Q. What can muslims do to protect themselves from an ‘evil eye’, or what we refer to as “malju”?
A. If a person is affected with ‘evil eye’ (Bad Nazar), then the following verses (Arabic) of the Quran should be recited and then blown upon the affected person (Tafseer Mazhari from Hasan Basri A.R). The verses are from Sura Al Qalam (verses 51 and 52) which state,
“Wa in yakadullazina kafaroo layuzliqoonaka bi- absaarihim lamma sami uz zikr. Wa yaqooloona Innahu lamajnun. Wa maa huwa illa zikrul lil’alameen.
Translation: ‘And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes, when they hear the Reminder (the Quran), and they say, Verily, he is insane’. But it is nothing else than a Reminder to the world’.
It is also narrated that on one occasion when a companion was affected with ‘evil eye’, the Prophet (SA) placed his right hand on his chest and recited, ‘Bismillah Allahumma Azhhib harraha wa bardaha wa wasbaha’. (Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Hakim- Ad Daa’u wa Dawaa).
With respect to protecting oneself from evil eyes and other similar evils, one can recite the following dua : A’ozu bi kalimaatillah at Taamaati min sharri ma khalaqa (Abu Dawood, Muslim, Tirmizi). Recite this dua 3 times in the morning and the evening.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan