Islamic Life Coach School Podcast
Islamic Life Coach School Podcast
The Evil Eye or A'in
Can jealousy really manifest harm in your life?
In this episode, I explore the nuanced and often misunderstood concept of the evil eye, or al-ayn, within Islam. Backed by hadith and insights from Islamic scholar.
I attempt to bridge ancient beliefs with modern scientific perspectives on human energy fields. I unpack how negative emotions like jealousy can impact our lives and why self-awareness and accountability is a part of the treatment.
You'll gain practical advice on how to keep jealousy in check, pray for others, and focus on positive intentions to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Fear of the evil eye weakens your faith in Allah, leading to unnecessary stress and anxiety. Here, we discuss the importance of focusing on Allah's ultimate power rather than succumbing to fear. Through the use of Ruqya, the recitation of Quranic verses and supplications, we offer a spiritual toolkit for protection.
Learn how to discern reputable spiritual healers and avoid those who might exploit your fears for financial gain. Real-life examples illustrate the pitfalls of misattributing personal and familial issues to the evil eye.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this podcast has benefited you, imagine the value of a one-on-one meeting with me! Click below to schedule your FREE consultation. Discover solutions with no obligation.
https://www.islamiclifecoachschool.com/appointments
Welcome to Islamic Life Coach School Podcast. Apply tools that you learn in this podcast and your life will be unrecognizably successful. Now your host, dr Kamal Atar. Hello, hello, hello everyone. Peace and blessings be upon all of you.
Speaker 1:Today's topic is very profound, deep and requires a lot of insight and nuance, a subject that's been a discussion of books, lectures, and can take days to unwrap, but I'm going to try and simplify it for you to fit it in a podcast to the best of my ability. Inshallah, and that's the topic of evil eye, or al-ayn. Al-ayn literally is translated as eye in Arabic, but mostly it's used to mean evil eye. There's a modernist version of Muslims who deny the presence of evil eye just because it's hard to explain and just because it sounds like supernatural, paranormal activity. Denying of something that's not easy to understand through logic and denying of something that's uncomfortable, that's not new, that's been around for a while. So, regardless of if you're somebody who doesn't believe in the concept of rain, or believes but doesn't know the nuances of it, this podcast is for you. Okay, so the entire belief system that's based on the unseen is basically Islam. Allah SWT is unseen, so why is evil eye so hard to believe in. Currently, we actually have ways that we can explain the evil eye and I will talk about it a little bit here. So the concept of Ayn evil eye exists in Islam, concept that someone can wish bad on you and it can come true. That sounds very powerful and it is, which is why we are warned against it, which is why we're given many methods to use and utilize in our favor if we think we're affected by Ayn Prophet. Peace be upon him, said Al-Aynul Haqq. The evil eye is a fact. Imam An-Nawwi said the abab hadith is confirmation of Allah's will, the truth of ayn illness and its dangers. Al-hafiz ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said this means that a person is in harm due to the gaze of someone else, by the will of Allah, for in truth, it is within the will of Allah SWT and not because of the gaze of a person. I want you to remember evil eye is a fact, it exists, but only by the will of Allah. Just keep this in mind while I explain how this works, and then I will wrap it up with how to deal with it and how you can actually benefit from this concept.
Speaker 1:Evil eye is one of the biggest evidences of energetics practice in Islam. After Dua, allow me to explain. Article published in PubMed titled Human Energy Field a Concept Analysis says the human energy field is defined as a luminous field of energy that comprises a person, extends beyond the physical body and is in a continuous mutual process with the environmental energy field. It is a vital energy that is a continuous whole and is recognized by its unique pattern. It is dynamic, creative, non-linear, unpredictable and flows in lower and higher frequencies. I'm giving you the definition of human energy field because I want you guys to know where we are at with the understanding of the force behind iron. It is becoming more and more clear scientifically that there is more to a human being than meets the eye, more than the physical body, a force that a human carries based on its energy, and that energy is based on emotions. This is now measurable by more and more evolved scientific instruments and methods of study. Rain is the use of human energetics, a vibrational frequency you emit because of your inner experience, your thoughts and emotions.
