The Real Evil Eye
Jummah Mubarak, sis! Allah swt has advised us to be mindful of the evil eye, reminding us to be aware of those who may harbor ill intentions. While we can often gauge intentions based on outward expressions, we can never truly know the feelings or thoughts within someone's heart. As Muslims, we do not act out of fear of the evil eye in ways that contradict our faith. Let go of any lingering superstitions or thoughts of others seeking to harm you. In Surah Al-Falaq, we are taught about seeking refuge from harmful forces, including the evil that can arise from envy and jealousy, which are mentioned as part of the protection from "blowing into knots" — a reference to harmful acts in pre-Islamic practices, one of which was believed to cause illness through a knot tied by someone with ill intent.
There are different interpretations of this surah, but the core message remains that envy, jealousy, and malice can manifest as harmful forces. However, such negativity only holds power over you if you allow it to. Keep in mind, this can manifest as fear—fear of going to certain places, fear of not celebrating achievements, or constant worry that others are sabotaging your happiness. This kind of anxiety can drain your patience and undermine your faith. Remember, any burden of such, though heavy, is only visible to Allah swt. You may sense its weight, but only Allah swt sees everything, including what we cannot perceive. We must remain steadfast, seek refuge in Him, and continuously ask for His strength to protect us from all harm.
Surah Al-Falaq | 113:5
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ
…and from the evil of an envier when they envy.
The word hasad (حَاسِدٍ) used doesn’t merely mean jealously or envy. It has a deeper meaning. This word also describes obsession in other people instead of obsession with themselves and in Allah swt. Cain murdered his brother Abel, for no other reason but hasad. Shaytan continuously attacks us for no other reason but hasad. The Children of Israel did not like that the Prophet Musa (as) was chosen by Allah swt for no other reason but hasad. The reasons are many, but all balls down to hasad leading those to hatred and chipping away at their faith.
Humans are fallible, so perhaps we’ve fell short and happen to have these sort of feelings about others, there is hope. The Prophet (saw) says “There has come to you the disease of the nations before you, jealousy and hatred. This is the 'shaver' (destroyer); I do not say that it shaves hair, but that it shaves (destroys) faith.” This is perfect imagery of hair being snipped away, but is also a perfect metaphor because hair grows back after being shaved. So like your faith, it wont just go away; there’s a way back.
“Greater envy is associated with slower - not higher - growth of psychological well-being in the future”
The rise of social media and advertising has contributed to feelings of inadequacy and envy. This paper presents the first large-scale, longitudinal study on envy and its impact on psychological health, analyzing data from 18,000 individuals over three time points: 2005, 2009, and 2013. Four key findings emerge:
Youth are most susceptible to envy, with levels decreasing as people age, aligning with socioemotional regulation theory.
Envy is a strong predictor of worse mental health and well-being in the future, with high levels of envy correlating with a significant decline in mental health.
Envy does not motivate growth; instead, it is associated with slower psychological development and does not predict economic success.
A U-shaped pattern of well-being is observed across ages, with envy decreasing over time but not altering this age-related well-being trend.
The study highlights the need for societal attention to institutions that foster large-scale envy, as they can have long-term detrimental effects on mental health.
