In the name of Allaah. Dear Shaykh, can the evil eye be transmitted via photograph? Someone gets good things from Allaah and he uploads his photographs showing the good things on social media. Are these photos a medium of the evil eye? May Allaah reward you.

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

The most likely correct view is that the effect of the evil eye could materialize by vision even if the ‘Aa'in (the one casting the evil eye) and the Ma‘een (the one on whom the evil eye is cast) are at a great distance from one another, such as through the mentioned social media or other media. Rather, the person may be afflicted with the evil eye even if the ‘Aa'in has not actually seen him!

Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote, "The one casting the evil eye does not even have to see the one on whom the evil eye is cast; he may be blind and something is described to him so he casts an evil eye on it without seeing it. In many cases, the evil eye affects the Ma‘een through mere description without actually seeing him." [Zaad Al-Ma‘aad]

Badaa'i‘ Al-Fawaa'id reads, "The ‘Aa'in and the Haasid (envier) are similar in one aspect and different in another. They are similar in the fact that both have an internal inclination to harm the affected person. The ‘Aa'in develops this inclination upon meeting the affected person and seeing him, whereas the envier develops it in the absence or presence of the envied person."

The Muslim is enjoined to seek the means to protect himself from the evil eye, one of which is refraining from showing the good things and blessings he enjoys without need, because this exposes him to envy. Allah, The Exalted, says about Ya‘qoob (Jacob) : {And he said: O my sons, do not enter from one gate but enter from different gates; and I cannot avail you against (the decree of) Allah at all. The decision is only for Allah; upon Him I have relied, and upon Him let those who would rely (indeed) rely.} [Quran 12:67] He said this to his sons because when people see a group who are handsome and strong as such, they may envy them, so their father commanded them to enter from different gates and conceal the fact that they were brothers, fearing potential malice.

Allah knows best.