Is the evil eye real?
Short answer
Yes. The evil eye is real as established in the Sunnah, while no harm occurs except by Allah’s permission and decree.
Evidence and explanation
The source cites the Prophetic teaching that the evil eye is real and mentions some of the prescribed means of treatment and protection.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
وسائل علاج العين — فتوى ١٠٨٤٩- Question
«تقول في آخر سؤال نعرضه في هذه الحلقة: العين حق فهل هناك علاج لها مما ثبت عن النبي ﷺ؟»
English translation (unreviewed): She says, in the last question we present in this episode: The evil eye is real; is there a treatment for it that is established from the Prophet ﷺ?
- From the text of the answer
«نعم، العين حق هذا حديث صحيح، قال: العين حق، وإذا استغسلتم؛ فاغسلوا فإذا عرف العائن يطلب منه أن يغسل وجهه، وأطراف يديه، وداخلة إزاره، وأطراف قدميه، توضع في إناء، وتصب على المعين، ويبرأ -بإذن الله- ولو تمضمض، وغسل وجهه؛ كفى هذا مجرب، يصب على المعين، ويبرأ بإذن الله هذا من العلاج النبوي.»
English translation (unreviewed): Yes, the evil eye is real; this is an authentic hadith. He said: “The evil eye is real, and if you are asked to wash, then wash.” So when the person who cast the evil eye is known, he is asked to wash his face, the tips of his hands, the inside of his waist-wrapper and the tips of his feet, in a vessel, and it is poured over the afflicted person, and he recovers, by Allah's permission; and even if he rinsed his mouth and washed his face, that would suffice. This is tried; it is poured over the afflicted and he recovers by Allah's permission. This is part of the prophetic treatment.
- Evidence as the shaykh cited it
«ومن العلاج أيضًا أن يقرأ عليه بعض الآيات مثل الفاتحة، وآية الكرسي و قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ [الأخلاص: ١] والمعوذتين، هذه من أسباب الشفاء أيضًا.»
English translation (unreviewed): Part of the treatment also is that some verses are recited over him, such as al-Fatihah, Ayat al-Kursi, “Say: He is Allah, One” [al-Ikhlas: 1] and the two Mu'awwidhatayn; these too are among the causes of healing.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
Ways to treat the evil eye
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him