Among the protective invocations and remembrances that may be recited by someone who sees something that impresses him is: “There is no power or strength except through Allah.”
Suhayb reported that, during the days of Hunayn, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would move his lips after the Fajr prayer, saying something we had not seen him say before. We asked, “O Messenger of Allah, we see you doing something you did not do before. What are you saying as you move your lips?” He replied:
“One of the prophets before your time was impressed by the great number of his community. He said, ‘Nothing will be able to stand against these people.’ Allah then revealed to him: ‘Give your community the choice of one of three things: either We will unleash against them an enemy from outside their ranks who will overrun them; or hunger; or We will send death upon them.’ He consulted them, and they said, ‘As for the enemy, we have no strength to withstand them; as for hunger, we have no patience to endure it. Let it be death.’ Allah therefore sent death upon them, and seventy thousand of them died within three days.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, upon seeing their great numbers, “So now I say: ‘O Allah, through You I strive, through You I assail and prevail, and through You I fight.’” Another narration reads: “O Allah, through You I fight, through You I assail and prevail, and there is no power or strength except through Allah.” (1)
Second: Concealing from an envious person the attractive qualities of whatever one fears may be afflicted by the evil eye
Its basis is established in the Quran, and there are authentic reports attributed to the Companions concerning it. The Prophet of Allah Jacob (peace be upon him) took precautions against the evil eye. Allah Most High says:
“And he said, ‘O my sons, do not enter through one gate, but enter through different gates. Yet I cannot avail you against Allah in the least. Judgment belongs to Allah alone. In Him I place my trust, and in Him let all who trust place their trust.’ When they entered as their father had instructed them, it could not avail them against Allah in the least; it merely fulfilled a need in Jacob’s heart. He truly possessed knowledge because of what We had taught him, but most people do not know.”
Surah Joseph (peace be upon him), verses (67–68)