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The proof that al-ayn is real
Narrated by Ibn Abbas (radiy-Allahu anhu)
الْعَيْنُ حَقٌّ وَلَوْ كَانَ شَىْءٌ سَابِقَ الْقَدَرَ سَبَقَتْهُ الْعَيْنُ وَإِذَا اسْتُغْسِلْتُمْ فَاغْسِلُواThe influence of the evil eye is a fact; and if anything would precede destiny it would be the evil eye; and when you are asked to take a bath (from its effect), you should take a bath.
Narrated by Umm Salamah (radiy-Allahu anha)
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَى فِي بَيْتِهَا جَارِيَةً فِي وَجْهِهَا سَفْعَةٌ فَقَالَ اسْتَرْقُوا لَهَا، فَإِنَّ بِهَا النَّظْرَةَThe Prophet saw a girl in Umm Salamah's house whose face had a dark spot. He said, 'Treat her with ruqyah, for she has been affected by the evil eye.'
Step 1: Seek refuge first
Before any recitation, say A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajim (I seek refuge in Allah from the rejected shaytan), then Bismillah. This sets the door of recitation in tawheed.
Step 2: Recite the Mu'awwidhat three times
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ١ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ٢ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٣ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ٤Qul huwa-llahu ahad. Allahu-s-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yulad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.
Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah is the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ ١ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ٢ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ٣ وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّٰثَٰتِ فِى ٱلْعُقَدِ ٤ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ٥Qul a'udhu bi-rabbi-l-falaq...
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of that which He created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ ١ مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ ٢ إِلَٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ ٣ مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ ٤ ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ ٥ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ ٦Qul a'udhu bi-rabbi-n-nas...
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer who whispers in the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.
Surah Al-Falaq specifically asks Allah for refuge from the envious eye - the operative verse for al-ayn. Recite all three surahs three times each.
Step 3: Recite Ayat al-Kursi
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٢٥٥Allahu la ilaha illa huwa al-Hayyul-Qayyum...
Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself testified to its protective power, especially before sleep:
Narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiy-Allahu anhu)
إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ لَنْ يَزَالَ مَعَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ وَلاَ يَقْرَبُكَ شَيْطَانٌ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَWhen you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi; a guardian from Allah will remain with you, and no shaytan will come near you until morning.
Step 4: The Prophet's du'a for the sick
Narrated by Aishah (radiy-Allahu anha)
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ اشْفِهِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًاO Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and cure him. You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing - a healing that leaves behind no illness.
Recite this du'a over yourself or the afflicted person three times. The Prophet(ﷺ)used this same wording.
Step 5: Jibril's ruqyah for the Prophet
Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (radiy-Allahu anhu)
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَIn the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye. May Allah cure you. In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.
Step 6: For children - the prophetic du'a
Narrated by Ibn Abbas (radiy-Allahu anhu)
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لاَمَّةٍI seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from every devil, every harmful creature, and every envious eye.
The Prophet(ﷺ)used these exact words for Hasan and Husayn, and noted that Ibrahim used them for Isma'il and Ishaq before him. Use them for your own children at any sign of ayn, or routinely for protection.
Step 7: Blow into your hands and wipe
Narrated by Aishah (radiy-Allahu anha)
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا أَوَى إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ جَمَعَ كَفَّيْهِ ثُمَّ نَفَثَ فِيهِمَا فَقَرَأَ فِيهِمَا قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ وَ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ وَ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ثُمَّ يَمْسَحُ بِهِمَا مَا اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَبْدَأُ بِهِمَا عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَوَجْهِهِ وَمَا أَقْبَلَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍWhenever the Prophet went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over them after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times.
Cup your hands, blow gently, then wipe from head to feet over yourself or the afflicted, three times. This is the prophetic wiping practice.
Repetition counts: odd numbers and why
The Sunnah favours odd-number repetition. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah is Witr (One) and loves the odd." Practical guidance:
- 3 times - the baseline; the Prophet recited the Mu'awwidhat 3 times and blew into his hands 3 times (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017).
