Called as psychokinesis in parapsychology, the evil eye is a kind of casting spell on someone. On many occasions, we cannot keep our eyes off someone or something. Eyes are the easiest and most effective tools in making use of the power of brain or spiritual functions. As the scientists acknowledge, by means of eyes, some sort of hypnosis is done. The snake catches a mouse, bird or other preys this way. It disorders their brain functions by the poisonous rays it sends through its eyes, and in the end the desperate prey pays the cost of catching the eye of the snake with its life.

And the same is valid for the human beings. A person can affect another man with his eye. That some people possess this ability more than others must be something related with their eyes being more transparent. Man can cause harm things or people more quickly when he particularly looks at with jealousy or evil intention. For this reason, if a person looks at something persistently, he is advised to say Maashallah meaning Whatever Allah wishes takes place or Barakallah meaning May Allah bless you.

The hadiths concerning the issue verify the truth of evil eye and point out the precautions to be taken against it. Unlike the assumptions of some people that evil eye is superstition, it is true and present in religion. According to Hadith in Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud narrated by Ibn Abbas, the Prophet said :

"The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny, it would be the influence of an evil eye..." Also in a hadith related by Hazrat Aisha (peace and blessings of Allah be upon her), our Prophet is reported to have said: seek refuge in Allah from the evil eye, it is a fact indeed. Moreover, in Bukahri, Muslim and Abu Davud, Abu Hurayra narrates that the Prophet said: The influence of an evil eye is a fact. (2)

A hadith related in Abu Dawud by Hazrat Aisha mentions about the measures that must be taken by the people who has the evil eye and those whom the evil eye affects. The person with the evileye ordered to perform wudu (ablution), and the man affected by the evil eye is washed with that water. In addition, the 51st and 52nd verses of Chapter The Pen ( Al Qalam) are said to be curative for the evil eye.

The best way to be protected from the evil eye is to offer supplication and behave in compliance with the hadith narrated by Hazrat Aisha . The superstitions such as using blue glass eye, ox horn, horseshoe, garlic and so forth should not be credited. All of them are forbidden in Islam.

(1) Muslim, Salam 42, (2188); Tirmizi, Tibb 19, (2063).
(2) Bukhari, Tibb 36, Libas 86; Muslim, Salam 41, (2187); Abu Dawud, Tibb 15, (3879).
(3) Abu Dawud, Tibb 15, (3880).