Assalaamu alaykum. I would like to know whether the evil eye can also afflict material things such as cars and houses? If so, then how can we cure the item that has been inflicted? Is it the same as if a human was afflicted, where we have to get the water from the one who gave the evil eye and pour it over the item, or do we just recite Ruqyah (healing through Quranic recitation and supplication) verses such as Surat Al-Fatihah over it? What if the item is big, such as a house, do we just pour the water on part of the house? If we ask Allah to bless the item after its been afflicted with the evil eye, will it remove the evil from it? I request a direct answer specific to my question as I already tried browsing your fatwas regarding this but could not find a specific answer to what I am asking relating to the evil eye. I look forward to seeing your reply.

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 is His slave and Messenger.

Just as the evil eye affects a person, it can also affect his wealth; the Prophet said, “If one of you sees in himself or his wealth (property) or his brother what he likes, let him supplicate Allah to bless it, as the evil eye is true.” [Ibn as-Sunni and Al-Haakim - Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh (sound)]

Some contemporary scholars said that treating the car, the house, and the like from the evil eye is done in the same manner as treating the person; so one can pour the water with which the one who gave the evil eye performed Ghusl (ritual shower) on part of the house or the car. One can also perform Ruqyah on it with the Faatihah or any other Chapter or verse from the Quran.

Shaykh Ibn Jibreen was asked the following question with regard to performing Ruqyah on a car, “We were informed by one of the reciters (of the Quran) that someone affected his car with the evil eye, so he asked the giver of the evil eye to perform ablution and then took that water and put it in the car radiator, and the car moved as if there was nothing wrong with it. What is the ruling on his action? From what I know from the Sunnah, one is to take the water with which the giver of the evil eye performed Ghusl when he affects another person with the evil eye (not an object)." 

The Shaykh's reply was as follows:

“There is nothing wrong with this. Just as the evil eye affects riding animals, it may also affect factories, houses, trees, products, cars, wild animals, etc.

The treatment of its effect is that the giver of the evil eye performs ablution or Ghusl or washes part of his body, and this water is then poured on the riding animal and the like, such as the car. Putting that water in the car radiator is beneficial – Allah willing – as this is a treatment for such an effect, as the Prophet said, ‘If someone asks you for the water of your Ghusl, then perform Ghusl [and give him that water].’” [Muslim, 2188]

There are well-known stories and incidents in this regard.” [Excerpted from Al-Fataawa Ath-Thahabiyyah fi Ar-Ruqah Ash-Shar’iyyah, p. 111]

Further evidence for this is the statement of Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer (exegesis), “Some scholars of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) said: Whoever admires something in his state of affairs, his property, or his children, let him say: 'Ma shaa Allah La Quwwata illa billah' (What Allah willed [has occurred], there is no power except in Allah); this is taken from the verse: {And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah'?} [Quran 17:39]”

As for when one is affected with the evil eye, then one can treat himself with Ruqyah or ask the person who affected him with the evil eye to perform Ghusl and give him that water, if he knows who that person is. Al-Qurtubi said, “The Prophet ordered in the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah that the person who affected someone else with the evil eye perform Ghusl, and here he ordered performing Ruqyah. Our scholars said: A person performs Ruqyah from the evil eye if he does not know the person who affected him with it, but if he knows the one who affected him with it, he should ask that person to perform ablution (and get that water) as per the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah.”

Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Whoever tried supplications and the recitation of chapters 213 and 214 from the Quran knows the extent of their benefit and the great need for them; this prevents the effect of the evil eye and repels it after it reaches the person according to the strength of faith of the sayer, the strength of his soul, his readiness, his trust (in Allah), and the steadfastness of his heart. It is a weapon, and the weapon harms and affects according to the strength of the one who uses it.” [Excerpted from Zaad Al-Ma'aad]

Among the beneficial Ruqyah – Allah willing – is to recite the Faatihah (the opening chapter of the Quran), verses 255, 285 and 286 from Surat Al-Baqarah, and verse 51 from Chapter 68, which means {And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."}; and Chapters: 112, 113 and 114; and some Prophetic supplications, such as the saying of the Prophet “I commend you to the protection of Allah’s perfect words from every devil, vermin, and every evil eye;” and “In the name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah on you from everything that harms you, and from the evil of every soul and the evil eye of every envious person, Allah will cure you; in the name of Allah, I perform Ruqyah on you.”

Allah knows best.