Speaker 1:Sheikh Yasir Qadhi says in his talk Truth About the Evil Eye that there's some evidence in literature that a deep jealousy that you hold for someone or someone else holds for you fuels the evil jinn. And they are the ones that cause harm to the object of jealousy. The reason I'm explaining all of this to you is because solutions require all of this explanation. Now I'm going to tell you about the solutions and then summarize them. Since Arain stems from negative emotions you harbor towards someone, your first responsibility in addressing the force of evil eye is to take account of your own feelings. You will be held accountable for the jealousy you carry in your heart, even if it's unintentional or unconscious, especially if it's intended to cause harm through Ayn. Ignorance doesn't exempt you from this responsibility. May Allah protect us from such questioning. If you think you've been a victim of Iwil A'i, redirect the urge to resent the person you suspect and instead pray for them or at least have compassion for them. They're engaging in a sinful act that will be exposed on the day of judgment and they will be held accountable. Those who carry sustained jealousy without addressing it or healing it will face accountability, because it's an ongoing act.
Speaker 1:We all experience fleeting jealousy, whether it's over someone's success, wealth, square footage of their house, lifestyle. But all emotions, including jealousy, were created by Allah with a purpose. Jealousy teaches us what we value, guides us to grow towards what we want, without necessarily wishing ill on others, guides us to grow towards what we want without necessarily wishing ill on others. The real danger comes in when jealousy festers, turning into something that you feel daily, something that consumes you. This sustained jealousy is what fuels the evil jinn, leading to the harmful effects of rain.
Speaker 1:Don't think that you cannot cause evil eye to someone else, even if you try to come to all of your interactions with a pure intention. That's why we were told to say mashallah, or say something to the effect of may Allah bless it for you. You can fuel our aim even with no malintentions towards the other person. If you wished, you had more time off of work as your friend, or you had the same benefits, or your kids were just as well behaved. Keep these subtle thoughts in check and pray for the owner of these blessings.
Speaker 1:Another solution, after keeping your feelings in check, for evil eye, comes from where you decide to focus. Okay, as an example for that, I want you guys to consider one question that I hear very commonly being asked in my coaching practice and that you might be asking yourself, and that is how do I prove that the bad outcome in my life is because of rain, or I'm sure, the bad outcome in my life is because of rain. There are some indications of how you can tell if the affliction is a result of evil eye. Sometimes the suddenness and the gravity of the situation is an indication, but even then it's not proof. But let's consider the subconscious reason that you might be asking this question how do I prove that the bad outcome in my life is because of Ayn? The deeper intention behind this question is your need to prove your fear correct. If you can prove a certain outcome is because of Ayn, then you will be justified in feeling the victim of your circumstance. Then you will be justified of feeling afraid of it. And if your mind is primed to be afraid of something, then it will only ask questions to prove that fear correct. And that, I believe, is why most people ask this question.
Speaker 1:If you find yourself thinking and rethinking all of the ways that you can prove your circumstances to be because of evil eye, I invite you to consider that this is a very disempowering, very self-deprecating question. This question is along the lines of victimhood of Areen. Any thought process along these lines highly distracts you from the real power that you hold and that's your faith in Allah's power. Rain is a test. It came into being with Allah's will. It was created by Allah. It can only hold as much power to debilitate you, as much as you give it and as much as you forget to invoke Allah for protection, for reversing the effects of it, for making this test easy for you, or if you frequently forget to ask Allah to keep you protected from the effects of evil eye. That is all the power it can ever hold, the power that you give it.
Speaker 1:The truth behind questions like this is your need to prove to the world that now you're a victim of something that's out of your control, and then there's nothing that can be done. But why do you need to prove something that you don't have any control over? Because, regardless, the outcome is still going to be the same. What you need to be doing is to focus on the fix, which is the remembrance of Allah. The fixation of the identification of the source of the problem takes away from the fixation of the identification of the source of the problem, takes away from your fixation on the greatest power there is Allah SWT, who can actually solve the problem for you. The way Muslim women collectively use this belief against ourselves is that we become a victim of it because we don't have any power against it itself, and this comes from a mindset of helplessness.
Speaker 1:The victim mentality of the collectively traumatized Muslim nation hyper focuses on the intangibility of Ayn. All because it's something to be afraid of, because you can't quantify it, you can't identify it, you can't find the source of it. It remains mysterious. It's powerful, it's uncontrollable and you remain afraid of it. But this level of hyperfocus does not let you pay attention to all of the methods of protection that you actually have against it, which is you purify your intention and you solidify your belief in the mercy of Allah, in the power of Allah SWT over any evil or jinn, and the power that you have in invoking Allah in du'as, remembering His names and attributes, doing excessive dhikr. So this brings me to the next solution, which is address the fear of it.
