This post was originally written on October 5, 2018. I have revised this post a little and added another couple of ayahs we can read to ward off the evil eye that I have learned about. Please share this post with your friends, family, and people you know so that this blog goes viral. You can also follow me on Instagram at @thedraasiyah. Link is at the end of the article as well.
Nazar, as it is most commonly known, the evil eye is something that every Muslim must be aware of. In fact, the evil eye is so bad, that it can cause people to get sick, to prevent them from moving ahead in their life, or even kill them. There is actually a hadith on this. The Prophet (SAW) said that after qadr (Allah SWT’s decree), mostly, the evil eye will kill our ummah. It can affect us negatively in our lives and hurt our livelihood.
What is nazar? If you look at something someone has with a desire or a feeling that may coming from a place of envy or jealousy, you could be giving that person the evil eye, and they will feel the effects of it soon thereafter.
Nazar is real. This is not a made up mythological aspect at all. The Qur’an talks about nazar, and in fact, there are Quranic ayaats and surahs that are specifically for protecting us from the effects of the evil eye. It is so bad, that even jadoo (black magic) is weak next to giving someone the evil eye. As believers, we should never look at something or someone with envy, jealousy or other negative feelings. We should never do anything that can hurt someone through any sort of black magic or even resort to that just because we don’t have what they have.
We need to always be kept aware of the fact that we all have different destinies written for us from Allah SWT. Some of us may have more things than others but it does not mean to be envious or to long for something that may not be meant for us to have in the first place.
The Qur’an mentions the evil eye in several places, with surahs dedicated to the protection of the evil eye, and certain ayaats. To prevent the evil eye, one should make it a habit to read these surahs and ayaats each morning when waking up, and in the evening before going to bed to ward off any evil eye that may have come about during the day.
For women who are on their menses, they are not allowed to read any verses from the Qur’an during that time (and this is in the Hanafi madhab, which is what my family and I predominantly follow for reference as to why I state these things). Allah SWT is Most Merciful and Most Generous, and therefore, to continually protect ourselves from the evil eye and its effects, women can read, during their periods, the first Kalimah Tayyib – la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasoolullah over and over and blow on themselves, Durood/Salawat Ibrahimi (read in abundance and make dua for protection and you will be protected from nazar). They can also read Kalimah Tamjeed – subhanallahi walhamdulillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar; wala hawla wala kuwwata illah billah-hil alayyul azeem in abundance. There is so much virtue to read these consistently throughout the day every day, and in remembrance and zikr of Allah SWT, you will be protected by the evil eye. Even reading Bismillah daily will help with warding off the evil eye and put you under the protection of Allah SWT.
In fact, anyone can read the above supplications of salawat and kalimah. For women who cannot read Quranic ayaats and surahs during that time of the month, this will continue to protect from nazar so long as you continue to read in abundance.
Even reading Bismillah and blowing on one’s self to protect from the harm of others’ nazar can be beneficial.
Side note: I have had a few women tell me that the madhabs they follow (Shafi, Maliki, Hanbali) say it’s okay for them to read Quran on their iPad, or iPhone, and from memorization for prevention of the evil eye, and I need to dig deeper into these schools of thought to verify this as we are told strictly women in their menses cannot touch or read the Quran or memorized ayaats during that time. There are a lot of different thoughts by various imams, muftis and shaikhs about this as some say it’s okay to read for prevention of the evil eye but not for any other reason, or to not read at all until menses (and after birth menses) is over. This confusion should be laid to rest and of course, only Allah SWT knows best – but we have to follow what we have been told by our Prophet (SAW) as per Qur’an and Sunnah. If it is said that women cannot touch, or recite out loud the Qur’an and ayaats, then it’s best to not do it and wait until the menses is over – however other dhikr as I mentioned above is absolutely fine (such as salawat/durood, bismillah, Kalimah, the names of Allah SWT, etc.).
My mufti had told us to read the following three times and blow on ourselves before leaving the house so that any nazar that may come to us from others will not affect us. The verse is “Bismillahi allahumma azhab, harraha wa bardaha wa wasabaha.” A hadith states that when someone was afflicted by the evil eye, the Prophet (SAW) placed his right hand on the chest of this man and recited this verse (Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Hakim and Ad Daa’u wa Dawaa). If you are on your menses, you can still read this and blow on yourself.
