Evil Eye Symptoms and How to Cure It

  • 16 Feb 2021

What is Evil Eye in Islam?

The evil eye in Islam (al-ayn in Arabic) is a term used to describe misfortune that is transmitted from one person to another out of jealousy or even admiration, and it is often manifested through certain evil eye symptoms.

The person inflicting the evil eye may do so with or without intention.

The misfortune of the victim may manifest as sickness, loss of wealth or family, or a streak of general bad luck. Although Islam doesn’t necessarily believe in the concept of bad luck, it is to show that it  bring grave consequences if evil eye symptoms are left untreated or ignored. Nothing good really comes out of evil eyes.
“And from the evil of the envier when he envies.”
[Qur’an, 113:5]
Evil eye in the Qur’an is also mentioned to highlight the natural human behavior of jealousy and hatred when people aren’t thankful to Allah for the sustenance they have. It is not an easy feeling to avoid, as it requires patience and a lot of gratitude to be happy with where we are and what we have.
Allah commanded His Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ, to seek refuge with Him from the envier, as He said (interpretation of the meaning): 
In the hadith mentioned above, it is evident that these ill feelings are the very reasons for disunity or fragmentation amongst the Ummah. It does not only affect the brotherhood between Muslims, but it jeopardizes the victims’ safety and health, merely with evil eyes.
Did you know that the evil eye symptoms seem more common than you think?
In an era where moral values and virtues are undermined and where patience and thankfulness are scarce, people tend to indulge in the feeling of jealousy, hatred and envy which causes a great tremor in other people’s lives.
The dangers of evil eye and the common evil eye symptoms can sometimes jeopardize one’s life. It is imperative for us to detect the evil eye symptoms early so we are able to treat it effectively.
It’s important that you educate yourself on the meaning of evil eye, the evil eye symptoms, treatment, myths and how to further acquire knowledge in this specific area of knowledge to protect yourself and others.
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What are the Causes of Evil Eye from Islamic point of view?

Evil eyes can come from two kinds of feelings elicited by human beings; the negative which are hatred, envy, and jealousy; and the positive which are pure admiration.

Sounds weird isn’t it?

One can find the situation fairly innocent, such as posting a picture of a child being born, or even their success, and they see many friends commenting on how cute their baby is, or how they admire them, but then they are afflicted with the evil eye!

Hatred and Jealousy

Zubair Ibn al-Awam narrated that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“There has come to you the 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 (destroys) faith.”
Jami’ at-Tirmidhi]
There is no doubt that evil eyes come from a majority of people who may feel mostly hatred and jealousy to see other people succeed. This is in fact a natural behaviour and response of human beings to want what they cannot have, or what they wish they could have. It is not our place to judge them either because we can neither understand what they feel, nor the situation that they’re in.
For instance, you just got a job promotion and you’re on cloud nine, so you tell your friends and family about it, but at the same time, one of your friends just got fired. Upon hearing this from you, they might not even have the intention to hate you, but you’re afflicted with evil eyes anyway. So, it is to say that it is impossible to stop people from feeling jealous, and only we can control the situation by not exposing ourselves.

Admiration

If you think evil eye in Islam is only caused by negativity, try again! Evil eyes are also in fact caused by positive feelings of admiration and even compliments without saying ‘Tabarakallah’ which means May Allah bless you. According to this hadith mentioned below, it is evident that we should be careful when praising others or when we accept praises from others.
Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Abi Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf heard his father say,
"My father, Sahl ibn Hunayf, did a ghusl at al-Kharrar. He removed the jubbah he had on while Amir ibn Rabia was watching, and Sahl was a man with beautiful white skin. Amir said to him, 'I have never seen anything like what I have seen today, not even the skin of a virgin.' Sahl fell ill on the spot, and his condition grew worse. Somebody went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him that Sahl was ill, and could not go with him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to him, and Sahl told him what had happened with Amir. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not say, "May Allah bless you?" (ta baraka-llah) The evil eye is true. Do wudu from it.' Amir did wudu from it and Sahl went with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and there was nothing wrong with him."
[Muwatta Malik]

