🔍

Can the evil eye symbol be used for decoration such as in a necklace, earrings, or home decoration?

NecklaceEvil eye
Can the evil eye symbol be used for decoration such as in a necklace, earrings, or home decoration?
Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answer updated 4 years ago

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer: In Shi'i fiqh, there is no prohibition on it.

However, if someone is genuinely concerned about the evil eye, hadith recommend deflecting it via the Qur'an and du'a, and do not specifically prescribe the types of things culturally associated with the evil eye (like blue ornaments).

I am not intending to advance a view as to whether or not there is actually any merit in hanging up evil eye ornaments, since, in my view, if something has been done cross-culturally for thousands of years, it might have some wisdom behind it. Or, it also might not. (Certainly, evil eye ornaments are a good method of social signalling telling nosy and intrusive people to back off!) 

However, what I am saying is that it is not specifically prescribed in the Qur'an or hadith and therefore is a cultural rather than an Islamic scriptural practice.

If someone is just using these things for decoration or the aesthetic value, none of the above is relevant anyway.

Some Sunni scholars are currently opposed to the evil eye ornaments on the grounds that it might be shirk, or because they consider it a false belief that people are doing because they think it is true, for other reasons. 

So one can choose whatever view is most suitable for them.