Fatwa ID: 05455
Answered by: Maulana Syed Johir Miah
Question:
If a Muslim sees a non-Muslim with something that looks good, e.g., a nice car, house, a beautiful child, etc., should they say MashaAllah so that they don’t give Nazar (evil eye) to them?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Sayyiduna Abu Huraira ( رضى الله عنه ) narrated that Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)said;
العَيْنُ حَقٌّ
“The influence of an evil eye is genuine”.[1]
Sayyiduna Anas ( رضى الله عنه )narrates that the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that;
ما أنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلى عَبْدٍ مِن نِعْمَةٍ فِي أهْلٍ أوْ مالٍ أوْ ولَدٍ، فَيَقُولُ: ما شاءَ اللَّهُ، لا قُوَّةَ إلّا بِاللَّهِ، فَيَرى فِيها آفَةً دُونَ المَوْتِ»، فَكانَ يَتَأوَّلُ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ: ﴿ولَوْلا إذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ ما شاءَ اللَّهُ لا قُوَّةَ إلّا بِاللَّهِ﴾ [الكهف ٣٩]
“There is no bounty that Almighty Allah bestows upon his slaves from family, wealth or children, but says:
مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ، لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
(What Allah wills happen and there is no power but in Allah), except that they will be saved from calamities besides death”.
He used to refer to the verse, (وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ)
(If only, when they entered their garden, they had said: That which Allah wills (will happen)! There is no strength except in Allah).[2]
ويُسْتَحَبُّ لِلْعائِنِ أنْ يَدْعُوَ لِلْمُعِينِ بِالبَرَكَةِ؛ فَيَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ بارِكْ فِيهِ ولا تَضُرَّهُ، وأنْ يَقُولَ: ما شاءَ اللَّهُ لا قُوَّةَ إلّا بِاللَّهِ
It is mustahabb for the one who observes another person who has been given a blessing to say:: اللَّهُمَّ بارِكْ فِيهِ ولا تَضُرَّهُ
“Allah bless him and do not harm him”, and to say: ما شاءَ اللَّهُ لا قُوَّةَ إلّا بِاللَّهِ
“What Allah wills, there is no power except with Allah”.[3]
Hence, in the aforementioned case, if a Muslim sees a non-Muslim with something that looks good, e.g., a nice car, house, a beautiful child, etc.
Then they say MashaAllah so that they don’t give Nazar (evil eye) to them.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Syed Johir Miah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2187, 1719/4, Dar Ihyat Turath, Beirut, Lebanon.
[2] Amalul Yawmi Wal Laylah, Ibnus Sunnee, Hadith 357, 315/1, Muassisatur Risalah, Beirut, 1406 H. Tabaqatul Hanabilah, 192-193/1, Darul Marifah, Beirut, Lebanon.
[3] Rawdatut Talibeen Wa Umdatul Mufteen, Nawawi, 348/9, Al-Maktabatul Islami, Beirut, Lebanon- Damascus, Syria, 1412 H.
