Evil Glance

One who Casts Evil glances is Cursed by Nabi ﷺ
The one who casts evil glances is cursed by Nabi ﷺ. Nabi ﷺ says in a Hadith mentioned in Mishkaat Shareef:

لعن اللہ الناظر والمنظور الیھ

“May the curse of Allah be upon the one who casts evil glances and upon the one who presents him/herself to be looked at.” (Mishkaat; Pg. 270)

If casting evil glances was a minor sin, then Nabi ﷺ, being a mercy to mankind would not have cursed its perpetrator. The curse of Nabi ﷺ is clear proof that this is a very despicable crime. The meaning of curse is to become distant from the mercy of Allah. Imam Raghib Isfahani mentions in Mufradaatul Qur’aan that the definition of لعنة (curse) is:

البعد عن الرحمة

“To become distant from mercy.”

Thus, he who has become distant from the mercy of Allah Ta’ala, cannot gain salvation from the evils of his Nafs. Only he who is under the shade of Allah’s mercy can attain salvation from the evils of the Nafs. Allah Ta’ala says:

ان النفس لامارة بالسوء

The Nafs abundantly commands evil.”
(Sura Yousuf; Ayat 53, Juz 13)

So how is it possible to be saved from the evils of Nafs? Allah Ta’ala further says:

الا مار حم ربی

“Except by the mercy of my Lord.”

From this, we understand that the only way to be saved from the evils of the Nafs is to come under the shade of Allah’s mercy. Allah Ta’ala who is the Creator of this Nafs Himself has proclaimed that those who are in His mercy will be saved. Therefore, the one who has come under the shade of الا مارحم ربی his Nafs did not remain امارة بالسوء (excessively commanding evil) rather it became امارة بالخیر (abundantly commanding good). This is why after the command of guarding the eyes, یغضوا من ابصارھم , Allah Ta’ala mentions, ویحفظوا فروجھم “Guard the private parts.” Because through the blessings of fulfilling the divine command of Allah Ta’ala and saving oneself from the curse of Nabi ﷺ one comes under the shade of Allah’s mercy. Now his private parts will also be safeguarded. Form this we conclude that the reward of guarding the eyes is that the private parts become safeguarded. On the contrary, if a person does not guard his eyes then he cannot guard his private parts either and curses which descends upon him is a separate punishment on its own.

Reply to adhaan

Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Mubarak , the well known scholar, had a neighbor, who was a blacksmith.

Following the shaikh's death , one of his students saw him in a dream and asked him about his circumstances. Shaykh replied that Allah has been very kind and merciful with me, and granted me such and such, etc. In Jannah, I had such and such building, but then I saw an even higher and loftier building. So I asked who that belonged to, and I was given the reply that it belonged to my neighbor the blacksmith.

Following that, the people investigated this neighbor, and they saw two things in him:

1) He used to beat metal with a huge hammer, etc. However, when the voice of the mu'adhin came, he stopped right where he was, even stopping his hammer in mid-air, not moving anything while the adhan was called. After adhan was over, then he brought down the hammer.

2) Sometimes he used to go on the roof of his house, and he would see next door the Halaqah of Abdullah ibn Mubarak going on. So he would in his heart yearn that he could be among those students and scholars, and make dua to Allah that I want to be from among them, but due to circumstances, I cannot.
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