Speaker 1:When you're afraid of the evil eye, the fear will not let you focus on the greater power there is. Even the Prophet peace be upon him asked for protection against Ayn. In the victim mentality, you will tend to think that you've fallen out of the favor of Allah and that's why this is happening to you, when that's not true at all. This spiritual pitfall is a belief. Because of a whisper of shaitan and because of this pitfall, you will not pray with unwavering faith in Allah that has power over any evil. You will pray from fear, which does work, but it only takes you so far. When you're praying for protection from ayn from a place of fear, you will focus on the evil eye, your mind will have Ayn and its bad effects at the forefront, but when you pray from the place of belief in Allah's ultimate power over any evil, you will focus on Allah's might, power, all-encompassing mercy. That will take you much farther in your life than the fear of Ayn can. That will protect you much better than any fear can.
Speaker 1:Then, of course, the other solution is don't be flashy for the sake of flashiness, but also don't keep yourself small and invisible just because of the fear of evil eye. Fear of evil eye will, for sure, protect you from ostentation showing off. This is the healthy use of fear, but it will not let you excel. Fear was created to help you correct your path. It was not created for you to fuel your actions from, because you will not be able to create abundance in your life just from fear. So think about it this way Evil eye is described in Islam as a circumstance, meaning it happens, it's out of your control, but how you think about it and how you approach it will dictate what outcomes you have in your life. And my thoughts are yes, evil eye is true, but the higher truth is Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. Yes, evil eye is true, but the higher truth is Allah. Yes, evil eye can cause me harm, but Allah is who protects me in His mercy.
Speaker 1:Ruqya, recitation of Quran, remembrance of Allah to remove the metaphysical affliction is a very commonly prescribed method against Ayn. After my recent consultation with a scholar, he reminded me that Surah Nas and Surah Falak are revealed for this reason, and the Prophet, peace be upon him recited them. For this reason, you perform Ruqya yourself or you get yourself to a reliable spiritual healer who can perform it for you. But I do want to emphasize that it is not mandatory for you to go to a faith healer or for a spiritual healer to be involved. You can recite the Quran for yourself, but if you do seek advice, seek it from a reputable scholar for guidance under the right or severe circumstances. You have the responsibility to ensure that the faith healer you reach out to is not exploiting the power dynamic, not unfairly using their knowledge to charge more money or to keep you in victim mentality. This is where it becomes super important. You will only be able to have this discernment if you have not been overcome by the fear of the evil eye, if you're not debilitated by it, because then you can make an informed decision about the intentions of the healer. Beware of the healers who take the solution into their own hand, forgetting that the ultimate solution comes only from Allah. The healer is merely a means. If you lose sight of this during your interaction, then this is a red flag.
Speaker 1:The word ruqya itself in Arabic means invocation or recitation for healing. The practice itself involves reciting verses from the Quran, the names and attributes of Allah and other du'as and supplications Things I've already mentioned. But somewhere along the cultural evolution of the concept of evil eye, the ruqya became some complicated thing that only a select few can perform, which it is not. I am not undermining the effect of a spiritually evolved scholar here, a teacher that is more evolved than you, knowing the ins and outs of Ruqya. I personally deeply admire people who dedicate their lives to this level of knowledge, but also for you to remember that you're more than capable of doing the recitations, the adhkar, remembering the names, all with the intention of breaking the effects of evil eye.
Speaker 1:The current widespread cultural interpretations of Ayn that you grew up learning are based on the dominance of the fear brain coming from other human beings' lower intention and the need of control of the less knowledgeable people, in which case it becomes a business tactic. You want to employ a Ruqya by a scholar. Make sure he has a sound reputation and a source of knowledge. Okay. So I personally don't know what the fiqh ruling is about charging people money for ruqya. I do think anyone with a skill set higher than yours and more knowledge than you into the matter and someone who is more spiritually evolved than you that is willing to help you deserves a compensation. I'm not saying avoid everyone requiring a payment. Money exchange for services should not be an automatic disqualifier of a scholar who otherwise is equipped to do ruqya for you. I'm just saying just don't hand them over your power, along with your money, you have power, power of faith and tools of worship that are recommended as a treatment for the evil eye and, of course, you always have the option of involving a more advanced spiritual healer and a scholar.
Speaker 1:Okay, so now let me take some time to describe some real examples that I see, some examples that people describe as being factual and appear innocent at face value, but are all projections of the fear-based brain. I'm infertile because my mother-in-law has iron on me, but how do you know? You or your husband don't have a medical reason behind the infertility. Or, let's say, your parents were divorced when you were a child. You self-blame, you have low self-esteem because of it. That does not necessarily mean that your house was under the effect of evil eye.
