Causes of Evil Eye
- buttharis19999
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
The evil eye is a phenomenon that is best known in Arabs as al-ayn which is the recognition that is highly accepted in Islam and other cultures across the world. It is defined as evil or misfortune attributed to the evil or admiring eye of a person regardless of whether it is inadvertent or deliberate. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has proven the authenticity of the evil eye through a series of prophetic narrations as he said, The evil eye is real. It reveals that it is not a mere superstition but a phenomenon and it is observed in the rules of Islam. Envy is one of the greatest causes of the evil eye and is a feeling that comes about when a person resents another person with his/her blessings, beauty, success and happiness.
Hasad actually is a sickness of the heart, a spiritual ailment, which in addition to its negative effects on the person who is the target of the act, has a spiritual negative influence on the person who practices hasad. In most incidents, individuals themselves might not even be aware that they are being envious, but their mixed feelings of admiration combined with jealous thoughts within themselves may become a cause of the evil eye. Even a well-meaning compliment, which is not completed by uttering the words, MashaAllah (that which Allah has willed) can even unintentionally turn harmful. This is the reason Islam urges its people to never say an unkind thing and to remember to refer to Allah so that they end up causing no harm by mistake.
The second reason behind evil eye is the overexposure of the things that are blessed towards such a person, individuals or on a platform, which can be viewed by others together with their ability to appreciate or envy the same. Nowadays, it is not unusual to share success, prosperity, holidays or even the times of the day with relatives on social media. Nevertheless, this may capture the attention of others including people who could envy them unknowingly or intentionally. The evil eye may occur because of these circumstances especially when one forgets to thank Allah about his good luck or when one fails to consider any possible danger of ostentation.
Self-admiration and pride are also the cause of becoming the subject of the evil eye. When an individual holds about his or her achievements, beauty or possessions braggingly, he or she can receive the ill will of other people. Unlike other religions, humility is a quality that is greatly treasured in Islam and it is always encouraged that the believers always remain humble, even during the times that they are successful. Not getting arrogant and offering thanks to Allah every time he or she gets anything, a person minimizes the risk of being a victim of the evil eye. Moreover, the recognition of the fact that everything good belongs to Allah will help avoid jealousy in other people because it will place concentration on divine design instead of individual worth.
The evil eye is sometimes unintentionally brought about by the people close to us (family members and friends and even parents) due to sheer admiration and love. A father or mother can even give a child the evil eye by admiring the intelligence or beauty of said child without giving words of blessing to said child. This is why it is advisable to utter protective words such as Barak Allahu feel (May Allah bless you) when talking or talking to somebody we love. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) underlined these practices, so the love and praise are not followed by unintentional damage.
The other reason for the evil is the lack of frequent spiritual protection. Those who fail to observe their prayers daily, those that do not recite Quranic verses like Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An Naas or those that do not make morning and evening adhkar might be spiritually weak. They are ways of worship, which act as protective measures against unseen negativity such as evil eye. Thus, the regular communication with Allah and the observation of the prophetic teachings contribute much to the avoidment of the ill effects of the evil eye by everyone who happens to meet with the ill flows of the envy-prone circles continuously or on the other hand, who are quite predictable in the circle of people.
Finally, the causes of the evil eye are different and in most cases, they are based on the emotional and spiritual imbalances like envy, pride, negligence of the protection methods. Even though it is a harm that is not visible, the consequences are still proscribed and cautioned against in Islam. In order not to fall victim to the evil eye and not to inflict it, people should be humble, thankful and remember Allah always. Their blessings should also not be unnecessary and phrases of blessings should be used when admiring other people. Being strong in the relationship with Allah, in searching for his protection on a regular basis is the guarantee of a safe and aware spiritual life.
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