his evil eye, asking Allah to bless him, as indicated by the hadith of Sahl ibn Hunayf. He should say, “O Allah, bless him,” or name the person or thing specifically and say, “O Allah, bless so-and-so.” Invoking such a blessing is obligatory because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded it and reinforced that command by using the imperative lām. Indeed, he (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry and indignant with Āmir. No contextual evidence has been transmitted that would divert this command from obligation. This is one argument.

A second argument is that invoking a blessing upon someone feared to be at risk from the evil eye is a safeguard against killing or harming a Muslim. The evil eye can kill and can bring a man to ruin. The hadith states that a Muslim’s blood, property, and honor are all inviolable to another Muslim, just as the Sacred City is inviolable during the sacred month. There is no disagreement that guarding against this is obligatory. When an objective is obligatory, the means leading to it are likewise obligatory, as established in legal theory. Al-Qurtubī (may Allah have mercy on him) adopted this view in his Tafsīr, saying: “Every Muslim who admires something must invoke a blessing (upon it), for when he prays for blessing, the feared harm is inevitably averted.” (1)

Some people pronounce the takbīr against someone they fear may cast the evil eye. Shaykh al-Shinqītī said in Adwā al-Bayān: “If anyone suspects another person of casting the evil eye, he should say, ‘Allah is greatest,’ three times when he fears harm from him. Allah will thereby ward off the evil eye. Praise be to Allah.” End quote.

Shaykh Atiyya Sālim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is said that a person who fears that another person’s evil eye may harm him or his property should say over himself, ‘What Allah has willed; blessed is Allah,’ raising his voice so that the person he fears can hear him. Alternatively, he may say over himself or his property, ‘Allah is greatest,’ three times.” (2)

I have found no hadith supporting this, so I do not endorse it. Indeed, I do not believe even its basis has been established, let alone the stipulation that it be said three times! Some people—indeed, this is the common practice in our country—invoke blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and say to someone they fear, “Invoke blessings upon the Prophet, so-and-so; do not envy him.” This too has not been transmitted, so it should not be said. What is authentically established is sufficient. Whoever is not content with what has been established—may Allah not grant him sufficiency.