I say: Let us leave aside what the shaykh deemed recommended and confine ourselves to what the verse contains: saying, Mā shā Allah, lā quwwata illā billāh (Whatever Allah wills; there is no power except through Allah).

• To seek refuge in Allah from envy and the evil of those who envy.

One should say, “I seek refuge in Allah from envy,” or, “I seek refuge in Allah from the evil eye.” I say this because the Companions used the most direct formula for seeking refuge. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave,” they would say, “We seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave.” They did not embellish their words and expressions or employ contrived rhymed prose. They were the furthest of all people from affectation, for their sincerity left them no room for it. We ask Allah for sincerity and well-being. Seeking refuge from the evil eye is also reported in a hadith traced back to the Prophet.

If one were to say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,” or recite the surah, that would suffice and fulfill the command. Allah Most High says:

“Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,
from the evil of what He has created,
from the evil of the darkness when it settles,
from the evil of those who blow upon knots,
and from the evil of an envier when he envies.’”
Surah al-Falaq (1–5)

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Because the term ‘envier’ is broader than ‘one who casts the evil eye,’ seeking refuge from an envier includes seeking refuge from one who casts the evil eye. The evil eye consists of arrows issuing from the soul of an envier or one who casts the evil eye toward the person who is envied or struck by it. Sometimes they hit him, and sometimes they miss. If they find him exposed and without protection, they will inevitably affect him. If they find him vigilant and fully armored, with no opening through which the arrows can enter, they will not affect him; indeed, the arrows may rebound upon the one who fired them.” End of quotation from Zād al-Maʿād.

There is no evidence for his statement, “Indeed, the arrows may rebound upon the one who fired them.” Take heed: Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) and other scholars can be right or wrong; they may know some things and be ignorant of others. None of them is infallible. May Allah have mercy upon us and them and join us with them.

Al-Nasafī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Seeking refuge from the evil of these particular things, after seeking refuge from the evil of all that He created, indicates that their evil is more severe. The surah concludes with envy so that it may be known to be the worst of them.” (1)

Shaykh Atiyya Muhammad Sālim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Allah Most High commanded His servants to seek refuge from the evil of all that He created in general, then from the evil of the darkness when it settles, from the evil of those who blow upon knots, and from the evil of an envier when