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Ruqya

EVIL EYE AND ENVY(AYN & HASAD)

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

⚫ THE CONCEPT OF THE EVIL EYE (AYN)

A person who afflicts others by the evil eye is known as ❝Al-Aa’in❞ and a person affected by the evil eye is called ❝Al-Ma’yoon.❞

Imam ibn Al Qayyim (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) said in his book Zaad al Ma’ad:

❝It is the arrow that is taken out from the soul of the envious individual, the one who causes the affliction of the evil eye, and then it is fired upon the subject of the evil eye. This individual can be affected sometimes and manage to escape it at other times.

If one encounters this and is exposed to it then there will be no protection from its effect, however, it then becomes imperative if one encounters this to take care and prepare themselves with the best defence and not allow it to be implanted upon them.

It is in this manner that a person can protect themselves from the envious individual and not be affected by them. Sometimes these arrows return to the one to whom they belong and this archery makes the envious individual feel the same negativity in his life as the negativity he tried to push on the subject.❞

Allah (ﷻ) says:

❝And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message and they say; ‘Indeed, he is mad.’❞ 

[Al-Qalam: 51]

Imam ibn Katheer (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) uses this verse as evidence to show that the evil eye is real and that it has the ability to affect people since Allah (ﷻ) mentions ‘those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message.‘

An incident which is narrated from the time of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) saw the Quraish ask some people who were known to give the evil eye to another person which could cause illness, death or some other effect to put it on the Prophet (ﷺ).

However, Allah (ﷻ) protected the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) from those who were intent on destroying him with Ayn.

Imam ibnul Qayyim (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) mentioned in his book Zaad al Ma’ad that some people have denied the effects of Ayn; he describes these people as arrogant with no knowledge.

According to some scholars, the concept of affecting a person with the evil eye (Ayn) can be likened to the effect when a person walks into a room and they feel embarrassment or shyness due to people looking at them, perhaps causing the face to change colour.

Another example could be when someone sees someone they fear and they become pale in the face.

Imam ibnul Qayyim (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) describes it as a physical or spiritual effect that leaves the eye and affects the human being.

⚫ THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVIL EYE (AYN)

There are different types of Evil Eye which a person can become afflicted with. They are:

‎(العين) Ayn – The eye from someone who may love or know you and not have evil intentions towards you.

‎(الحســـد) Hasad – The envious eye from someone who hates or dislikes you or something you have but wants it removed from you.

‎(النفس) Nafs – The admiring eye which a person can put on themselves.

‎(النظرة) Nathara – The evil eye which comes from the Jinn.

Evidence for the different types of Evil Eye (Ayn)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake Qadr (divine decree), it would have been the evil eye.❞ 

This alludes to the speed of the evil eye and expresses that if anything was to overtake the decree of Allah (ﷻ) it would have been the evil eye, i.e. in its speed.

▪Hasad

Iblees envied Adam (عليه السلام) as he disliked his creation and the fact he was ordered to prostrate to him. He thought he was better because he was made from fire and Adam (عليه السلام) was created from clay.

Therefore it was only envy which pushed iblees to transgress and disobey the order of Allah (ﷻ).

▪Nafs

The Prophet (ﷺ) said; ❝Whoever among you sees something in himself or in his possessions or in his brother that he likes, let him pray for blessings for it because the evil eye is real.❞

[Narrated by Ibn al-Sunni, ]

▪Nathara

This originates from the evil eye of a Jinn.

The evidence for this is the narration of Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) who said the Prophet (ﷺ) saw in her house a slave girl with discolouration on her face so he (ﷺ) said: ❝Perform Ruqyah for her, for she has been afflicted by the eye of a Jinn.❞

From the above, we see that the Evil eye can be given by a human or by a Jinn. It is also known that animals can give the evil eye too when they look at something.

There are many stories and encounters concerning this and Allah (ﷻ) knows best.

⚫ EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF ENVY (HASAD)

Allah (ﷻ) says:

❝Many of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth has become manifest unto them (i.e that Muhammad (ﷺ) is Allah’s Messenger).❞

[Al-Baqarah: 109]

Allah (ﷻ) also says: ❝Or do they envy people (i.e. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his followers) for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Ibraheem the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.❞ [An-Nisa: 54]

Allah (ﷻ) also says:

❝And from the evil of the envier when he envies.❞ (Al-Falaq: 5)

⚫ THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EVIL EYE AND ENVY.

The Evil eye (in Arabic: Ayn, in Urdu: Nathara) is an illness which some people (not everyone) carry.

