Hasad (Envy) — Meaning, Signs, Verses and Practices for Protection

The word hasad (حسد) means envy — seeing a blessing in someone else's possession and wishing for it to be ruined. In the Qur'an, in Surah Al-Falaq, we are told specifically to seek refuge from the evil of the envier when he envies, which shows how real a cause of harm it is.

The Difference Between Hasad and the Evil Eye

Many people confuse the two, but there is a difference:

• The evil eye can strike even out of love or admiration — even your own eye can affect your own child.
• Hasad always comes from ill will — the wish that the blessing be taken away from the other person.

So hasad is a sin of the heart, and the evil eye can be one of its results.

Verses for Hasad

وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

And from the evil of an envier when he envies." (Surah Al-Falaq 113:5 — Saheeh International)Copy

In ruqyah, the following are usually recited — Surah Al-Fatihah, Ayat al-Kursi, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas, along with verse 51 of Surah Al-Qalam.

Signs of Being Affected by Hasad

A single sign is not definite proof; when many are present together, suspicion is justified:

• Suddenly feeling heavy in the body, unexplained tiredness and laziness
• Work you have taken on getting stuck again and again, unusual obstacles in provision
• Needless quarrels and restlessness at home, barakah decreasing
• Problems increasing right after meeting or talking with a particular person
• A constant heaviness in the chest, discomfort in sleep

These can also have ordinary physical and psychological causes. See a doctor first — not everything is the result of hasad.

Practices for Protection from Hasad

1. Regularly reciting the morning and evening adhkar and Ayat al-Kursi
2. Reciting Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas three times each, blowing into your hands and wiping them over your body
3. Keeping blessings private — the Prophet ﷺ said that secrecy helps in fulfilling needs
4. Drinking recited-over water and bathing with it
5. Making dua for the envier — this keeps the heart clean, and it is the hardest but most beneficial practice

Keeping your own heart free from hasad

This side is often left out when discussing protection from hasad. When you like what you see of someone's blessing, say "Masha'Allah, Tabarakallah" and make a dua of barakah for them. Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, described hasad as a disease of the heart — whose cure is to be content with Allah's distribution.