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| Evil eye and envy in Islam |
One does not need to be in the presence of
the envious person to cast the evil eye and even a blind person can still
direct the evil eye to the person to afflict that person.
According to Islamic tradition, the evil eye
is a reality from two sources: the evil eye from mankind and the evil eye
from Jinn.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah suggested that the
evil eye is like an arrow that comes from the soul of the one that emits the
evil eye toward the one who is envied. According to Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Saalih
al-Uthaymeen, the origin of the evil eye is envy that is because the one
who causes the evil eye has in his heart envy for the servants of Allah and he
does not love any good for anyone.
Envy is a psychological state in which an
individual shows resentment and wishes for the deprivation of a blessing from
another person.
In other words, to want for oneself what
someone else has or possesses. Envy has both positive and negative connotations
in Islamic literature.
Envy that is free from malice is also
referred to as positive desire. However, envy is harmful socially,
psychologically, and spiritually. There are several causes and motives of envy
including enmity, pride, supremacy, fear, love of leadership and authority, and the evil nature of the soul.
The Fatwa of the Scholars of the Permanent
Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’ stated that anyone who casts an evil
eye on another is an envier, but not every envier is necessarily a caster of the
evil eye.
This chapter examines the evil eye from an
Islamic perspective including evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
The effects, signs and symptoms, and issues
and problems relating to evil eye and envy will also be examined.
The evil eye
can be recognized in two ways. They are signs and symptoms that the patient
will express or show through incantation as prescribed in Islam.
Those who
deal with Ruqyah have mentioned some of the symptoms from which it may be known
whether a person has been affected by the evil eye.
They are
not definitive symptoms and may vary from individual to individual. Some
symptoms which might appear while reciting this Ruqya include excruciating
pain in the eye; water flowing from the eyes; and strange itchiness in the
body.
Other symptoms may include pallor of the face,
headaches, sweating and urinating a great deal, weak appetite; tingling, heat
or cold in the limbs, palpitations in the heart, pain in the lower back and
shoulders, sadness and anxiety, insomnia, and many others.
There are
symptoms that have no known organic or medical explanations.
The Muslim
has to protect himself against the evil eye by having strong faith in Allah and by
putting his trust in Him, seeking refuge in Allah, and seeking the blessings of
Allah.
There are
protections from having an evil eye. It is reported that the Prophet used to seek refuge for al-Hasan and al-Husayn
and said: “U’eedhukuma bi kalimat Allah al-tammati min kulli shaytanin wa
hammah wa min kulli ‘aynin lammah (I seek refuge for you both in the perfect
words of Allah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every
evil eye).
Some
misguided Muslims sometimes used non-Islamic ways the protection of evil
eyes.
This may
be due to mistaken cultural beliefs for religious beliefs and acculturations.
These include the use of amulets (Ta’wiz), talismans, touching wood, and beads,
using salt, ‘Hands of Fatima,’ and many other rituals.
Muslims
also hang amulets all over their houses, shops, bodies, cars, and even on
animals and trees, which they believe have powers to protect and cure against
evil, harm and destruction diseases, suffering, and misfortunes.
This is
misleading and against the teaching of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
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