It entails looking at a blessing that someone has within themselves or from that which they possess from worldly possessions with amazement or liking it. This then leads to dwelling on the matter, continually looking at the person who has the thing which he feels jealous towards and subsequently leading to an attack described as rays emitting from a person’s eyes (and their soul) and subsequently affecting him physically/mentally causing him to become ill. One doesn’t need to physically look at someone to give them the evil eye, even a blind person can give the evil eye. One can even give the evil eye merely by listening to the description of a person’s blessings.

[Zaad Al Ma’ad: volume 4 page 149]

The evil eye is like an arrow which comes from the soul of the one who envies the one who is envied and on whom the evil eye 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.

[Extracted from Zaad Al Ma’ad]

According to Shaykh Khalid Al-Hibshi (حفظه الله) it is something evil that comes out of the soul and then attacks the person.

Allah (ﷻ) himself commanded the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to seek refuge with Him from the envier.

He (ﷻ) said (interpretation of the meaning):

❝And from the evil of the envier when he envies.❞

(Al-Falaq: 5)

Allah (ﷻ) says in another verse (interpretation of the meaning):

❝And verily those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred).❞

(Al-Qalam: 51)

In a Hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), it says;

❝A’odhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taamah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli a’ynin laammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah, from every devil and vermin and from every envious eye).❞

[Bukhari – 3191]

The meaning of ❝vermin❞ (haammah) is lethally poisonous animals and insects.

The meaning of ❝envious❞ (laammah) is that which causes harm because of jealousy (i.e hasad).

The word ❝Haasid❞ (envier) is more general in meaning than the word Ayn (one who puts the evil eye on another).

The scholars disagreed over whether or not the evil eye is restricted only to jealousy, whilst agreeing that not every jealous person gives the evil eye.

The difference of opinion follows:

1• One group said; ❝Everyone who gives the evil eye is jealous but not every jealous person gives the evil eye.❞ This is the Fatwa of the Permanent Committee for Research and Ifta’ in Saudi Arabia.

2• Another group said: ❝Not everyone who gives the evil eye is jealous and not every jealous person gives the evil eye.❞

This is the opinion of a group of scholars.

The evidence for this is that Ayn can even be given to yourself, your own children and even when joking.

The evidence for this comes from the following Hadith:

❝Whoever among you sees something in himself or in his possessions or in his brother that he likes, let him pray for blessings for it because the evil eye is real.❞

[Ibn al-Sunni in A’mal al-Yawm wal-Laylah, page 168; Al-Haakim]

This Hadith explains that a person may harm himself, his wealth, his children, his wife etc by the evil eye.

⚫ EVIDENCE IN THE QUR’AN.

Allah (ﷻ) says:

❝Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves even after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allah delivers His command. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.❞

[Al-Baqarah: 109]

❝Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.❞

[An-Nisa: 54]

❝And from the evil of the envier when he envies.❞

[Al-Falaq: 5)

Various steps leading to envy:

1• Enmity

2• Supremacy

3• Pride

4• Wonder

5• Fear

6• Love of authority

⚫ ENVY IS OF VARYING DEGREES.

1 – A person wants the blessing to be taken away from his Muslim brother/sister even if it does not come to him; rather he does not like Allah (ﷻ) to bless anyone else as that upsets him/her.

This person may actively work to remove the bounty from another person without necessarily destroying the bounty itself.

He may do this with his speech or actions and may do whatever it takes to bring an end to the blessing from the envied person.

2 – Where a person wants a blessing to be taken away from someone else because he hopes that it will come to him. This person does not just seek to remove that bounty from another person but also works to get the bounty for himself.

3 – Where he wishes for himself a blessing like that which someone else has without wanting it to be taken away from the other person.

This is permissible and is not called hasad rather it is called ❝Ghibtah❞ (envy that is free from malice).

The worst are those who simply wish to destroy the bounty regardless of whether they themselves get it or if it is simply destroyed. They only want to destroy that blessing because it was not given to them in the first place. Then there are those who cannot remove the feeling of envy from their souls. They cannot control it but they do not like it and they wish they could remove it from themselves. Those people, Allah willing, are not sinful for their state that they cannot control. People who have Hasad sometimes don’t know that they have hate towards others. They are in denial to themselves but their actions and speech are obvious to others.

Hasad (Envy) needs to be rectified by a person looking into their soul.