Exposure on Social Media

With the emergence of social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and more, almost everyone has access to a smartphone to check on other people’s lives and update theirs. As much as this is beneficial to stay connected with friends and family online, it is also a gateway to the lurking of evil eyes at every corner of our social feed.
The hearts, likes and comment section might be the only reason why most people post; to get validation and to tell the world about ourselves. As innocent as this seems, we are susceptible to eyes who might either feel jealous or admiration towards us. The thing is, we can’t control how they feel so it is totally up to us to control how we choose to expose our lives online.
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amir bin Rabi’ah, from his father, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:“The evil eye is real.”
[Sunan Ibn Majah]

Evil Eye Symptoms You Should Watch Out

This article elaborates on the evil eye symptoms in adults and children to further raise awareness and educate Muslims on this issue. It is important to be aware about the signs of evil eye and if you do have all of these symptoms checked, we will share with you the essential dua for evil eye or if it is serious, it is best to refer to an ustadh or scholar with credible background and exceptional knowledge in the art of Ruqyah. It is crucial for you to know what Ruqyah is as how it can help remedy the evil eye symptoms which can worsen if left unsupervised, Na’udhubillah.
Some of the evil eye symptoms include:

1. Constant Yawning

Are you yawning a lot? As much as human beings yawn naturally when they are tired or exhausted, one of the evil eye symptoms is when a person yawns for no particular reason. This is especially obvious when they perform acts of worship such as hearing the adhan, reading the Qur’an or reciting dhikr. When they perform Ibadah, they will start to yawn. Some experts say that this has a lot to do with exhaustion or mental drain, but if you feel energised and you have enough sleep, it is one of the common symptoms of evil eye you should watch out for.

2. Itching

Itching is a normal reaction when our skin feels irritated or inflamed, but if you are constantly itching to the point it looks weird in the eyes of other people, it might be one of the signs of evil eye. Many people have eczema or rash as a clinical condition, and can only be treated medically, but if you have none of those but you feel the burning sensation to itch all over, then take note of the evil eye symptoms.

3. Burping

Some say you might be too gassy or you just have the habit of burping. Whether you are bloating or not, you will feel the urge and need to always burp. You burp all the time, day and night, and you have no idea why this happens. No matter how much you try to contain it, you just don’t feel satisfied if you don’t burp! Believe it or not, it is one of the evil eye symptoms which is very much common.

4. Hot and Cold Flashes

One of the symptoms of evil eye is when your body temperature rises, and you start to feel intervals of hot and cold flashes. This feeling is somewhat similar to when you are about to have a fever, where your body aches and your body gets too cold or hot all of a sudden. Beware of such symptoms of evil eye, especially when you’re not infected with any diseases and it just appears out of the blue.

5. Constantly Sneezing

One of the signs of evil eye is the constant urge to sneeze. With or without the flu, you keep on sneezing just like a person who’s suffering from sinus. You might be allergic to dust or have other types of conditions, but if you’ve been sneezing for no apparent reason, you might want to perform Ruqyah on yourself and ask Allah for protection from any spiritual harm.

6. The Appearance of Spots and Boils on the Body

According to the Mayo Clinic, a boil is a painful, pus-filled bump that forms under your skin when bacteria infect and inflame one or more of your hair follicles. A carbuncle is a cluster of boils that form a connected area of infection under the skin. Boils (furuncles) usually start as reddish or purplish, tender bumps.
If you happen to have spots or boils on your skin out of nowhere, go to the clinic and get it checked as the doctor is able to diagnose and give you the proper treatment to cure your spots and boils. However, if it doesn’t work, it may be one of the evil eye symptoms you might want to perform self-Ruqya to cure evil eye.

7. Bruising in the Body

If you’re seeing random bruises appear on your body for no apparent reason, it may be a warning sign - an evil eye symptom you should not ignore. Especially after waking up from a long rest, it is best to get the bruises checked by the doctor or an experienced Raqi near you.

