Safiya Yun’s Fear of the Evil Eye: A Missional Approach Toward the Envious Gaze Among Young Jordanian Muslim Women is about folk Islam in Jordan, but the implications reach all across the Middle East, and beyond. Safia Yun has interviewed sixty women in five cities across Jordan, fifty-eight of whom believe anyone potentially can have the Evil Eye. These women believe that whoever possesses such power can cause harm to things like flocks, crops, property, and people, but it can even rob people of their sleep. It springs from envy, they say, and is so deeply embedded in the culture, that the word for eye (ayn) and the word for envy (hasad) are used interchangeably. It essentially says, “I must have what he/she has, or I want him/her not to have what I deeply value. As a precaution from giving anyone the idea that I am envious and possess the Evil Eye, I avoid giving compliments. However, a quick Mashallah (God willed it), is the appropriate thing to say.”

Significantly, interviewees in this study are young, college-educated women, who previously have been left out of such research on the Evil Eye. It is “unfamiliar ground.” One might assume that only the older generation would cling to antiquated beliefs like the Evil Eye, but these women are in their 20s and 30s (the average age is 25). In any event, the most damage takes place among people who know each other best. It fosters fear and can easily ruin relationships among family and friends. Besides, it can cause mental problems, and rob people of their security and peace. It also creates secrecy and suspicion through a practice called kitman. When I’m about to do something, I don’t tell anyone; I just do it and tell others later.

The author goes on to give examples of how this plays out. In one case, a woman’s brother had purchased a car, but after three accidents, she concluded it was because of the Evil Eye. Many had seen the car, had good reason to be envious, and someone chose to inflict harm. In another case, a young woman had purchased a wedding dress, but when she went to pick it up, the shopkeeper had sold it to someone else. Obviously, envy was the cause, otherwise it would not have happened. When bad things happen, questions surface: Why did I fail? Why can’t I have children? Why am I sick? Why did this tragedy happen? Why did my daughter die? Why does my hair fall out? Why do I have pimples? So, any and every bad thing that occurs is because of the Evil Eye. These young women are simply trying to get on in life but are being hindered by the Evil Eye.

Yet their response is quite different from how their mothers might have reacted. Unlike their mothers, who would have used amulets for protection, these women use the Qur’an and Hadith. In this way, Yun shows that we cannot presume to know the practices of any segment of society without doing fresh research. Amulets are currently sold in Jordan, but only secretly, so by using the Qur’an, these young women can claim orthodoxy in a very conservative society. Besides, according to the Hadith, this is how Muhammad dealt with the Evil Eye. The  “two protectors” in the Qur’an (Surahs 113 and 114) can be recited when needed. In fact, these short passages are often memorized, and other portions of the Qur’an may be written out on bits and pieces of paper to guard against harm and danger. The Qur’an is used as a powerful tool, not only to protect from evil but to cure wrongs as well.

In the end, Yun gives a strong call for Christian missions but argues for special training. One-half of those interviewed said they had seen/experienced harm from a relative or a friend, so there is a desperate need for truth and light to shine where the Evil Eye has reigned supreme. The author argues that Christian workers cannot effectively minister unless they know the root of the problem. Sin and selfishness must be confronted: He/she has something that I do not have, and I want it. The young women admit that the Evil Eye springs from an unclean heart, so this is a good place to start. Ministry is not just a matter of engaging Islam, but of meeting Muslims where they are. Workers must bring Jesus into each setting and boldly pray in his powerful name. They must understand the context in order to effectively share the Gospel.

Moreover, sharing the gospel must include a discussion of who God is. Muslims use the expression, Allah Kareem (God is kind), but few understand it. The truth is, he is a gracious, generous, and giving God, who does not begrudge us of blessings. The author brings out that the word, baraka (blessing) is found 369 times in the Hebrew Bible, so Christian workers must make much of God as the blesser, and they must model his kindness and generosity at all times. The good news is that Jesus is more than able to protect us from every harm and danger, including the Evil Eye. I am content because of what God has given me and that is enough.

The book is available for purchase here. For more on sharing the gospel with Muslim women, see Vivienne Stacey’s article Power Encounters. The Zwemer Center also offers a course on Folk Islam taught by Warren Larson.