Those from Whom Envy May Arise

Envy may arise from humans and jinn alike. We know of no other kinds of beings from whom it may arise. As for human envy, it is addressed in the Quranic texts cited earlier and the hadiths to come. Envy proceeds from wicked souls, as noted above, whereas the evil eye may also be cast by a righteous man.

The most remarkable view I have encountered here is that one of the prophets (peace be upon them) admired his people and thereby afflicted them with the evil eye. This is not stated explicitly in the text. Rather, I once came across a scholar who interpreted the hadith in this way. I did not preserve the reference, either in memory or in writing, and I do not have his book with me to quote from it. It is simply something I read and have related in substance. As for the hadith itself, I have preserved its precise wording. Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him) 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)