MashaAllah and the Evil Eye

Assalamu alaikum!


Today I want to start off my blog with an article relating to Islam, which happens to be my faith and also happens to be the truth. Verily, there are signs all over the universe and within ourselves pointing towards a Creator. Furthermore the Koran, given to the Seal of the Prophets - Muhammad (upom whom be peace), is filled of signs of being that Creator's speech to mankind!


Anyways among the concepts of the Unseen that Islam establishes is the reality of the Evil Eye. There should be no doubt that the Evil Eye exists. Every Muslim should beware of it.


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

Muslim, Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that 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.”

Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated that Asma bint ‘Umays said: “O Messenger of Allah, the children of J’afar have been afflicted by the evil eye, shall we recite ruqyah for them?” He said, “Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree it would be the evil eye.”


So what exactly is the evil eye? This is my view. Evil eye happens by the will of Allah and it is the fulfillment of the secret wish of the jealous when they desire to destroy the good or the goodness in a blessing of the victim. It cannot be witnessed in certainty - we cannot blame anyone as our knowledge of how it works is very limited.


The world is filled with blessings. If we were to count the blessings we enjoy, we would spend our entire lives doing so! Each and everyone of us, all creatures on the face of the earth, are a manifestation of the mercy of Allah. There is no place in the biosphere of the earth where the mercy of Allah is missing. We shouldn't allow the sight of a starving child or the hunting of the Animal Kingdom make us doubt Allah. God is surely All-Merciful and All-Wise.


This life is a test at all fronts. We are tested by hunger, by fear, by the loss of wealth, by death...In fact every blessing too is a test of faith for which we are either rewarded or published depending on how we react.

Consider how we could react to a blessing of Allah that we enjoy. For example if we own a garden of abundant fruit, we could react in one of the following ways:

1) We could be grateful to Allah. We could acknowledge His Sovereignty and His Will. We could use the garden righteously. We could allow our guests or travellers to benefit from this garden or we could use it to earn righteously. Either way we could be grateful to Allah and acknowledge that nothing is permanent.

2) We could instead praise ourselves and think that it was because of some goodness in us that we have this garden. We could boast about it and feel powerful while we are inside it. We could forget about death and that nothing is permanent.

Clearly it is 1) that we should be doing. This is where "MashaAllah" comes into application. Its a wide misunderstanding that MashaAllah should be said when we witnessed the blessing of our brother or sister. There is nothing wrong saying it when one witness a blessing but it is more appropriate to say it when we witness a blessing of ours (not someone else).


Surah Kahf:

Coin for them a similitude: Two men, unto one of whom We had assigned two gardens of grapes, and We had surrounded both with date-palms and had put between them tillage. (32) Each of the gardens gave its fruit and withheld naught thereof. And We caused a river to gush forth therein. (33) And he had fruit. And he said unto his comrade, when he spoke with him: I am more than thee in wealth, and stronger in respect of men. (34) And he went into his garden, while he (thus) wronged himself. He said: I think not that all this will ever perish. (35) I think not that the Hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back unto my Lord I surely shall find better than this as a resort. (36) and his comrade, while he disputed with him, exclaimed: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a drop (of seed), and then fashioned thee a man? (37) But He is Allah, my Lord, and I ascribe unto my Lord no partner. (38) If only, when thou enteredst thy garden, thou hadst said: That which Allah willeth (will come to pass)! There is no strength save in Allah! (مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّابِٱللَّهِ‌ۚ)

Though thou seest me as less than thee in wealth and children, (39) Yet it may be that my Lord will give me better than thy garden, and will send on it a bolt from heaven, and some morning it will be a smooth hillside, (40) Or some morning the water thereof will be lost in the earth so that thou canst not make search for it. (41) And his fruit was beset (with destruction). Then began he to wring his hands for all that he had spent upon it, when (now) it was all ruined on its trellises, and to say: Would that I had ascribed no partner to my Lord! (42) And he had no troop (of men) to help him against Allah, nor could he save himself. (43) In this case is protection only from Allah, the True, He is best for reward, and best for consequence. (44)



It makes sense. When we witness a blessing of ours we should say "مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ‌ۚ" because it is from Allah's Power that we have this and it is the will of Allah that it is we who have this.


Consider witnessing a blessing of Allah to another person. It could be a great car, a massive mansion, a beautiful child, abundant knowledge... It could be anything. We could react in one or more of the following ways:

1) We could feel bad of ourselves. To make us feel good we could then entertain a thought that this blessing would be destroyed or diminished in some way. That is we could be JEALOUS (Hasad)

2) We could praise Allah that He should give this blessing to your brother or sister. We could meanwhile make an intention to obtain or earn it ourselves. We could be ENVIOUS.(Gibtah)

3) We could praise Allah and supplicate Allah to bless this blessing for your brother or sister. This is the opposite of invoking an evil eye - we ask Allah to bless it instead of destroy it.

Clearly it is through 1) that the evil eye works. 2) and 3) does not invoke any evil eye and is harmless. In the case of 2) we should only react this way if the blessing is wealth that is used righteously or knowledge that is used righteously. For example if we see a cousin of ours running a big business that benefits so many workers we could desire to be able to run one too. If we see a guy who has memorised the Quran and teaches it then we could desire that for ourselves too.


The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Envy is permitted only in two cases: Of a man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and of a man whom Allah gives knowledge, and he applies and teaches it.” [Bukhari]


So I hope I've made it clear that to prevent invoking the evil eye, MashaAllah, Tabarakkallah or any other phase is insufficient (and in fact a bida' as any act of zikr is an Ibadath and any act of Ibadah should be of the Sunnah). We should ask Allah to bless the goodness. Masha Allah is more of a zikr when we witness a blessing that Allah has given us, not someone else. The following Hadith makes it extremely clear that it is not MashaAllah that should be said but a blessing (Baarakallah Feek). It could be said loudly or privately. "May Allah bless you through your beautiful child", "May Allah increase your knowledge and make it a great benefit to you" etc


Imam Ahmad, Malik, al-Nasai and Ibn Hibban narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out and traveled 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 beautiful skin as this, not even the skin of a virgin,” and Sahl fell to the ground. They went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 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 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 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 blessing 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, 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. Classed as saheeh (authentic) by al-Albani in al-Mishkat


I ask Allah that this benefits you. Please do share this and more importantly remember. It is highly encouraged to revive the true Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet, so please don't be afraid to correct someone when he or she says Masha Allah but omits a supplication for blessings. It is much more difficult trying to undo an evil eye after one has cast it. We should also take all the necessary precautions that we are taught from the Sunnah of the Prophet.

Further Reading:

http://islamqa.info/en/20954
http://onechinesemuslimah.blogspot.com/2013/12/mashaallah-does-not-protect-from-evil.html
http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/8510

Surah Fathiha

1. In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.  

2. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).  

3. The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.  

4. The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)  

5. You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).  

6. Guide us to the Straight Way 

7. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).