Let’s move on to the virtues of Quranic ayaats and surahs that one should consistently read.
Whenever I have been afflicted by the evil eye, and trust me, I see it, feel it and it affects me a LOT, I read Surah Nas, Surah Al-Falaq, Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Kauther, and Salawat Ibrahimi. I also read Ayatul Kursi, which is close to the end of Surah Baqarah (verse 255). Together, reading it as zikr and blowing it on one’s self will help to ward off the evil eye.
There are various surahs in the Qur’an that are meant to protect us from those who are enemies (yes, even frenemies) and our Prophet (SAW) have warned us not to show off, or tell others about good things happening to us to everyone. Even then, we may not say or do anything but the envy or longing of the person toward us or the good that is happening to us can affect us tremendously without our knowledge, causing us physical, emotional and mental ailments.
If I may, I will advise that people don’t post so much of their personal life on social media. I see friends posting about their babies, families, children, and spouses. Later they complain about the bad things that have begun happening to them after they do this. It’s because of the evil eye of others. We don’t know what others think about us and how they feel about us – it is best to keep parts of our lives private as much as possible. Islam teaches us to be humble. We should be careful with our intent on posting photos on social media.
We must protect ourselves from the evil eye of others, and we must also protect our children, and our families from the evilness of those who prey upon us to cause us harm. May Allah SWT protect us from all sorts of fitna.
Please everyone, use social media responsibly, and always ask permission from your friends and others if it is okay to post their photos with you on social media. For those of you who do follow my personal Instagram account, or have friended me on Facebook, you may notice, I do not post pictures of my family at all – I did post a picture of my mom and I once, and my mom was upset at me for doing it and explained why. Therefore, I only post photos of myself, sometimes with friends, or colleagues with their permission and only when it is work, or school related. And even then, I have over 10,000 photos and videos saved in my phone, and don’t post the majority of my photos on social media.
Going back to reading verses, there are many benefits and virtues of reading Surah Al-Nas, Surah Al-Falaq, Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Kauther, Ayatul Kursi, and Durood/Salawat Ibrahimi. Also, another ayat in the Quran are the last two ayats of Surah Qalam – Ayah 51 and 52. Finally, reading the first ayah of Surah Baqarah and the last ayah along with Surah Kauther 3 times will help you to ward off even the most brutal evil eye you have been afflicted with.
Surah Al-Falaq literally is a dua for us to ask Allah SWT to protect us from the evilness of others, from the darkness of evil as it spreads, from those who envy us and practice envy, and to protect us from the effects of black magic.
Surah Al-Nas is the another dua in which we ask Allah SWT to protect us from the whispers of the Shayateen, to protect us from those who whisper into the hearts of Jinn and Mankind. It is to protect us from the evils of others (the evil eye), and the evil of the Shayateen from leading us astray.
Reading Surah Al-Ikhlas is full of virtues and benefits. However, I will focus on the other virtues and benefits in another blog post about this.
Surah Al-Ikhlas talks about the Oneness of Allah SWT, and for us to read to remember that Allah SWT is One, He does not have the need for anything and is the one who provides for what we need. He is not begot, nor is He begotten – this means Allah SWT was not born to any other being, and He does not have anyone equivalent to Him. There is none comparable to Him.
Reading these three Quls together, with Durood/Salawat Ibrahimi before and after, the blowing on one’s self and making sincere dua to Allah SWT to protect us from the evil eye of others will help us immensely with protecting us, and if any evil eye has been afflicted, it will go away from reading this constantly.
In a hadith, our Prophet (SAW) has said that we should recite the Quls thrice in the morning and thrice in the evening. Read them and the other surahs and ayaats I’ve mentioned consistently. You will notice that if you are afflicted with nazar, you will start to feel better. If you’ve had unexplainable aches, and pains in your body, or a sickness that a doctor is unable to detect, or you don’t feel well, it’s usually due to the affects of the evil eye. As soon as you start to feel anything, start reciting the quls, durood/salawat, and the other surahs mentioned here to begin warding off nazar.
