A lady from India asked Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (may Allah be his Helper) whether magic and the evil eye actually existed and whether they could affect a person.
In his letter dated August 11, 2025, Huzoor-e-Anwar (may Allah be his Helper) provided the following guidance:
“Magic is, in reality, another name for deception and trickery and the notion of it has existed in the world since ancient times. The Holy Qur’an also mentions it, but never presents it favourably. Rather, for our guidance, it lays down the principle that a magician can never succeed against God Almighty, whichever direction he may approach from. [20:70]
“As for what you have written concerning the evil eye, it is indeed a reality. This means that the person casting the gaze expresses an intentional or unintentional wish, to which God Almighty gives effect. Thus, it is recorded in a hadith that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘The evil eye is real.’ [Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-tibb, Bab al-‘ainu haqq]
“This is not simply a matter of whether the gaze is one’s own or another’s, or whether the intention is good or bad. At times, one’s own gaze can have this effect. A mother’s gaze can also affect her child, particularly when she thinks, ‘I have nursed this child’ or ‘I have raised this child’, while overlooking God Almighty’s part in the matter. Such thoughts have a harmful effect on the child.
“Therefore, one should depend upon God Almighty alone in every undertaking. Every task should begin with prayer. One should say Insha’Allah concerning anything to be done in the future and Masha’Allah upon seeing something good that someone possesses. One should also recite the supplication taught by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ, ‘There is no power nor strength except through Allah.’ If affected by the evil eye, one should pray by reciting Surah al-Fatihah, Surah al-Falaq, Surah an-Nas and so forth.
“In fact, Allah the Exalted has endowed the human organs with various powers. These are weaker in some people and stronger in others. Among them is the power of the eye and the gaze. When a person sees something and finds it pleasing, envy arises in some people’s hearts. Those whose eyes possess this power to a greater degree affect the object when they look at it with thoughts full of envy. This is commonly called being affected by the evil eye. It is also referred to as hypnotism and mesmerism and is a form of parapsychology.
“This is why the remedy described in the hadith is that a person affected by the evil eye should bathe. [Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-salam, Bab at-tibbi wa l-maradi wa r-ruqa] When water falls upon their body as they bathe and stimulates their nervous system, the effect of another person’s gaze upon them will dissipate.
[Al Hakam, Answers to Everyday Issues – Part 120]