Umar (رضي الله عنه) said;

❝Bring yourselves to account before you are brought to account. Don’t become superstitious or paranoid but get in touch with your soul and purify it as the soul is the doorway to your heart. The soul and heart are interconnected with each other, therefore if one is corrupted the other will be corrupted. The soul is like a child that wants to indulge in pleasure all the time. Your brain tells the soul what’s right and wrong. The heart feeds off whatever the soul indulges in and gets affected by whatever the brain tells it to do. Once a person taps into this then he becomes someone who is in control. Hasad (destructive jealousy) causes a great deal of harm in this world and in the Hereafter.❞

Narrated from Az-Zubayr ibn al-A’waam (رضي الله عنه),

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝There has come to you a disease of the nations before you, jealousy and hatred. This is the ‘shaver’ (destroyer); I do not say that it shaves hair but that it shaves (i.e destroys) faith. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you that which will strengthen the love between you? Spread the greetings of peace amongst yourselves.❞

[Tirmidhi, 2434]

Concerning the meaning of the phrase ❝it shaves (destroys) faith❞,

At-Tayyibi (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) said:

❝Hatred takes away faith like a razor takes away hair.❞

[Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi bi Sharh Jaami’ al-Tirmidhi]

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) said in his book Amraad al-Quloob: (diseases of the Heart)

❝Whoever finds in himself any hasad towards another has to try to neutralise it by means of attaining taqwa (piety, the consciousness of Allah ﷻ) and Sabr (patience).

He should hate that the feeling of hasad is in himself. But the one who does wrong to his brother by word or deed will be punished for that.

However, the one who fears Allah (ﷻ) and is patient is not included among the wrongdoers and Allah (ﷻ) will benefit him through his taqwa.

Nobody is free from hasad, but the noble person hides it whilst the base person shows it.❞

A person will not be brought to account for whatever crosses his mind but he will be brought to account for what he says and does.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝Allah will forgive my nation for their mistakes, what they forget and what they are forced to do (through coercion).❞

[Bukhari – 2033]

The envious that doesn’t try to remove the envy from his own heart, there is a difference of opinion on whether this type of person is sinful or not.

According to Ibn Rajab (ﺭﺣﻤﻪﺍﻟﻠﻪ) those that remove hasad from their hearts, pray for the person whom they have hasad towards and tell others of their goodness, they remove the hasad so much so they begin to love the person and love that Allah (ﷻ) has bestowed them with this bounty.

These people are amongst the highest level of faith as they love for their brother what they love for themselves and this is what everyone should strive for.

⚫ HADITH RELATED TO THE EVIL EYE.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

❝The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake Qadr (divine decree), it would have been the evil eye.❞

This alludes to the speed of the evil eye and expresses that if anything was to overtake the decree of Allah (ﷻ) it would have been the evil eye, i.e. in its speed.

Narrated from Abdullah Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), he said;

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

❝The evil eye is real and can bring down a person from a high mountain.❞ 

[Sahih al Jami’ 4146]

What is meant here is that the evil eye follows a person by Allah (ﷻ)’s will until it causes him to fall from a mountain.

Another understanding is that Ayn is so powerful it could bring down the highest mountain. We must therefore really consider the effects it can have on the human body.

Narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (ﷺ) came out and travelled with him towards Makkah until they were in the mountain pass of Al-Kharar in Al-Jahfah.

There Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl (bathed), and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin.

Amir ibn Rabee’ah, one of Banu Adiyy ibn K’ab looked at him whilst he was doing ghusl and said;

❝I have never seen such skin as beautiful as this, not even the skin of a virgin,❞ upon those words Sahl fell to the ground.

They went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said;

❝O Messenger of Allah, can you do anything for Sahl because by Allah he cannot raise his head.❞ He said, ❝Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?❞ They said; ❝Amir ibn Rabee’ah looked at him.❞ So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called Amir and rebuked him strongly.

He said; ❝Why would one of you kill his brother? If you see something that you like, then pray for blessings 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 (i.e. Sahl) 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.

[Ahmad, Malik, An-Nasai’ and Ibn Hibban. Classed as saheeh (authentic) by al-Albani in Al-Mishkat]

In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) came out and travelled towards Makkah, until they were in the mountain pass of Al-Kharaar in al-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,❞ thereupon Sahl fell to the ground.

They went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said;

❝O Messenger of Allah, can you do anything for Sahl because by Allah 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 Allah (ﷺ) 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 blessings for him (saying TabarakAllah)❞ Then he said to him, ❝Wash yourself for him.❞

So he (Aamir) 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 (Sahl, 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, after which there was nothing wrong with him.

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:

❝The influence of the evil eye is a fact. If anything were to precede the divine decree it would have been the influence of an evil eye. Therefore when you are asked to take a bath (as a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath.❞

[Sahih Muslim Hadith 5427]

Therefore the person who has been afflicted by Ayn should try to get the water of the person who has afflicted him and bathe with it.