8. Darkness Underneath the Eyes

Darkness underneath the eyes is one of the  common evil eye symptoms you should be aware of. Although in most cases, it is due to genetics, exhaustion or lack of sleep and probably deficiency of certain essential nutrients. However, if it doesn’t run in the family, and it seems like you’re the only ones with dark circles, and you have had your 8 hours of sleep, it is definitely one of the symptoms of evil eye you should take note of.

9. Despair and Fear

Have you ever posted a picture on your social media, and you feel an omen coming afterwards? Perhaps, you have posted an image of your marriage life, and then you find that you might have a minor argument with your partner.
According to Child Mind Institute, evidence is mounting that there is a link between social media and depression. In several studies, teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown to have a substantially (from 13 to 66 percent) higher rate of reported depression than those who spent the least time.
As much as we don’t like to admit it, despair and fear, which equals depression and anxiety, is one of the most common symptoms of evil eye, as we can see in our current generation nowadays. A lot of people who show off their happiness on social media isn’t so behind the scenes. A majority of people have suffered from severe mental health issues. It might be due to their environment, trauma, childhood upbringing and more, but it can also be one of the symptoms of evil eye.

10. Tightness of the Chest

If you feel shortness of breath, or your chest feels tight, you might want to go to the clinic and get it diagnosed. Sometimes, your sternum might be swollen due to strenuous exercise or physical work that causes tightness in your chest, but if you haven’t done anything in a while, that is probably one of the signs of evil eye.

11. Headache

Last but not least, another very common symptom of the evil eye is headache. Although there are many factors causing headaches, such as dehydration, extreme temperature changes, lack of nutrition, exhaustion, stress and so much more, it is also one of the possible symptoms of  evil eye you should definitely not ignore.
These are some of the evil eye symptoms that manifests itself when a person is afflicted with the evil eye or witchcraft. If you happen to suffer from any of these, or if you know anyone with these common symptoms of evil eye, it is best to perform Ruqyah or consult a practitioner who does Islamic spiritual healing.
Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not harbour grudge against one another, nor jealousy, nor enmity; and do not show your backs to one another; and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to avoid speaking with his brother beyond three days."  [Bukhari and Muslim]

Myths about Evil Eyes

One of the greatest myths of all is the use of talismans to ‘ward off’  evil eyes which is widely used in Turkey. It is common practice for Muslim households to place these talismans on the walls of their houses to protect their homes from evil eyes.
However, in early 2021 in their recently published fatwa – a legal or general decree by a religious authority or court – the Diyanet, which governs all matters relating to Islam in Turkey, denounced the use of the ornaments, known locally as nazarlik or nazar boncugu, as forbidden.
This is due to the fact that relying on other superstitions, besides Allah is an act of shirk and it is considered as a major sin in Islam.
“In our religion, attitudes, behaviours and beliefs that attribute the ultimate influence on anything other than Allah are forbidden. For this reason, it is not permissible to wear evil eye amulets and similar things around the neck or anywhere for the purpose of benefiting from them.” the Diyanet said.

How to cure the evil eye?

1. Take a bath

If at anytime you feel your evil eye symptoms match and you feel that you have been afflicted with the evil eye, you should take a bath as mentioned in the hadith below:
Ibn 'Abbas 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 a bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take a bath. [Sahih Muslim]
According to Health Line, there are many benefits to having cold and hot showers:
- Benefits of cold showers:
  • It helps calm itchy skin
  • It gives you a burst of energy and wakes you up
  • It increases your blood circulation
  • It reduces muscle soreness post-workout
  • It’s great to boost weight lossIt gives you glowing hair and skin
- Benefits of hot showers:
  • It opens airways
  • It loosens up your phlegm
  • It clears out your nasal passages
  • It’s great for you to unwind and destress