Speaker 1:Do your personal work, lift yourself up. You, as a mother, worry that your daughter has evil eye. Daughter doesn't have confidence. She's very anxious around exams, but did you get her help? Is there treatable diagnosis of social anxiety, neurodivergence, or, if you're a woman who's worried that she's not getting any proposals because of her looks, did you do the internal work to feel confident in your skin, being self-assured and remembering your whole intact worth as a human being? Did you do any body image work? Because your body is a constant. If you perceive it as defective, then the world will agree with you Because that's how you will show up. And then, no surprise, there'll be no proposals Because people don't like to be around people who are so deep in their doubts that they can't see their own beauty. It's not necessarily evil eye.
Speaker 1:Women in my group coaching sometimes don't want to share their wins because they're afraid of the evil eye. And this fear is real. Evil eye is real and you don't have to share anything that's beyond your comfort zone. You can ask anybody that participates in my group coaching that I work very hard to create a wholesome, inclusive and safe space. But if posting your win gives your brain evidence to keep going, evidence that you're helping others see the possible solutions to their problems, evidence that there's much more good in your sharing than the fear of evil eye presents to you, then please acknowledge the fear and acknowledge your win.
Speaker 1:Do the risk-benefit analysis of your actions, but do it from your higher brain. The higher brain considers fear but does not succumb to it. Use the power of discernment in your favor rather than the constant hammer of the fear that keeps you small. If you are afraid of something bad happening because of your decision, then your subconscious mind will see to it that it does. Your mind will go out of its way to find evidence that this is happening because of evil eye, if that's what you want to believe, but a reality that your brain presents to you is not the reality. What could be happening is that a hardship in your life is just transient and it's actually better for you. You lost your job and you think it's because of evil eye, while that's possible. What makes you think it's not because the company? While that's possible. What makes you think it's not because the company is downsizing or because you clocked in late three days in a row? Or maybe there's something more merciful in it from Allah for you. Something better is coming. How do you know? This is not the safer route for you. Whatever you believe will come true.
Speaker 1:All that the concept of evil eye has become is a lack of motivation to do your inner work, the taskiyat-nafs dressed up in the fear of evil eye boogeyman. Fear of being single for the rest of your life, fear of rejection of society based on your body type, fear of being a bad parent, fear of diagnosis, fear of inadequacy in a divorced parent home, fear, fear, fear. Evil eye is not as common as your fear of it is. Let me say that again Evil eye is not as common as your fear of it, which makes it look like it's present everywhere, which takes away from your focus on your spirituality, which is your lower brain's primary job, which is shaitan's primary job. Evil eye is not that common. Your fear and paranoia about it is much more common, all stemming from cultural interpretations of rain, again, again, which are mostly based on its fear, because, by definition, it is out of your control and the primal brain kicks into full gear and latches onto the fear, making it larger than life.
Speaker 1:This gripping fear leads you to victim mentality, a habit of attributing events in your life to external circumstances beyond your control. Concept of evil eye is not so that you can live your life in the fear of it. It's so that you can get closer to Allah. By keeping you in victimhood of the evil eye, your nafs and, by extension, shaitan, keeps you from working towards growth and your empowerment. If your family suffered a loss of a parent, you feel scared. You don't have that protection anymore. Bills go unpaid, insurance is not renewed in time because you're not used to that level of responsibility. Loss of the parent or the hardships you face aren't necessarily a result of evil eye. Maybe it is a test from Allah so that you can recognize your difficulty in adjusting to the new norm and work on yourself, or you thinking that I can't throw this Eid party. I'm afraid of people's evil eye on our blessings, and I can go on and on forever. Trust me, it shows up more commonly in your mind than you're aware of and ironically, evil eye itself is not that common. But let's say, even if it is the case, let's say you have found a way to prove that you are affected by the evil eye. The treatment remains the same Asking Allah SWT for His blessings and intervention, invoking Him in dua ruqya, and doing that excessively. There is an immense importance in moving away from victim mentality, moving towards empowerment, and this shift in your perception will impact your emotional and mental well-being. This is exactly what we do all day in our Empowered Muslim Women program.
Speaker 1:Major signs that you're under the cultural influence of Areen and not Areen itself, is that your life is anxiety-ridden. You're mostly living in negative emotions. Most thoughts that cross your mind are fear-based, that invoke a never-ending cycle of emotional turmoil that drains your energy. You leave your house, you worry. You enter it, you worry. You engage in worship but can't find peace. You have irrational fears. I shouldn't be seen driving in my car, people will give my freedom an evil eye. I shouldn't announce my graduation, my new job, the fact that I'm eating guava from my tree in the garden. I shouldn't disclose any of this because I can get affected by the evil eye. You are in the grip of irrational fears more than the actual itself, and the guava in the tree example might have been mine. So before you worry about protecting yourself from somebody else's evil eye, consider how much of negative energy are you putting into the world yourself.