Narrated by Umm Salaamah (رضي الله عنها)

The Prophet (ﷺ) once saw a young girl who had a certain expression on her face, so He said;

❝Seek an Islamic formula for her because she is touched by the evil eye.❞ 

[Bukhari]

⚫ THE EFFECTS OF THE EVIL EYE.

Shaikh Khalid Al-Hibshi (حفظه الله) says that Ayn has a tremendous amount of power. It has an influence in all areas of a person’s life, whether religious affairs, worldly affairs, as well as moral characteristics etc.

Some of the effects are summarised below:

• Effect on the minds: IQ, wit, memory, ability to focus, understanding and assimilation.

• Effect on the livelihood: Wealth, income, provisions etc.

• Effect on beauty: hair, face, skin colour, the body etc.

• Effect on religion: worship, humility, character, integrity etc.

• Effect on a person’s morality: modesty, truthfulness, courage, good characteristics etc.

• Effect on marital and family life: happiness, pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriages, raising and loving children, discord etc.

• Effect on ages: longevity, age relative to appearance, death, etc.

• Effect on the body: power, speed and activity, health and wellness, skills etc.

• Effect on livestock: camels, bringing down birds from the sky etc.

• Effects on nature: plants, trees and fruits, damage, burns, ripeness, shrivel and die etc.

• Effect on inanimate objects: cars, all kinds of devices, gold, women’s cosmetic application or products.

⚫ EVIDENCE FROM THE SUNNAH.

Narrated by the freed slave of Az-Zubayr (رضي الله عنه) he said the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

❝The disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread amongst you; jealousy and hatred. This is the ‘shaver’ (destroyer). I do not say that it shaves hair but rather that it shaves (destroys) faith. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of that which will strengthen love between you? Spread the greetings of peace amongst yourselves.❞ 

[Tirmidhi]

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

❝My nation will be stricken with the disease of the other nations.❞ 

They said: ❝What is the disease of the other nations?❞ 

He (ﷺ) said:

❝Insolence, arrogance, accumulation of wealth, competition in worldly gains, mutual hatred and envy until there will be wrongdoing and then killing.❞ 

⚫ SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS – EVIL EYE AND ENVY.

• Constant yawning without wanting sleep.

• Constant burping without eating.

• Symptoms increase when reading or listening to the Qur’an.

• Itching when the person afflicted carries out an act for which the evil eye has been given, For example, if the evil eye has been given because of a person’s wealth, they will start itching when they come into contact with money.

• The appearance of spots and boils on the body/face.

• Hot and cold flushes for no reason.

• Tight chested.

• Tiredness/Laziness.

• Insomnia.

• Waswasah. (constant whispering)

• Putting on weight without necessarily eating more.

• Cases of Cancer.

• Some cases of Psychological conditions such as delusion and fear.

• Forgetfulness and sleepiness while doing studying, reading Quran or going to school etc.

• Headaches.

• Allergies, rhinitis and sinusitis.

• Sneezing a lot for no reason.

• Cold/ flu.

• Hair Loss.

• Darkening under the eyes.

• Becoming pale.

• Permanent headaches.

• Spots under the skin.

• Pains at the mouth of the stomach which doctors cannot explain.

• The desire to get out of the house or hatred in staying indoors.

• The feeling of death and despair.

• Seeing dead people in your sleep, lizards or cats.

• To see people who have given you the evil eye looking at you in a strange and scary way.

• Physical ailments which doctors cannot explain and going from one problem to another.

• Seeing ants in the house.

• Children crying constantly for no reason.

And Ultimately Allah (ﷻ) knows best!

⚫  Explanation in detail about Evil Eye and Envy By Shaikh Khalid Al-Hibshi;

Part 1;

https://youtu.be/drAVQPaHE7k

Part 2;

https://youtu.be/FvUMk3hafEk

Categories
Ruqya

The Magician’s Plot

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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These are notes from the above course delivered in Manchester, 2nd April 2017. As they are notes please excuse the lack of references and brevity. Any corrections, please feel free to comment below. JazakAllah Khayran.

Intro – Brother Jalal ibn Sa’eed (London)

“Do not put your sin above Allah.” Sometimes we sin and think our sin is unforgivable. Ask Allah for forgiveness and Allah will forgive you.

Allah tests us in different ways, the greater the trial the greater the reward.

