Hadith - Muwatta 50.1
Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Abi Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf heard his father say, "My father, Sahl ibn Hunayf did a ghusl at al-Kharrar. He removed the jubbah he had on while Amir ibn Rabia was watching, and Sahl was a man with beautiful white skin.
Amir said to him, 'I have never seen anything like what I have seen today, not even the skin of a virgin.'
Sahl fell ill on the spot, and his condition grew worse. Somebody went to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and told him that Sahl was ill, and could not go with him. The Messenger of Allah (saw) came to him, and Sahl told him what had happened with Amir.
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, 'Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not say, "May Allah bless you?" (ta baraka-llah) The evil eye is true. Do wudu from it.'
Amir did wudu from it and Sahl went with the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) and there was nothing wrong with him.
Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas:
Hadith - At-Tirmidhi, Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to seek protection against the Jinn and the evil eye till surahs al-Falaq and an-Nas were revealed. After they were revealed he stuck to them and discarded everything beside them.
[Transmitted by Tirmidhi.]
What is El-'Ayn?
Fataawa Esh-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 2/117, 118
Many people suffer unexplained illnesses, break up of marriages, childbirth defects or stillbirths, breakup of communities, failed businesses etc. never understanding why. Many of us in the West are unaware of the harms of Hasad (Envy) or El 'Ayn (the Evil Eye). The 'ulamaa' (scholars) of the El-Lajnah El-Daa'imah (Standing Committee for Islaamic Research) were asked to define al-ayn. They responded with the following:
"The Arabic word El-'Ayn (the 'ayn) 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. Allaah commanded His Prophet, Muhammad (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) to seek refuge with Him from the haasid (envier), as He said:
"And from the evil of the envier when he envies" (El-Falaq 113:5)
Everyone who puts the 'ayn on another is haasid (envious), but not every haasid puts the 'ayn on another. The word haasid (envier) is more general in meaning than the word 'aa'in (one who puts the 'ayn on another), so seeking refuge with Allaah from the one who envies includes seeking refuge with Him from the one who puts the 'ayn on another. The 'ayn is like an arrow which comes from the soul of the one who envies and the one who puts the 'ayn on another towards the one who is envied and on whom the 'ayn 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.
Adapted from Zaad El-Ma'aad by Ibnul-Qayyim (Rahimuhullaah).
There are ahaadeeth from the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) which speak of the effects of the 'ayn. For example it is narrated in Es-Saheehayn that 'Aa'ishah (Radiyallaahu 'anhaa) said: The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) used to tell me to recite ruqyah for protection against the 'ayn.
Muslim, Ahmad and Et-Tirmidhi narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (Radiyallaahu 'anhumaa) that the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) said: "The 'ayn is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the 'ayn. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the 'ayn, you should take a bath." This was classified as saheeh by Et-Tirmidhi, and also by El-Elbaani in Es-Silsilah Es-Saheehah, 1251.
Imaam Ahmad and Et-Tirmidhi (2059), where he classed it as saheeh) narrated that Asma' bint 'Umays said: "O Messenger of Allaah, the children of Ja'far have been afflicted by the 'ayn, shall we recite ruqyah for them?" He said, "Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree it would be the 'ayn." Classified as saheeh by El-Elbaani in Saheeh Et-Tirmidhi.
Abu Dawood narrated that 'Aa'ishah (Radiyallaahu 'anhaa) said: The person who had put the 'ayn on another would be ordered to do wudoo', then the person who had been afflicted would wash himself (with that water). This was classified as saheeh by El-Elbaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Imam Ahmad (Hadeeth #15550), Maalik (Hadeeth #1811), An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Hibbaan narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) came out and traveled with him towards Makkah, until they were in the mountain pass of El-Kharaar in El-Jahfah. There Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl, and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin. 'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah, one of Banu 'Adiyy ibn Ka'b 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 Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) came and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, can you do anything for Sahl, because by Allaah he cannot raise his head." He said, "Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?" They said, " 'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah looked at him." So the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) called 'Aamir 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) 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. Classified as saheeh by El-Elbaani in El-Mishkaat, # 4562.
The majority of 'ulamaa' are of the view that people can indeed be afflicted by the 'ayn, because of the ahaadeeth quoted above and others, and because of the corroborating reports and other evidence.
