Amount of water used in treating victim of evil eye
Fatwa No: 321811

Question

Assalaamu alaykum. If someone has been inflicted with the evil eye and asks for the water of the ablution of that person who caused the evil eye, then what should be the amount of that water? Should he wash his whole body with that water or just the affected part? Can the water of the ablution be applied to a women who is in her menses? Will the water work on that lady who is in her period of impurity?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. 

There is no specified amount for the water that the person who caused the evil eye gives to the victim of the evil eye; rather, it should be the amount of water that the former uses to perform ablution and wash inside his inner garment. This water is collected in a vessel and poured over the person afflicted with the evil eye.

The preponderant view is that this water should be poured over the victim from behind, over his head and body, regardless of whether the water reaches the body part that was afflicted with the evil eye or not. Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar wrote:

"The manner of washing was described in the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Hunayf and cited by (Imaams) Ahmad and An-Nasaa'i and declared authentic by Ibn Hibbaan. It was reported from Az-Zuhri on the authority of Abu Umaamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf that his father told him that the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, once set out and that his Companions walked with him towards a water source. When they reached the Kharraar mountain-pass in Al-Juhfah, Sahl ibn Hunyaf washed therein. He was a man with beautiful white skin. ʻAamir ibn Rabeeʻah looked at him and said, ‘I have never seen the like of what I see today, not even the skin of a maiden who has never been outside.’ Sahl fell ill on the spot. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, was informed about it and said, ‘Do you suspect anyone of it?’ They said, ‘ʻAamir ibn Rabeeʻah.’ So he summoned ʻAamir and was furious with him and said, ‘Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not say when you see something you like, ‘May Allaah bless you?’’ He, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, then said to ʻAamir, ‘Wash yourself for him.’ ʻAamir washed his face, hands, elbows, knees, his feet, and inside his lower garment in a vessel. Then a man poured this water over Sahl from behind him over his head and back, then the vessel was turned upside down. When this was done, Sahl went off with the people, and there was nothing wrong with him...” [Fat-h Al-Baari]

The scholars held that it is allowed for the menstruating woman to recite the ruqyah (Quranic healing) for herself from the evil eye or the like; this indicates that she benefits of it by the Will of Allaah. Haashiyat As-Saawi ʻala Ash-Sharh As-Sagheer reads:

According to the above-mentioned evidence, the state of janaabah (post-sex state of impurity), menstruation, and post-partum bleeding make impermissible all that which the hadath (minor state of impurity) makes impermissible such as, performing prayer, tawaaf (circumambulation around the Ka'abah), and touching the Quran or part of it. It also prevents reciting the Quran, except for the menstruating woman and the woman in post-partum bleeding, as shall be underlined later. The recitation of a few verses of the Quran is excluded in this case for purposes such as seeking refuge with Allaah before sleeping or out of fear of evil men or jinn. Examples of such few verses are Aayat Al-Kursi, Soorah Al-Falaq, and Soorah An-Naas. Also excluded is reciting the ruqyah for oneself or others from the evil eye or from pain, or to clarify a religious ruling, such as reciting the verse: {...But Allaah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest)...} [Quran 2:275]”

For more benefit, please refer to fataawa 32262 and 82648.

Allaah knows best.

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