It was narrated from Mus’ab bin Sa’d RA that his father, Sa’d bin Abu Waqqas RA, said:

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which people are most severely tested?’ He said: ‘The Prophets ﷺ, then the next best and the next best. A person is tested according to his religious commitment. If he is steadfast in his religious commitment, he will be tested more severely, and if he is frail in his religious commitment, his test will be according to his commitment. Trials will continue to afflict a person until they leave him walking on the earth with no sin on him.’” (Ibn Majah)

 

“Sihr” comes from the root word “Suhoor”, which mean darkness. The whole aspect of magic it’s just a jinn, to scare you and make you think they can do something supernatural. The truth is, nothing is supernatural – only Allah is supernatural ‘La Hawla Wa La Quwwata Illa Billah’ (There is no power or might except with Allah).

Even the Prophet had Sihr (black magic). His enemies got the most powerful sorcerer. The effect of it was He kept thinking he needed to do ghusl. It was done by a Jewish man Labeed ibn A’sam, who took hair from the comb of the Prophet and date skin from a tree. Eventually, they found the well which had date-palms like the devil’s horns. (I have found the full hadith below)

Narrated Aishah RA: Magic was worked on Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) so that he used to think that he had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not (Sufyan said: That is the hardest kind of magic as it has such an effect). Then one day he said, “O `Aishah do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I asked Him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other sat near my feet. The one near my head asked the other. What is wrong with this man?’ The latter replied he is under the effect of magic The first one asked, Who has worked magic on him?’ The other replied Labid bin Al-A’sam, a man from Bani Zuraiq who was an ally of the Jews and was a hypocrite.’ The first one asked, what material did he use)?’ The other replied, ‘A comb and the hair stuck to it.’ The first one asked, ‘Where (is that)?’ The other replied. ‘In a skin of pollen of a male date palm tree kept under a stone in the well of Dharwan’ ” So the Prophet (ﷺ) went to that well and took out those things and said “That was the well which was shown to me (in a dream) Its water looked like the infusion of Henna leaves and its date-palm trees looked like the heads of devils.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “Then that thing was taken out’ I said (to the Prophet (ﷺ) ) “Why do you not treat yourself with Nashra?” He said, “Allah has cured me; I dislike to let evil spread among my people.” (Bukhari)

 

Please remember, whomsoever Allah loves the most, He SWT will test him.

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik RA that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath.” (Ibn Majah)

Shaykh Khalid Hibshi (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

The first thing we must understand is Tawheed, the Oneness of Allah SWT. Allah controls everything and is the Master of everything. Nothing can happen without His approval and nothing is out of His control.

We wish we could live in ease, in comfort. There would be no jealousy, no hatred, no enmity. But the truth is besides that. Iblis has promised to destroy us.

When we were born, Shaytan poked us until we cried. Hadith says, “There is no baby except that the Shaytan pokes it when it is born, so it screams from the Shaytan’s poke, except for Ibn Maryam and his mother.” (Bukhari)

The Prophet taught us how to protect ourselves at certain times; whilst eating;

The phrase that is prescribed for mentioning Allah when eating is to say “Bismillah” (In the name of Allah), because of the report narrated by ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Prophet said: “When one of you eats some food, let him say Bismillah, and if he forgets to do so at the beginning, let him say Bismillah fi awwalihi wa aakhirihi (In the name of Allah at the beginning and end). Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 1781.

whilst drinking;

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah RA reports that Rasulullah ﷺ would drink in three breaths. When he would lift the cup to his mouth, he would say ‘Bismillah’ and when completed [the sip], he would say ‘Alhamdulillah’. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam) would do this thrice. (Al Mu’jamul Awsat of Imam Tabarani, Hadith: 844. Declared sound Hasan by Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Fathul Bari, under Hadith: 5631. Also see Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 5 pg, 81 and Al Futuhatur Rabbaniyyah, vol. 5 pg. 240/241)

whilst going to the toilet:

Narrated Anas RA: Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) went to answer the call of nature, he used to say, “Allah-umma inni a`udhu bika minal Khubuthi wal Khaba’ith” i.e. O Allah, I seek Refuge with You from all offensive and wicked things (evil deeds and evil spirits). (Bukhari)

 

and when going to sleep, as well as during intercourse;

“Recite بِسْمِ اللَّهِ Bismillah (In the name of Allah) before closing the doors of the house, before covering utensils with food in them, switch off or turn off fires, light etc.” [Bukhari] “If one cannot find anything with which to cover the utensil then one should place a stick across the top of the utensil. [Muslim]

“Before climbing into bed, dust the bed thrice with the corner of your clothes.” [Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]

“To make Miswak before retiring to bed even if one has already made it for Isha prayer.” [Kitabut Tahaarah and Sunnats]

“To sleep in a state of Wudhu.” [Tabarani, Hakim, Abu Dawood]

“To sleep on the Right, facing the Qibla with the right hand underneath the head like a pillow and with the knees slightly bent.” [Bukhari]

It was narrated from Aa’ishah RA that when the Prophet (ﷺ) went to bed every night, he would hold his hands together and blow into them, and recite into them Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, Qul a’oodhu bi rabb il-falaq and Qul a’oodhu bi rabb il-naas. Then he would wipe them over whatever he could of his body, starting with his head and face and the front of his body, and he would do that three times. [Bukhari]

If afraid to go to sleep or feeling lonely or depressed then recite:
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ، وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ

A’oothu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaati min ghadhabihi wa ‘iqaabihi, wa sharri ‘ibaadihi, wa min hamazaatish-shayaateeni wa ‘an yahdhuroon.