Let me also explain the virtues of Surah Al-Kauther and why this Surah should also be read for warding off the evil eye.
This surah was revealed during the time that the Prophet (SAW) was going through difficult times with the Quraysh clan who were mocking him for not having living male offspring. The Quraysh clan cut the Prophet (SAW) off from them and from the honor that he (SAW) once had. They were hurting those who accepted Islam and the Oneness of Allah SWT. However, this surah was revealed to let our Prophet (SAW) know of his (SAW) rank in Jannat, and of the numerous blessings and barakat and the fountain of Kauther which would be given to our Prophet (SAW) during the Day of Judgment. Those who mocked him would themselves, have nothing remaining of them and would be cut off from the goodness they could have received had they accepted Allah SWT as their Lord and the Prophet (SAW) as their messenger.
Reading this surah along with the quls mentioned above wards off the evil eye. The surah itself talks about the enemies being cut off from their rank. The person who looks at us with jealousy and hatred is one who would be cut off from blessings because of their negative feelings toward us. Read this surah along with durood/salawat before and after, and do dhikr of this surah even if it’s only a few times. Allah SWT protects those who seek His protection from the evil eye, and it is He who knows best.
Surah Al-Fatiha is another one to read along with the quls and other surahs mentioned in this blog. We read this surah during our five prayers, and I find myself reading this during dua. It is a dua in itself that Allah SWT guide us and not lead us astray from his path. Therefore, reading this with the other surahs not only helps us to ward off nazar, but also provides us the guidance we need to help us continue on the right path.
Surah Al-Fatiha is the guidance – the Qur’an is the answer of Surah Al-Fatiha and the guide of which this prayer is asking for.
Finally, Ayatul Kursi – this is verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqarah and is a blessing for mankind to read. Why? Because this ayat reveals the virtues and beautiful attributes of Allah SWT. There is no God but Allah SWT, and everything belongs to Him. He does not sleep, and He knows everything before and behind them. No one can intercede Him without His permission. His chair (kursi) is larger than the heavens and earth combined and guarding both does not tire Him. Allah SWT is the Supreme, the Ever Lasting, and the Exalted – the Glorious.
Reading Ayatul Kursi each night before sleeping protects one from the evils of Shayateen – an angel is appointed to watch over the one who reads this ayat. Similarly, in the morning if one reads this ayat, they are protected all throughout the day. These are coming from hadith from Sahih Bukhari. Read this with the quls and the other surahs every day to protect yourself from the evil eye.
We should also be aware of our feelings toward others. If we find ourselves feeling any type of jealousy toward someone when we hear of their good news or if something good happens to them, we need to check into ourselves. Why do we feel this way? What can we do to stop feeling envious of someone’s good fortune? Immediately begin praying, and make dua for the person you may feel any envy for. Make dua that this person continues receiving good blessings and barakah from Allah SWT, and that you also receive barakat and blessings so you also receive good fortune from others.
The best thing that we can do in everything is to make dua, to pray for ourselves, and for others to avoid giving the evil eye. Where we know someone has given us the evil eye, Allah SWT has provided the cure for us and we should continue to read the surahs and ayats given to us to protect us from those who are envious of us.
Jealousy and envy does not have to be for a specific reason. Unfortunately, even small things can elicit envy within someone. For this reason, keep your good news to yourself and only share with those who you know will be happy for you and make dua for you. Before leaving the house, and entering, read the quls, the above mentioned ayaats, surahs, and kalimahs.
The Qur’an is not only a guidance for us, but it is a way of life, and it is a book of healing.
Please share this blog if you enjoyed reading it and you received some good from it. If you want to follow my personal Instagram and you aren’t already, it is @thedraasiyah. I post things I’m working on or doing, or personal photos with friends mostly. On another note, I do not add anyone to my personal Facebook account (sorry for those of you who have requested to add me there). However, feel free to message me directly through Instagram. Jazakallah khair!
-Dr. Aasiyah N. Ghazi