عين
ʿAyn
Topic
Islamic tradition holds that envy can harm, and teaches protective prayers.
What it means
The Prophet said “the evil eye is real” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim). The practice is to say “mā shāʾa Allāh” (what God wills) when admiring something, and to seek refuge by reciting the last two chapters of the Quran. In a report in the Muwaṭṭaʾ, Sahl ibn Hunayf fell ill after a man admired him, and the Prophet advised washing.
What the sources say
Muslim scholars warn against amulets, and the Prophet said that whoever hangs an amulet has committed shirk (Ahmad). The remedy is to remember God.