I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of Allah from His anger and His punishment, from the evil of His slaves and from the taunts of devils and from their presence. [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]

Narrated Ibn `Abbas RA:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If anyone of you, when having sexual intercourse with his wife, says: Bismillah, Allahumma jannibni-Sh-Shaitan wa jannib-ish-Shaitan ma razaqtana, and if it is destined that they should have a child, then Satan will never be able to harm him.” [NB: Please recite before removing clothes, as we shouldn’t take the name of Allah unclothed].

 

Even when we are praying Salah Shaytan whispers. One of the Sahabah RA complained to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about waswaas (satanic whispers) during prayer, and he ﷺ said: “The Shaytan comes between me and my prayers and my recitation, confusing me therein.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “That is a devil called Khanzab. If he affects you seek refuge in Allah from him and spit drily to your left three times.” He [the Sahabi] said, I did that and Allah took him away from me. (Narrated by Muslim, 2203)

He makes us think we have broken our Wudhu when we haven’t. Repeating Wudu again and again due to doubts is the result of falling into satanic whispers. It is action driven by a negative thought. Wudhu does not break on mere doubts and this rule is very clear from the Ahadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: Abu Hurairah رضى الله عنه narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “If one of you finds a disturbance in his abdomen and is not certain if he has released any gas or not, he should not leave the mosque unless he hears its sound or smells its scent.” (Sahih Muslim)

Ibn al-Mubarak RH, “If one is uncertain about his condition of purity, he does not need to perform a new ablution.”

(Shaykh Khalid said)… If I were to ask you, put your hands up if Shaytan walked into this room, you would get scared? Many of us would. Whereas we should only fear Allah SWT. Some of us fear the creation so much if a mouse came we would run for miles.

Have we forgotten, Iblis and his army stood shoulder to shoulder on the Day of Badr. Whilst the Muslims stood with the angels, so Iblis got scared.

And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, “No one can overcome you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector.” But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, “Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see; indeed I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in penalty.” (8:48)

Once the Prophet  started praying Salah, he stepped forward and backwards. Again, forward and backwards, then he  took his blessed hand out. After Salah, he  asked Sahabah RA, “Did you see me move forward and backwards?” They replied, “Yes!” It was Shaytan and he had a fire with which he tried to harm me, so I strangled him.

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Last night a big demon (afreet) from the Jinns came to me and wanted to interrupt my prayers (or said something similar) but Allah enabled me to overpower him. I wanted to fasten him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that all of you could see him in the morning but I remembered the statement of my brother Solomon (as stated in Quran): My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to anybody after me (38.35).” The sub-narrator Rauh said, “He (the demon) was dismissed humiliated.”

 

Many of the Salaf had Sihr upon them.

Abu Sulaiman Darami RH says, “I would stand at night in prayer. Shaytan would come in the form of a snake. Sometimes he would come up my Thawb (garment).”

The teacher of Imam Bukhari RH, Yahya ibn Ma’een RH would recite Ayatul Kursiyy 5 times when he entered his house. Even though there is no Hadith to endorse this, but he would pray it every time he entered his house. Until he would hear a voice say, “That’s enough!” (One narration says 50 times).

Imam Malik RH related to me from Safiyy RA, the mawla of Ibn Aflah RA that Abu’s-Saib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhra RA said, “I went to Abu Saeed al-Khudri RA and found him praying. I sat to wait for him until he finished the prayer. I heard a movement under a bed in his room, and it was a snake. I stood up to kill it, and Abu Saeed gestured to me to sit. When he was finished he pointed to a room in the house and said, ‘Do you see this room?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘There was a young boy in it who had just got married. He went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to al-Khandaq, (the ditch which the Muslims dug in the 5th year of the Hijra to defend Madina against the Quraysh and their allies).

