Evil Eye Talk

Moroccans wear the Hand of Fatima around their necks. They hang the Hand of Fatima inside their house or at the entrance. For all I know they hang the Hand of Fatima in their cars and on their camels.

Fatima was the compassionate daughter of the Prophet; her symbolic hand helps ward off the Evil Eye - a subject men, women and children all love to talk about.

Here are just of few samples of Evil Eye talk:

"Everyone has an Evil Eye. That is, jealousy, covetousness. You must be a good Muslim and protect yourself from your own jealousy and other peoples' jealousy. I can tell by looking in someone's face if they are giving me 'the bad eye.' I run home and burn incense called Chebba and herml. Here, I will write it for you in English and Arabic. I burn this special incense -- it looks like hard crystal -- and then when it is finished burning it I can see the shape of the evil eye in it, then I know I am protected. This I believe is the truth and I have a college degree. If you are jealous never keep it in. I say to the other person Tabaraka Allah, which means 'Allah blesses you.' That breaks the spell of my jealousy on the other person."

"Say I have a baby and he is very beautiful, exceptionally so. If you take this child out and everyone makes a noise over your baby, looks at him long and touches him; and after you bring him home and he is fussy, so fussy, crying and out of control.Then you know he has got the Evil Eye and you must, right away, burn special incense until you see the evil eye in the ashes.Then fast get rid of it. I always throw mine down the toilet."

"Yes we all have the Evil Eye, the bad eye. Allah gave some people more money, more possessions. These people are rich yet often they may have more fear, you know. How can they protect themselves from the Evil Eye you ask. That is by giving alms to poor people. But this is important! It must be done in secret. If someone comes out of the mosque -- because that's where you see many poor people and if he gives money to someone in front of all his friends -- then you know it doesn't count. That's showing off and Allah doesn't like show-offs."

"If I go to a friend's house, I haven't seen her for a year, and I look around and she has new furniture and beautiful objects in the house. Also she has been going to an exercise club and she looks healthy and beautiful. I don't say anything, I just look. I leave the house and soon my friend gets very sick. That is because I have given her the Evil Eye. She might know what I have done and go wash herself. Wash her whole body, her face. Take off her clothes and shake them out."

"You must teach your children not to hide their jealousy but let it out by compliments and saying short prayers from the Koran. I say three verses every morning. That is to help keep me from being jealous and to make me know when I am jealous."

 I spoke to more Moroccans about the Evil Eye than any other subject and it was always as if a damn had burst, so intregal it is to their life. The American poet Auden once wrote, 'Love your crooked neighbor with all your crooked heart.' I remembered that in Morocco but I was never able to explain it adequately to a Moroccan.

Susan

 

Comments

[protima]

Hi there

I really liked this blog a lot. It gave me a lot of informaion. Lately... i have been suffering a lot. Please can u give me details about this hand of fatima.. which day to wear it.. how to wear it.. and most importantly where can i get it. I am a Hindu and live in India.
awaiting ur reply