The essentials. The evil eye is a reality affirmed by the Prophet ﷺ, but it is never diagnosed lightly: medical causes must first be ruled out with a doctor. Protection begins with tawhid, obedience to Allah, and supplications of protection. Treatment relies on legislated ruqyah, performed on oneself with al-Fatiha, Ayat al-Kursi, and the last three surahs, complemented by lawful means such as Qur'an-infused water and sidr leaves. Healing comes from Allah alone; these remedies are only means, and none of them replaces medical advice.
What the evil eye refers to
In the Institute's teaching, the evil eye is the gaze of a person directed at something or someone that pleases, amazes, or surprises them, and which can cause harm to what is looked at. It is neither a superstition nor a fatality: Allah has linked every effect to its cause, and this gaze is one of those causes. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The evil eye is a reality, and if there were something that could precede destiny (al-Qadr), it would be the evil eye." (Muslim) Jabir also reported: "The evil eye brings a man to the grave and a camel to the pot." (As-Sahihah 1249)
Two sources are distinguished. The eye of men arises from excessive admiration, whether of beauty, profession, behavior, or success; a person who boasts also attracts envy. The eye of the unseen world comes from jinn. In both cases, the harm can affect health, wealth, and even marriage. Ibn al-Qayyim compares the evil eye to a snake: when the one who looks is overcome by a malicious nature, a venomous force shoots out from his eye, like the snake's venom.
The Qur'an gives examples of this. The story of Yusuf (peace be upon him), tested despite his beauty and his father's love, teaches discretion about one's blessings. Ya'qub (peace be upon him), fearing for his sons, told them: "My sons, do not enter by one gate, but enter by separate gates." Taking precautions against ill-intentioned souls is a matter of faith, not credulity.
Recognizing it without being mistaken
Sudden fatigue, headaches, unexplained discomfort: these troubles are worrying, but they first have ordinary causes, such as lack of sleep, a deficiency, an infection, stress, or an illness beginning. The basic rule is therefore never to diagnose the evil eye lightly: one consults a doctor, undergoes the necessary tests, and rules out medical causes before considering an unseen affliction. The believer is required to seek legislated means to be treated, and medicine is part of that.
There is no list of signs that alone would prove the evil eye. What the Institute's teaching describes is an affliction that can strike health, wealth, and marriage, often after a blessing has been shown or admired without a blessing being invoked. When medical causes have been ruled out and the troubles persist, legislated ruqyah, through the recitation of general and specific verses, allows for what is called profiling: identifying the origin of the unseen affliction, then establishing a suitable treatment. The diagnosis comes from the ruqyah itself, not from intuition or accusation.
Tawhid first, protection second
Before any remedy, the believer must be filled with the firm conviction that no harm can touch them without Allah's permission. The Qur'an affirms it: "No calamity befalls a person except by Allah's permission," meaning, according to Ibn 'Abbas, by His decree and His will. In treating the evil eye, envy, or sorcery, the fundamental means of healing and protection remains obedience to Allah and attachment to His commands. The more a person strengthens tawhid and piety in their life, the more they build a fortress against the harm of sorcerers and the evil eye.
For a correct ruqyah, one must first study tawhid, the oneness of Allah: He is the only Lord, the only one worthy of worship, the only one to possess His names and attributes, and He is worshipped in accordance with the Sunnah. These four parts are found in Surah al-Fatiha. Ruqyah is itself an act of worship; it has effect only if it is legislated, without associating anything with Allah.
Prevention also comes through simple gestures. Faced with something pleasing, one says "Allahumma barik" or "ma sha Allah," with sincerity, to bless rather than envy. For one's own part, one remains discreet about one's blessings.