When he was there, the youth came and asked his permission, saying, “Messenger of Allah. Give me permission to return to my family.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him permission and said, “Take your weapons with you, for I fear the Banu Quraydha tribe. They may harm you.” The youth went to his family and found his wife standing between the two doors. He lifted his spear to stab her as jealousy had been aroused in him. She said, “Don’t be hasty until you go in and see what is in your house.” He entered and found a snake coiled up on his bed. He transfixed it with his spear and then went out with it and pitched it into the house. The snake stirred on the end of the spear and the youth fell dead. No one knew which of them died first, the snake or the youth. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, “There are Jinn in Madinah who have become Muslim. When you see one of them, call out to it for three days. If it appears after that, then kill it, for it is a Shaytan.” “‘

This is the reason the Prophet ﷺ forbade us from urinating in holes. As Jinn/snakes can reside there. If you harm them, they may take revenge. Narrated Abdullah ibn Sarjis RA:

“The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited to urinate in a hole.” (Abu Dawud)

Qatadah RH (a narrator) was asked about the reason for the disapproval of urinating in a hole. He replied: It is said that these (holes) are the habitats of the jinn.

These events are present in today’s day and age. One of the greatest things the Shaykh has seen was: A person had a car accident, he was taken to the hospital immediately. Whilst in hospital, the Jinn spoke from inside him, “He has harmed me! He ran me over in his car! So I took revenge!”

It is very important to read morning and evening Duas.

Read Bismillah before we do anything, the Hadith says:

Abu Hurayrah RA: The Messenger of Allah said: “Every important word or matter that does not being with the remembrance of Allah is maimed.” Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (14/329)

 

Imam Ahmad also recorded in his Musnad, that a person who was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ said, “The Prophet’s ﷺ animal tripped, so I said, `Cursed Shaytan.’ The Prophet said, “Do not say, ‘Cursed Shaytan,’ for if you say these words, Satan becomes arrogant and says, ‘With my strength I made him fall.’ When you say, ‘Bismillah,’ Satan will become as small as a fly.”

Also, the Bismillah is recommended before eating, for Muslim recorded in his Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to `Umar bin Abi Salamah while he was a child under his care,

“Say Bismillah, eat with your right hand and eat from whatever is next to you.”

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If one says when eating, Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem, that is good and more perfect. End quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/480

Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is more important to note the phrase to be used when mentioning the name of Allah. … The best is to say Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem, but if one says Bismillah, that is sufficient and fulfils the Sunnah. End quote from al-Adhkaar, 1/231

Ali bin Abi Talib RA narrated that: the Messenger of Allah said: “The screen between the eyes of the jinns and nakedness of the children of Adam when one of you enters the area of relieving oneself is saying: ‘Bismillah.'” (Tirmidhi)

I would like to add another Sunnah, it was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“When the wings of the night spread – or when evening comes – keep your children in, for the devils come out at that time. Then when part of the night has passed, let them go. And close the doors and mention the name of Allah, for the Shaytan does not open a closed door. And tie up your waterskins and mention the name of Allah, and cover your vessels and mention the name of Allah, even if you only put something over them, and extinguish your lamps.”  Narrated by Bukhari (3280) and Muslim (2012). A version narrated by Muslim says: “Cover vessels, tie up waterskins, close doors and extinguish lamps, for the Shaytan does not undo waterskins or open doors or uncover vessels.” 

 

“And from the evil of the envier when he envies.” [113:5]

We need to avoid evil eye and evil glances. Nowadays, the mobile phone can take you to those places. Even if you don’t go yourself. You can easily be affected by evil eye, it will get into your body But hard to get out. Remember, the Prophet ﷺ told the best of people, ‘Sawwam and Qawwam and Akmalun naas imaana’ [Regular fasting, frequent in Tahajjud, best of people in Iman], the Sahabah RA – still they were told to protect themselves from evil eye:

It was narrated from ‘Aishah RA that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Seek refuge with Allah, for the evil eye is real.”

It was narrated from ‘Aishah RA that the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to recite Ruqyah to treat the evil eye.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The evil eye is real and if anything were to overtake the divine decree, it would be the evil eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide a cure) from the influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath.” (Muslim).

What are we doing to protect ourselves?

What is worse, evil eye or cancer?

What is worse, evil eye or swine flu?

What is worse, evil eye a deadly disease?

Evil eye can be there from a young age till old age.

Light travels 186,282 miles per second (299,792 kilometres per second), evil eye travels faster than this.

There are many types of evil eye, astonishing eye – when you see something amazing on your husband/wife. You can even afflict yourself, just like this the Jinn can affect you with evil eye. Brothers and sisters, learn to say “MA SHA ALLAH!” “BARAK ALLAH!”

