Section: The Similarities And Differences Between The Evil Eye And Envy
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The Evil eye (in Arabic: Ayn, in Urdu: Nathara) is an illness which some people (not everyone) carry. It entails looking at a blessing which 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 an evil eye, even a blind person can give them an 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]Evil eye is like an arrow which comes from the soul of the one who envies towards 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 (HA), 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): وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ﴿٥﴾ Translation: “And from the evil of the envier when he envies.” (Al-Falaq: 5)Allah (ﷻ) says in another verse (interpretation of the meaning): وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ ﴿٥١﴾ Translation: “And verily those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred).” (Al-Qalam: 51)In a Hadith narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA), it says, “ أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ Translation: 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 A’in (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, 4/216. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Al-Kalim at-Tayyib, page 243)This Hadith explains that a person may harm himself, his wealth, his children, his wife etc by the evil eye.