- 7 times - directly Sunnah for pain (Sahih Muslim 2202). Many raqis recite Ayat al-Kursi, Al-Fatihah, and the Mu'awwidhat 7 times each for active or stubborn ayn.
- 9 or 11 times - higher odd counts used by experienced raqis for repeated or stubborn cases. These rest on the prophetic preference for odd numbers, not an explicit Sunnah count. Presence is the criterion - not the number.
If the suspected source is known
The Prophet(ﷺ)instructed that if someone is suspected of causing ayn, they be asked to perform ghusl, and the water be poured over the afflicted (Sahih Muslim 2188). This is done with their willing permission and without accusation. The Sunnah does not encourage naming, blaming, or seeking diviners to identify the source.
?How do I know if it is ayn and not something else?
?Can I recite this sequence over recorded water or oil and drink it?
?How often should this sequence be done?
?I felt strong reactions during recitation. What does that mean?
Complete reading script — recite top to bottom
This is a complete on-page session you can read end-to-end without leaving this page — opening praise of Allah, the Prophet's ﷺ ṣalawāt, ta'awwudh and bismillah, the verses authentic ruqyah reciters use for the evil eye, the Prophet's own du'ās, and a final praise. Repeat any section that settles your soul; there is no fixed count.
1. Opening — praise of Allah, ṣalawāt, taʿawwudh, bismillah
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ، حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُّبَارَكًا فِيهِ ، ٱللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَىٰ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ ، أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ ، بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِAll praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds — abundant, pure, blessed praise. O Allah, send Your prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions. I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the rejected. In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
2. Surah Al-Fātiḥah
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ١ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ٢ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٣ مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٤ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ٥ ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ ٦ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ٧In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path, the path of those You have blessed, not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.
3. Āyat al-Kursī (2:255)
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٢٥٥Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
4. Closing of Al-Baqarah (2:285-286)
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَThe Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, saying, 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say, 'We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the final destination.' Allah does not charge a soul except with that within its capacity. It will have what it has earned, and it will bear what it has earned. 'Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.'
5. The evil-eye verse — Al-Qalam 68:51-52
وَإِن يَكَادُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُۥ لَمَجْنُونٌ وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَAnd indeed those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the Reminder, and they say: 'Truly he is mad.' But it is nothing but a Reminder for all the worlds.
6. The healing verse — Al-Isrāʾ 17:82
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌۭ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًۭا ٨٢And We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.
7. The three Muʿawwidhāt — Al-Ikhlāṣ, Al-Falaq, An-Nās
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ١ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ٢ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٣ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ٤Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah is the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ ١ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ٢ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ٣ وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّٰثَٰتِ فِى ٱلْعُقَدِ ٤ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ ٥Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of that which He created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ ١ مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ ٢ إِلَٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ ٣ مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ ٤ ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ ٥ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ ٦Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer who whispers in the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.
8. The Prophet ﷺ's ruqyah du'a — place a hand on the affected area
Narrated by Aishah (radiy-Allahu anha)
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ اشْفِهِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًاO Allah, Lord of mankind, remove the harm and cure him. You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing - a healing that leaves behind no illness.
Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (radiy-Allahu anhu)
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ يُؤْذِيكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ أَوْ عَيْنِ حَاسِدٍ اللَّهُ يَشْفِيكَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ أَرْقِيكَIn the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you, from everything that harms you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye. May Allah cure you. In the name of Allah I perform ruqyah for you.
9. Closing — final praise of Allah and ṣalawāt
سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ ٱلْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ وَسَلَٰمٌ عَلَى ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَGlory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour, far above what they ascribe to Him. And peace be upon the Messengers. And all praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds.
Then say: ʾAllāhumma ṣalli wa-sallim ʿalā nabiyyinā Muḥammad — “O Allah, send Your prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.”