Cure: Not just evil eye, anything that befalls us is due to sins. We need to avoid sins completely, major and minor. Then Fardh Salah, Sunan (plural of Sunnah), offer them in a way that pleases Allah. The Prophet SAW said,”People in Salah, some only get half the reward, some a quarter, some one tenth and some the full reward.” Because of the lack of concentration, where is our concentration in Salah?

Look at our Salah, we are all aware of our own Salah. Whereas the Munafiq (hypocrites) prayed five times a day WITH JAMA’AH. But despite this Allah says, “Verily the Hypocrites will be in the lowest part of Hell.” (Surah Nisaa)

Only the known Munafiq would delay his Salah after Fajr. Most of us only pray Jumu’ah. We don’t ever offer any nafl  or tahajjud, but our lives are full of sin.

E.g. each one of us has a computer or laptop, we use anti-virus to protect it from viruses. In the same way we need to protect our bodies and our Iman!

The Prophet ﷺ forbade us from many clothes which draw attraction. We all use social media, we put up our best pictures, best food and family’s pictures. To cause evil eye you don’t need to be in front of someone. A digital image is enough. Social media is a big cause of the evil eye.

Even by smelling can cause evil eye. You make biryani, someone smells it and says “What wonderful biryani.!” Also, by hearing, someone came first in his exams and shouted his results. A jealous person states, “How’s it possible?” The evil eye is passed on. By tasting, you made a cake and someone bit it and said, “Such a sweet cake!”

Brothers, remain humble at all times and do not display the blessings of Allah SWT.

Ibn ‘Abbas RA reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: “The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye, and when you are asked to take bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take bath.” (Muslim)

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah RA that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The evil eye is real.” (Ibn Majah)

NB: One must seek advice from someone qualified for a cure, but here are a few tips to help you In Sha Allah, Shaykh mentioned the following things help to cure black magic/evil eye:

Quran recitation – “And We send down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe.” (Surah Al-Israa, 17:82)

Ruqya –  Narrated `Aisha RA: “The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered me or somebody else to do Ruqya (if there was danger) from an evil eye.” (Bukhari)

Sidr leaves – Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalani RH said in Al-Fath that Ibn Abtal stated in the books of Wahab bin Menabah to take seven leaves of a green Sidr, grind them with two rocks, add water to it, read the verse of Al Kursi (2:255) and Al-Qawakil (the Surah’s which start with “Qul”), take three sips, then wash up with the rest. This will remove all of his afflictions, and is a cure for men who have sexual disorders.” (Fath Al-Bari -10/233)

Hijamah (cupping) – Narrated Abu Hurayrah RA: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “If anyone has himself cupped on the 17th, 19th and 21st it will be a remedy for every disease.” (Abu Dawud)

Ajwah dates – Narrated Sa`d RA: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “Whoever takes seven ‘Ajwa dates in the morning will not be affected by magic or poison on that day.” (Bukhari)

Zam Zam water – Ibn al-Mubarak RH entered Zamzam and said, “O Allah, Ibn al-Mu’ammal told me, from Abu’l-Zubayr from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The water of Zamzam is for whatever purpose it is drunk for,’ so, O Allah, I am drinking it (to quench) my thirst on the Day of Resurrection.”

In addition to these, I would like to add a few more:

Black seed oil – Narrated Khalid bin Sa`d RA: “We went out and Ghalib bin Abjar was accompanying us. He fell ill on the way and when we arrived at Medina he was still sick. Ibn Abi ‘Atiq came to visit him and said to us, “Treat him with black cumin. Take five or seven seeds and crush them (mix the powder with oil) and drop the resulting mixture into both nostrils, for `Aisha has narrated to me that she heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, ‘This black cumin is healing for all diseases except As-Sam.’ Aisha said, ‘What is As-Sam?’ He said, ‘Death.” (Bukhari)

Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Treat your sick ones with charity.” (Saheeh al Jami) Giving Sadaqah also helps, little or large in sha Allah.

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “When the Adhan has been pronounced Satan takes to his heels and passes wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the Adhan. When the Adhan is completed he comes back and again takes to his heels when the Iqamah is pronounced and after its completion he returns again till he whispers into the heart of the person (to divert his attention from his prayer) and makes him remember things which he does not recall to his mind before the prayer and that causes him to forget how much he has prayed.” 

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, Book 10, Hadith 6)

Finally, from my own experience going for Hajj/Umrah benefits greatly. Makkah Sharif and Madinah sharif are such blessed places, just visiting them can cure a person. Remember, they are surrounded by angels and the rahmah of Allah is constantly descending in plenty-fold. Also, giving Sadaqah/charity is powerful. It breaks the backbone of Shaytan.

 

Notetaker – Ismail ibn Nazir (One who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

21 Rajab 1438