2. Lay low on social media

If you are in fact on social media, try and limit yourself from posting too many things you know can cause people to feel jealous or any sort of reaction. This can cause evil eyes. It is best for us to just lay low and invest our time of day doing other things that truly matter, like work, house chores, and prioritising ourselves.
Yes, it will be hard especially if you’re a daily poster and you want to show your friends what you’re having for breakfast and what you’re wearing for the day! However, you don’t have to stop cold turkey. You can always go slow from perhaps 5 posts a day to only 1 post a day. Continue to set new and realistic goals for you to depend less on social media and see how fulfilling your life can be at the end of the day. It will not only help lessen the possibility of evil eyes, but it will make you feel happier and content! You can also use these useful apps to reduce your social media usage and increase your productivity!
  • Offtime
  • Stay Focused
  • Moment
  • Freedom
  • QualityTime

3. Don’t overshare your feelings on social media

It is also very important to never overshare on social media, albeit your happiness or your sadness. This can cause evil eye symptoms to occur  as well. Some people with mental health issues tend to post about their thoughts on social media to seek help from people without really realising it, but if you are one of those people, please reach out to your friends and family personally who you can really trust and connect with them instead of social media. This is because some people who follow you might find your posts disturbing, or worse, repulsed by them! Don’t share your vulnerability with those who don’t care. If you are facing any issues and you would like to reach out to the right people, click on these hotlines below:

4. Evil Eye Dua You Should Know

A lot of the time, du’a is one of the most powerful forms of worship as it is a means of direct communication from us to Allah Almighty. It is only He who we should rely on for refuge and protection from the dangers and symptoms of evil eye. Since evil eyes cannot be clinically treated, we should turn to Allah Almighty and ask for His help. In order to pull off these du’as successfully, you need to know the right way to make du’a to enhance the quality of your worship and have a higher chance of acceptance by Allah Almighty. Below are some evil eye dua or supplications you can practice:
Dua of Prophet Ibrahim alayhi salam:
أُعِيذُكُمَا بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لاَمَّةٍ
“I seek refuge for both of you in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and every poisonous thing and from the evil eye which influences.”
Dua of Angel Jibril alayhi salam:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنٍ أَوْ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ
“In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah for you, from everything that is harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye, may Allah heal you. In the Name of Allah I perform Ruqyah for you”. (Sunan Ibn Majah)

5. Reciting the Mu’auwidat

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The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) used to seek protection against the evil of jinn and the evil eyes until Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas were revealed. After they were revealed, he took them to seek Allah’s protection and left everything besides them. [At-Tirmidhi]
The two surahs of Falaq and Nas, along with Suratul Ikhlas (Qur’an, 112) are some of our best protections against the evil eye and any evil that can befall a person. In some customs, they call this the three Quls. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) taught his companions to recite these three chapters of the Qur’an thrice every morning and evening, saying that it will suffice us in all aspects of our lives.
One of the ways to incorporate the evil eye duas is to recite them two times of the day, as soon as we wake up and in the evening. We should try and make it a habit to recite these Surahs as a part of our daily routines. As Muslims, we should wake up to thank Allah Almighty for restoring our souls to us after sleeping, then recite the duas that protect us for the rest of the day.

6. Praise Allah Almighty if you wish to compliment someone

Real life or social media, we sometimes can’t help but give compliments and admire people! We may think it is completely harmless and innocent to empower other people by giving them positive feedback or compliments. Your spouse got promoted, your friend just got married, your sister is having a baby.
You might have the urge to respond spontaneously and say ‘OMG your baby is so cute!’ or ‘I’m so happy for you!’, but these will only cause evil eyes! We have to remember that these are all great blessings from Allah, and therefore, we are encouraged to say “MashaAllah”, “Allahumma barik”, “tabarakAllah”, etc.
All of these phrases thank and glorify Allah Almighty as the Creator of that thing which you admire and they ask for the blessings of Allah Almighty on you or the person that you are admiring. Remember, praise Allah when you want to praise others.

