First, you should make sure of this oil's origin. Since the inside of the eye is very delicate, a few drops of black seed oil can be used around the eye, but not inside it.
That said, there are other remedies such as kohl (ithmid) or truffle juice.
You can also use a plant called eyebright, and today you can find eye drops based on eyebright (euphrasia). Be careful not to use black seed oil based on the hadith stating that it heals every ailment, since scholars say that this is general.
Why nothing oily goes in the eye
The professor gives the rule and its reason: "the inside of the eye is very delicate." Three facts explain this. A cooking oil or supplement oil is not sterile: it contains a small amount of germs, with no consequence on the skin or in the stomach, but which, on a cornea, can cause an abscess within a few days. An oil does not mix with tears: it forms a film that blurs vision, sticks the eyelashes together and keeps the eye from cleaning itself. And black seed oil is irritating: its thymoquinone, precious on the skin, burns the mucous membrane. The result is a red, watery eye, sometimes a keratitis. The hadith about black seed, "a remedy for every illness," is general, says the professor: the scholars understand that it plays a part in the treatment of many ailments, each according to its own route and dose, not that it can be put anywhere.
What Prophetic Medicine actually proposes for the eyes
| Remedy | What tradition says | What to know today |
|---|---|---|
| Ithmid (antimony, kohl) | "The best of your kohls is ithmid: it sharpens the sight and makes the eyelashes grow" (Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i); the Prophet ﷺ applied it every evening, three times per eye | True ithmid is antimony sulfide. But analyses of commercial kohls, from Morocco to Arabia, often find lead (galena) in its place, in toxic amounts, especially for children and pregnant women (Environ Health Perspect, 1991), (Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021). Only certified lead-free ithmid should be used; see our guide to stibnite |
| Truffle water | "Its water is a cure for the eye" (al-Bukhari, Muslim) | Fresh, filtered, as drops; antibacterial extracts demonstrated in the laboratory; see our guide to truffle |
| Eyebright (Euphrasia) | A eye-care plant from European herbal medicine, cited by the professor | Sterile single-dose eye drops available at pharmacies; a cohort study of 65 patients reports good efficacy and tolerance in conjunctivitis (J Altern Complement Med, 2000) |
| Honey | Diluted, as an eye drop, against conjunctivitis (traditional use) | See honey for conjunctivitis; only diluted, filtered, prepared the same day |
| Saline solution | This is Ibn al-Qayyim's "salt eye drop" | Sterile, in single doses; the first step for an itchy or stinging eye |
What research has tested on black seed and the eye
- In mice, a thymoquinone eye drop formulated in the laboratory improved the ocular surface in a dry eye model, as much as a corticosteroid (Turk J Ophthalmol, 2018).
- A 2022 review summarizes the interest of thymoquinone in degenerative eye diseases (glaucoma, retina), through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, in animal and cell models (Front Cell Neurosci, 2022).
This work confirms that black seed has something to offer the eye, but in the form of sterile eye drops formulated with purified thymoquinone, which do not yet exist at pharmacies. It in no way justifies pouring the oil from the cupboard into the eye.
Safe uses of black seed oil around the eye
- Eyelids and dark circles: one drop of black seed oil in a few drops of sweet almond oil, applied with the fingertip, on the closed eyelid and the eye socket bone, in the evening; keep the eyelids well closed, never going near the edge of the eyelashes.
- Emerging stye: warm compresses for ten minutes three times a day (this is the treatment), then the diluted oil on the eyelid, on the outside.
- Blepharitis (irritated eyelid margin): clean the edge of the eyelashes with a warm water or saline compress, then apply the diluted oil to the skin of the eyelid.
- By mouth: one teaspoon of oil or seeds per day; it is through this route that its antioxidants also benefit the eye, as they do the rest of the body.
Contraindications and precautions
Nothing non-sterile in the eye: no oil, no unboiled water, no homemade preparation, and never for someone wearing contact lenses or with an operated-on or injured eye. If oil has gotten into the eye, rinse thoroughly with saline solution and see a doctor if redness or pain occurs. A red and painful eye, sensitivity to light, decreased vision, thick discharge, trauma: see an ophthalmologist the same day, without trying a remedy first. Kohl should be bought certified lead-free, and not used on young children or pregnant women until one is certain. Honey and truffle water as eye drops remain exceptional uses, for a healthy eye that stings, never for a diseased eye.
Frequently asked questions
Can black seed oil be put in the eyes?
No. Around the eye, diluted, yes; inside it, never: it is not sterile, blurs vision and irritates the cornea. The professor states this clearly, and the hadith about black seed does not authorize this use.
What is the prophetic remedy for the eyes?
Ithmid, the antimony eye drop that the Prophet ﷺ applied every evening, provided it is certified lead-free; and the truffle water from the hadith. Today, saline solution and eyebright eye drops can be added to these.
Is black seed oil good for eyesight?
Taken by mouth, its antioxidants benefit the whole body, including the eyes. Thymoquinone eye drops are being studied in the laboratory. But the oil itself is not to be put in the eye.
What should be done for a stye?
Warm compresses for ten minutes, three times a day, for a few days: this is what makes it come to a head and disappear. Diluted black seed oil on the eyelid, on the outside, can be used alongside this. If it grows or lasts more than a week, see a doctor.
Is kohl dangerous?
True ithmid is not, but many kohls sold as such are made of galena, a lead ore, toxic especially for children. Only kohl that has been analyzed and certified lead-free should be bought.