Speaker 1:If the fear of evil eye crosses your mind, then pay attention. Maybe it's that your intention behind the task needs to be corrected. Maybe things can be done more discreetly, but do not be overcome by the fear. Evil eye is powerful, but it is not as powerful as the will of Allah. If the fear of evil eye crosses your mind and you have pure intentions behind your task, then this is your reminder to invoke Allah in deep, genuine, heartfelt dua. This is your opportunity to do dhikr. Fear of rain should not make you small. It should not make you curl up and live in constant fear. It is created so that you remember Allah and stay protected from it.
Speaker 1:Purification of intentions takes unearthing subconscious beliefs. Do I really want to speak in front of people to help them, or do I think it will look good on my CV? Do I really think I can help women through my podcast or do I think it will help my business? And again, this last one might or might not have been true for me. My responsibility is to purify my intentions and ask Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, for protection. Your responsibility is to make dua for me, inshallah, just so I can keep these amazing podcasts coming your way.
Speaker 1:If you're the extreme that denies the existence of rain, coming your way. If you're the extreme that denies the existence of rain, just question if it is the overwhelming fear of the unknown force of evil that is driving you to do that, and then remind yourself that the bigger force is Allah SWT. If, behind a task, this action you want to take, if there's a fear of the evil eye because you're exposing yourself to more visibility now, the fear is not created for you to abandon your task altogether. It is created so that you can carefully evaluate the outcomes you will get from this visibility. Do a risk-benefit analysis and remember Allah, ask Him to protect you. Remind yourself over and over what pure intentions you're coming to the task with. Fear of evil eye is an opportunity for you to get closer to Allah. Yes, evil eye is a fact, but Allah is the greatest fact.
Speaker 1:I want to wrap up this podcast by admitting to my shortcoming when it comes to this subject. I cited a lot of resources, not as an expert or an Islamic scholar, but because I used these for my own understanding. I contribute to this topic based on my expertise of the overwhelming fear of evil eye that the brain creates that I very commonly see in my practice as a life coach. When you hyper focus on the uncontrollability of evil eye, when you use it as a source of anxiety, then of course, mental health takes a toll because you're focusing on something that is not in your control. How about you focus on what is in your control? And I know this podcast has been longer than usual, but I wanted to make this topic as impactful as possible, inshallah.
Speaker 1:So, to summarize, solution-based thinking requires you to check your intentions behind a task that require visibility. You scanning through your intentions about other people's resources that they're given and going through your own intentions with a fine-tooth comb to not miss an opportunity of internal work If you do find something inspirational in someone else that you want for yourself, then invoke Allah, say mashallah, say barakallahu fihi. May Allah bless it, may Allah expand it for you. Allah subhanahu wa ta' Allah will give you more of it, because angels are always making dua for you. When you make a blessed dua for someone else, abu Darda reported, the messenger of Allah peace be upon him said no servant supplicates for his brother behind his back, but the angel says and for you the same.
Speaker 1:Next is that hint of jealousy that you feel is the declaration that your brain is making that you want something for yourself. So just work towards it. Redefine a hardship as a test for your benefit in this world. And the next Cognitive reframing, rewiring your mind around how you think about evil eye. That is how you stay protected from it. Fear of it will only make it larger than life.
Speaker 1:Evil eye is not as common as you're thinking about it is. It might seem common because of its popularity and again, it's popular because of its fear factor. There is a healthy fear and then there is a misplaced fear that doesn't let you take any steps and, above all, nothing can happen without Allah's will. So ask Allah deeply, frequently and sincerely for His protection and ask Him to reverse the effects of evil eye on you. If you do suspect it, even the Prophet asked Allah for protection against it. The dua he used was I seek refuge in the perfect speech of Allah from every shaitan and creature that harms and from every jealous eye. Those are the things that are in your control. This is how you you approach rain to not become a victim of it, and that is what I hope to convey in this podcast not to come off as an expert on the subject.
Speaker 1:Islamic scholars spend their entire lifetimes in deep learning and are much more equipped to address this subject. But next time you ask a scholar, keep these key points in mind. It will make the conversation much more impactful and it will flow much more naturally. With that, I pray to Allah SWT. O Allah, I seek refuge in you from the harm of every envious eye and the evil that lurks in the unseen. O Allah, protect me and all of us from the effects of jealousy and grant us the strength to trust in your ultimate power. Purify our hearts from envy and fill it with contentment and peace. Guide us to focus on your mercy and to always turn to you in times of fear O Allah, keep me firm in my faith and protect me from all harm seen and the unseen. Ameen, ya Rabbul A'ameen, please keep me in your du'as. I will talk to you guys next time.