Ruqyah, the remedy drawn from the Qur'an
"We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing" (Surah 17, verse 82). Ruqyah is, according to Sheikh Albani, what is recited to ask for healing through the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah, as well as a form of protection through supplication. Anas reported that the Prophet ﷺ permitted it for venomous stings, the evil eye, and eczema. It is both preventive and curative, and the Prophet ﷺ reminded us: "Seek treatment, O servants of Allah, for Allah has not created a disease without placing a cure for it, except for one: death." (Ahmad, authenticated by Sheikh Albani, Sahih al-Jami no. 2930)
Three conditions make it lawful: that it be performed with the words of Allah, His names and attributes, or the supplications transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ; that it be performed in Arabic if one knows that language, otherwise while understanding the meaning of what is said; and that both the one who performs it and the one who receives it believe that it does not act by itself, but only by divine decree. The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no harm in ruqyah as long as it does not contain shirk." (Muslim)
The best ruqyah is the one performed on oneself. If one seeks a third party, it is crucial to know their belief and their method. Certain signs are unmistakable: anyone who asks for your mother's first name, a personal item, or a piece of clothing, who hands over writings to be kept on one's person, who asks that one not wash for several days or bury something, is a sorcerer working with jinn. One keeps away from them, whatever harm is being felt.
In practice
- Ruqyah on oneself. Recite the three protective surahs (Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas), spit lightly, then pass your hands over your whole body. You can do this once or three times. Ayat al-Kursi is a powerful remedy against all ailments, and the last two verses of Al-Baqarah are also very effective. These recitations are done every day, with focus and without ever abandoning hope in Allah's mercy.
- The hand on the pain. For a localized ailment, such as a headache, the Prophet ﷺ taught 'Uthman ibn Abi al-'As to place his hand on the painful spot and say "In the Name of Allah" three times, then seven times: "I seek refuge in the might of Allah and His power from the evil that I feel and that I fear."
- The supplication for the sick. When the Prophet ﷺ visited a sick person, he would say: "O Allah! Lord of mankind. Remove this harm and heal, for You are the Healer, there is no healing but Yours, a healing that leaves no trace of illness." You can say it for yourself or for a loved one.
- Qur'anized water and sidr leaves. Crush seven sidr (jujube) leaves into a bottle of water over which Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) and the last three surahs (112, 113, 114) have been recited; drink three sips during the day, one of them in the morning on an empty stomach, or wash with this water. This practice against the evil eye and sorcery comes from the scholars' experience; no hadith is reported on this subject, and it is presented as such.
- Other lawful supports. Once the source of the ailment has been identified through ruqyah, treatment can draw on Qur'anized water, olive oil, black seed, costus, or honey, always as means, never as guarantees.
Precautions
- Healing comes from Allah alone; ruqyah and remedies are means. No spiritual treatment replaces medical advice: fatigue that worsens, unusual headaches, or recurring faintness should be shown to a doctor, and an ongoing treatment is never stopped without their approval.
- Sidr leaves lower blood sugar: people with diabetes or on hypoglycemic medication should monitor their levels. They should be stopped two weeks before surgery, avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and may trigger an allergy in people sensitive to latex. As a general rule, prophetic remedies are stopped at least twenty-four hours before a procedure.
- Indian costus is forbidden during menstruation and for pregnant women, not recommended for breastfeeding women, and can cause allergies like chamomile.
- Ruqyah is performed without shirk or innovation: no amulets, no scripts to carry, no invented ritual. When faced with a questionable practitioner, abstain.
- No one is accused. The evil eye can come from sincere, unintentional admiration; pointing to an "envious person" only feeds resentment and heals nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How can I know if my troubles come from the evil eye or from an illness?
Always start with a doctor: fatigue, headaches, and faintness most often have an ordinary cause that an exam will reveal. If medical causes are ruled out and the troubles persist, legislated ruqyah, through the recitation of general and specific verses, helps identify the source of the hidden ailment. The diagnosis is never made on a hunch or a suspicion toward someone.
Can I perform ruqyah on myself without speaking Arabic?
Yes, the best ruqyah is the one you perform on yourself. Someone who does not know Arabic can do it in their own language, provided they understand the meaning of what they are saying and do not mix in anything related to shirk. What matters is the conviction that only Allah's decree acts, not the words by themselves.
Should I consult a raqi?
It is not required, since everyone can perform ruqyah on themselves and their loved ones. If you turn to a third person, you must know their beliefs and their way of working. Anyone who asks for the mother's first name, an item of clothing, or hands over scripts to keep on your person is a sorcerer, and should be avoided.
What should I say when something pleases me, so as not to cast the evil eye?
You say "Allahumma barik" or "ma sha Allah," with sincerity, to bless what you admire instead of envying it. For your part, stay discreet about your own blessings, following the example of Yusuf. These simple gestures are part of the prevention taught by the Sunnah.