7. If you feel pain, recite these Ruqyah for evil eye

In some rare cases where evil eyes cause you physical pain, you are advised to read the following dua:
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ مُذْهِبَ الْبَاسِ اشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شَافِيَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
O, Allah! The Lord of the people, the Remover of trouble. Cure [me]! You are the One who cures. None brings about healing but You; a healing that will leave behind no ailment.
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ x3
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
In the name of Allah. I seek refuge with Allah and with His Power from the evil that I find and that I fear

8. Blow on the area which is inflicted with pain

If you ever come across a significant pain in any part of your body, try and blow over it whilst reciting Surah Fatiha or the Al-Mu’awwidhaat (Surah Falaq and Surah Nas). It is also one of the feasible ways to cure our pain; if not, alleviate the pain slightly, Insha'Allah,
A'isha reported that when any of the members of the household fell ill Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to blow over him by reciting Mu'awwidhatan, and when he suffered from illness of which he died I used to blow over him and rubbed his body with his hand for his hand had greater healing power than my hand. [Sahih Muslim]

9. Recite these other Qur’anic verses as Ruqyah for evil eye

Besides supplications, one can also read Qur'anic verses to cure evil eyes. These are just a few Surahs one can memorise, understand and recite during the performance of Ruqyah, InshaAllah.
  • Surah Fatiha
  • Surah Falaq
  • Surah An-Nas
  • Surah Ikhlas
  • Ayatul Kursi (Surah Baqarah ayat 255)
  • Surah Al A’raf Ayat 106-122
  • Surah Taha Ayat 65-69
  • Surah Al-Kafirun

10. Learn with a professional on how to perform Ruqyah

Nothing beats the acquisition of Sacred Knowledge. To fully understand the spiritual illnesses caused by evil and jinns, such as symptoms of evil eye, sihr or black magic, or posessions, one must acquire the right and proper knowledge from certified and credible Muslim scholars, not shaman. As a Muslim, it is essential to know that shamans are not a great source to learn spiritual healing from as some may include methods associated with shirk.
Knowledge is power and without proper guidance from a certified Raqi to master the lost art of Ruqyah, you would be easily misguided, Na’udhubillah. The spiritual powers created by Allah Almighty are not to be taken for granted, and one must be mindful when handling it. Hence, for you to master Ruqyah, you can either learn physically or acquire Sacred Knowledge via credible Islamic learning platforms from certified scholars who are experienced in the field of Ruqyah. If you decide to delve into the spiritual realm of Ruqyah, you wil furtherl understand theoretical learnings of Ruqyah, the etiquette of practising Ruqyah, the principles behind it, and its practical applications.You will also be able to apply the supplications, Qur’anic verses, salawat and manzil to perform Ruqyah, InshaAllah.

The Art of Ruqyah

Interested to know the mysteries of Ruqyah? Learn more about Ruqyah today to expulse spirits, negative energies, and increase your Iman.
In retrospect, evil eye symptoms may seem trivial and common to us all, but it is definitely something we should be aware of and take into account so we can take prompt action to cure ourselves from the symptoms of evil eye. Insha'Allah, these are just some of the ways one can perform Ruyqah either on yourself or your loved ones who suffer any illness, both spiritually or physically, especially when it comes to evil eyes. If you have any other solutions to prevent the dangers of evil eyes, share your thoughts with us down below! May Allah the Merciful grant you His Protection and cure all ailments that befall upon you, Ameen.
About The Author:
Written By:
Lily Syahirah Ramlan
Lily Syahirah is a Content Writer of SimplyIslam Academy based in Selangor, Malaysia. She recently graduated with a Bachelor's Degree of Education (Teaching English as a Second Language) from International Islamic University Malaysia in 2020. She is actively invovled in public speaking, English language debates, poetry and theatre and loves to express her work through writing. Her love for language arts and imagination has led her to produce, direct and write experimental plays she's passionate about during her degree years. She was also actively invovled as a Master of Ceremony (Emcee) where she hosts minor and major events in IIUM.