‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar told that he heard God’s messenger say:“If I drink an antidote, or tie on an amulet, or compose poetry, I am the type who does not care what he does.”* Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Meaning that one who does any such thing is an abandoned character.

Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba reported the Prophet as saying:“He who has himself cauterized or uses a spell has exempted himself from trust in God.”Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Isa b. Hamza told that he went to visit ‘Abdallah b. ‘Ukaim* who was suffering from erysipelas and asked why he did not attach an amulet. He replied,“We seek refuge in God from that. God’s messenger said that if anyone hangs anything on himself he will be left to it.”** Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Mirqat, iv, 510 wrongly gives Hukaim. Cf. Tahdhib, v, 323 f. ** If anyone puts his trust in a charm instead of seeking God’s help His help will be withheld from him.

‘Imran b. Husain reported God’s messenger as saying:“No invocation is to be used except for the evil eye or a scorpion sting.”Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Majah transmitted it on the authority of Buraida.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying:“No invocation is to be used except for the evil eye, or a scorpion sting, or bleeding.”* Abu Dawud transmitted it. * The text has dam (blood), but it is said that nose-bleeding in particular is what is meant here. Cf. Mirqat, iv, 5U.

Asma’ daughter of ‘Umais said,“Messenger of Go'd, Ja’far’s children are readily susceptible to the influence of the evil eye, so may I use an invocation for them?”He replied,“Yes, for if anything could get ahead of the decree the evil eye could.”Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ash-Shifa’ daughter of ‘Abdallah told that when she was with Hafsa God’s messenger entered and said:“Why do you not teach this one the invocation for skin eruptions as you taught her writing?”Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Umama b. Sahl b. Hunaif told that ‘Amir b. Rabi'a saw Sahl b. Hunaif bathing and said,“I swear by God that I have seen no skin to compare with what I have seen to-day, not even that of a secluded girl.”Sahl fell to the ground and people went to God’s messenger and said to him,“Messenger of God, can you do anything for Sahl b. Hunaif? We swear by God that he cannot raise his head ”He asked if they suspected anyone, and when they replied that they suspected ‘Amir b. Rabl‘a. God’s messenger summoned ‘Amir, and speaking roughly to him, said,“Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not invoke a blessing? Bathe on his behalf ”‘Amir then washed on his behalf his face, hands, elbows, knees and toes, and inside his lower garment, collected the water in a vessel and poured it over him, so he recovered and went away with the people none the worse.* It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna. Malik transmitted it, and in his version he said,“The evil eye is real. Perform ablution for him.”He therefore did so. * The trouble was due to the words of praise which were not qualified by any reference to what God might will, and accordingly attributed to the evil eye.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that God’s messenger used to seek refuge in God from jinn and the evil eye in men till the Mu’awwidhatan* came down, after which he made use of them and abandoned everything else. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan gharib tradition. * Qur’an, 113 & 114.