As for the evil eye cast by the jinn, the jinn can see human beings in many of their circumstances, as our Lord Most High says: “Indeed, he and his tribe see you from where you do not see them.” The pronominal hā in innahu (“indeed, he”) refers back to Iblīs—may Allah curse him and be angry with him. For this reason, we are encouraged to say, “In the name of Allah,” upon entering the lavatory and for a Muslim to seek refuge in Allah from male and female devils. Authentic: reported by the major hadith compilers. The mention of saying, “In the name of Allah,” is absent from the versions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, but it is authentic and established through several other chains.

Likewise, when taking off his clothes, it is recommended that a Muslim say, “In the name of Allah.” (1) This is because the jinn may see him when he exposes his body, when he has intercourse with his wife, and at other times. Several hadiths attest that an envious gaze may come from the jinn. Among them is the authentic report from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge from the evil eyes of the jinn and human beings. When the two surahs of refuge were revealed, he used them and set aside everything else.” (2)

Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a young girl in her house with a dark discoloration on her face—like a black patch—and said: “Have ruqyah performed for her, for she has been afflicted by the evil eye.” (3) Abū al-Husayn al-Farrā said: “The sufʿah (dark mark) is caused by an evil gaze from the jinn.” End quote.

Ibn al-Athīr said: “A sufʿah is a slight black discoloration. It is also said to be blackness mingled with another color. In the hadith of Umm Salama, the Prophet entered her home while she had a young girl with a sufʿah. He said: ‘She has been afflicted by an evil gaze, so have ruqyah performed for her.’ That is, it was a mark from Satan. It is also said to mean a single blow from him. The term denotes a single instance of safʿ, meaning ‘seizing.’ One says, ‘He seized the horse by its forelock in order to mount it.’ The meaning is that the dark mark came upon her as a result of the evil gaze, so ruqyah should be sought for her. It is also said that sufʿah means the evil eye, while nazrah means being afflicted by the evil eye.” End quote. (4)