’ Then he would wipe as much of his body as he could with his hands, starting with his head and face and the front of his body. He would do this three times.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
When someone is strongly affected by the evil eye and the identity of the envier is known, the Sunnah includes a specific method: asking the person who caused the evil eye to wash, then using that water to wash the affected person. This is a delicate issue and should be handled with wisdom and without public shaming, but it is part of the prophetic guidance. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The evil eye is real, and if anything could precede the divine decree it would be the evil eye. If you are asked to wash (for the sake of the one you have afflicted), then do so.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Ruqyah must always be performed with the conviction that it is only a means and that true healing is from Allah alone. Seeking ruqyah should not turn into a dependence on people or a business of exploitation. A believer can and should learn to recite upon himself and his family, with sincerity and humility.
Preventing the Evil Eye by Praising Allah
Islam teaches a positive and simple way to prevent the evil eye, which is to mention Allah’s name and pray for blessing whenever you admire something. This shifts the heart from envy to gratitude and love for good for others.
When you see something pleasing, whether in yourself, your children, someone’s wealth, beauty, or achievements, you say phrases like:
“Subḥān Allāh.”
“Mā shā’ Allāh, lā quwwata illā billāh.”
“Bārak Allāhu fīk” or “Allāhumma bārik.”
Allah mentions the people of the garden who regretted not saying “Mā shā’ Allāh” when they admired what they had:
“And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, ‘What Allah willed, there is no power except in Allah’? If you see me less than you in wealth and children…”
(Qur’an 18:39)
The scholars took from this verse that saying “Mā shā’ Allāh, lā quwwata illā billāh” protects blessings from being taken away and helps guard against the evil eye.
A believer must get used to praying for blessing for others, instead of comparing or resenting them. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged believers to love good for their brothers. He said:
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
This attitude weakens envy at its root and nurtures a heart that is content with Allah’s decree.
Essential practice: Whenever you are amazed by something in yourself or others, say “Mā shā’ Allāh, lā quwwata illā billāh” and “Allāhumma bārik.” This protects the blessing and helps prevent the evil eye.
Avoiding Superstition and Forbidden Practices
Although the evil eye is real, many practices people use for “protection” are impermissible innovations or even forms of shirk. A Muslim must distinguish between prophetic guidance and cultural customs that have no basis in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ warned against amulets and charms that involve dependence on other than Allah. He said:
“Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk.”
(Musnad Aḥmad)
And he said:
“Ruqyah, amulets, and love-charms are shirk.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd)
The exception is ruqyah that is based on Qur’an and authentic duʿā, without strange words or calling upon anyone other than Allah. Any object that is believed to protect by its own power, such as blue beads, strings, metal hands, numbers, or symbols, must be removed and repented from.
A Muslim also avoids fortune-tellers, magicians, and those who claim to know the unseen. Allah says:
“Say, ‘None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.’”
(Qur’an 27:65)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muḥammad.”
(Musnad Aḥmad)
Fear of the evil eye must not lead to hiding blessings completely, refusing to share any good news, or turning life into suspicion and secrecy. Instead, a Muslim balances caution with gratitude and openness, uses the adhkār, and trusts Allah.
There is also no place in Islam for hanging Qur’anic verses as “shields” around the neck or on car mirrors believing the object itself protects. The Qur’an is for recitation, understanding, and acting upon, not for being turned into physical charms.
Rule: Any practice that involves believing an object, symbol, or human power protects independently is forbidden and may become shirk. True protection comes from Allah through His words and lawful acts of worship.
Trust in Allah and Inner Peace
Protecting oneself from the evil eye is not only about reciting words. It is a deep state of the heart that knows Allah, relies on Him, accepts His decree, and does not fear creation more than the Creator.
Allah says:
“And if Allah should touch you with adversity, none can remove it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
(Qur’an 10:107)
And He says:
“And whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him.”
(Qur’an 65:3)
Even if a believer is afflicted by the evil eye or any other harm, he knows it is a test from Allah, a means to raise his rank and erase sins, and an opportunity to turn back to Allah. This removes despair and panic and replaces them with patience and hope.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“How amazing is the affair of the believer. All of his affair is good, and that is for no one except the believer. If something good happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If something harmful befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
A Muslim who lives with this understanding does not live in fear of eyes and envy, but in connection with the Lord of all eyes and all hearts. He uses the prophetic protections, guards his tongue and heart from envy, and leaves the outcome to Allah. This is the true safety from the evil eye, in this world and the next.