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Fatwa CenterExaggerated fear of the evil eye
Question
I know about the evil Eye and the risks of it and that we have to protect ourselves against it. But I think that my husband suffers from waswaas (devilish whisperings) regarding that. He tries to hide me and the baby everywhere and from everybody. He does not like anyone to know about us. He gives me other names. He does not tell his brother when he gets maried or about the birth of our baby. I have to lie to people. He says that it is for protection. I have to say that we are sick when they ask how we are. I always have to tell everyone that we are having this or that problem. I am not allowed to look happy or laugh outside, nor am I allowed to play with my baby. I have to stop him laughing if anyone can see us. He does not allow us to eat food from other people. He thinks that the whole city knows him and talks about him. He thinks that there are many people who want to harm him. He controls everything that I do and reads all messages and things on social media. I am not allowed to send my family, and especially my father, a picture of my son. If they call, I have to lie to them. I am not allowed to tell anything about us. I have to say that his work is hard and that there is no money and that we are sick. I am not allowed to say it if we bought anything nice. I am not allowed to tell them if we go on a holiday. What also affects our life very much is that every bad thing that happens supposedly happened because of the evil eye. If I get hurt, fall down, hit the car, cut my finger, or get sick, it is because of the evil eye. When tbe baby gets sick or fall down or something happens, it is because of the evil eye. Anything that happens in our life is because of the evil eye. We are not allowed to do this or that and have to hide because otherwise we will get the evil eye. I think that everything is given by Allaah. When anything hard happens, I say alhamdulillaah (praise be to Allaah) because I do not know why it happened; maybe it is good for me. I try to talk to him, but he does not listen to me and does not believe me; only his mother, and she thinks the same as him. I cannot continue like that. It makes me depressed and sad and distances me from Islam.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
There is no doubt that the evil eye is a fact and has a real effect, as stated in the authentic Sunnah. Abu Hurayrah 
narrated that the Prophet said, "The effect of the evil eye is true." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The Muslim is enjoined to use the means by which he can protect himself from the evil eye. We have highlighted some of these means in fataawa 188505, 17661 and 24972.
It is prescribed for the Muslim to use the available means to protect himself from the effects of the evil eye; however, your husband should bear in mind that the evil eye does not cause harm to anyone except by the Will of Allaah, The Exalted, and that such exaggerated and excessive fear of the evil eye on his part is blameworthy and possibly undermines the soundness of his creed. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {And if Allaah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good - then He is over all things competent.} [Quran 6:17] Moreover, the Prophet advised Ibn ʻAbbaas saying, "Know that if the entire creation were to gather together to do something to benefit you - you would never get any benefit except that Allaah had written for you. And if they were to gather to do something to harm you - you would never be harmed except that Allaah had written for you. The pens are lifted and the pages are dried."
We advise you to supplicate Allaah to rectify his affairs. If retaining your marriage to him in such conditions causes harm to you, then it is advisable that you should not hasten to request a divorce; divorce is not always the best solution. Please, refer to fatwa 86307.
Lastly, we would like to point out that lying is forbidden, as indicated by the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslim nation. In fact, lying is one of the most hideous sins and ugliest flaws. The fact that scholars underlined the legal concession by virtue of which lying is deemed allowable as an exception in certain cases and contexts does not mean that it can repel the effect of the evil eye. Rather, what repels it is regular reciting of the reported supplications and thikr (remembrance of Allaah), ruqyah (healing through Quran and supplication), the Prophetic guidance in this regard, and reciting the Quran. There is no harm in resorting to indirect allusions when needed; verily, indirect allusions are a safe way to avoid lying. For more benefit, please refer to fatwa 88412.
Allaah knows best.
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