With regard to the hadeeth, (One third of those who are in the grave are there because of the 'ayn), we do not know how sound it is, but the author of Nayl El-Awtaar said that El-Bazzaar narrated with a hasan isnaad from Jaabir (Radiyallaahu 'anhu) that the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) said:
"Most of those who die among my ummah die because of the will and decree of Allaah, and then because of the 'ayn."
The Muslim has to protect himself against the shayaateen (devils) among the evil jinn and mankind, by having strong faith in Allaah and by putting his trust in Him and seeking refuge with Him and beseeching Him, reciting the prayers for protection narrated from the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem), reciting El-Ma'awwadhatayn [the last two soorahs of the Qur'aan], Soorat El-Ikhlaas, Soorat El-Faatihah, and Aayat El-Kursi.
Du'aa's for protection include the following:
A'oodhu bi kalimaat-illaah il-taammati min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created).
A'oodhu bi kalimaat-illaah il-taammati min ghadabihi wa 'iqaabihi, wa min sharri 'ibaadihi wa min hamazaat esh-shayaateeni wa an yahduroon (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from His wrath and punishment, from the evil of His slaves and from the evil promptings of the devils and from their presence).
And one may recite the words of Allaah:
"Hasbi Allaahu laa ilaaha illa huwa, 'alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rubb ul-'arsh il-'adheem
(Allaah is sufficient for me. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne)" (Et-Towbah 9:129)
And there are other similar du'aa's that are prescribed in sharee'ah. This is what was meant by Ibnul-Qayyim in the words quoted at the beginning of this answer.
If it is known or suspected that a person has been afflicted by the 'ayn, then the one who put the 'ayn on him should be ordered to wash himself for his brother. So a vessel of water should be brought, and he should put his hand in it, rinse out his mouth into the vessel. Then he should wash his face in the vessel, then put his left hand into the vessel and wash his right knee, then put his right hand in the vessel and wash his left knee. Then he should wash inside his garment. Then the water should be poured over the head of the one on whom he put the 'ayn, pouring it from behind in one go. Then he will be healed, by Allaah's leave.
Fataawa El-Lajnah El-Daa'imah lil-Buhooth El-'Ilmiyyah wel-Ifta, 1/186
The Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) said: "The 'ayn is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the 'ayn. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the 'ayn, you should take a bath." Narrated by Muslim. An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah narrated that 'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah passed by Sahl ibn Haneef when he was bathing and he quoted the hadeeth.
Reality confirms that and it cannot be denied.
In the event that you are afflicted by the 'ayn, you should use the treatments recommended in sharee'ah, which are:
1. Reciting ruqyah: The Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) said, "There is no ruqyah except in the case of the 'ayn or fever." Et-Tirmidhi, 2057; Abu Dawood, 3884.
Jibreel used to do ruqyah for the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) and say, "Bismillaahi arqeeka min kulli shay'in yu'dheeka, min sharri kulli nafsin aw 'aynin haasid Allaahu yashfeek, bismillaahi arqeek (In the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you)."
2. Asking the person who has put the 'ayn on another to wash, as the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) commanded 'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah to do in the hadeeth quoted above. Then the water should be poured over the one who has been afflicted.
With regard to taking his waste, such as his urine and stools, there is no basis for doing so; the same applies to taking any of his belongings. Rather what is narrated is that which is mentioned above, washing his limbs and washing inside his garment, or likewise washing inside his headgear and garments. Allaahu 'Alam (And Allaah knows best).
There is nothing wrong with taking precautions against the 'ayn before it happens, and this does not contradict the idea of tawakkul (putting one's trust in Allaah). In fact this is tawakkul, because tawakkul means putting one's trust in Allaah whilst also implementing the means that have been permitted or enjoined. The Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallem) used to seek refuge for El-Hasan and El-Husayn and say: U'eedhukuma bi kalimaat Allaah Et-taammati min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli 'aynin laammah (I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Allaah, from every shaytaan and every poisonous reptile, and from every 'ayn).'" Et-Tirmidhi, 2060; Abu Dawood, 4737. And he would say, "Thus Ibraaheem used to seek refuge with Allaah for Ishaaq and Ismaa'eel, ('Alaihumaa Salaam)." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3371.
