Mishkat
al-Masabih

مشكاة المصابيح

23

Medicine and Spells

كتاب الطب والرقى

 

Chapter 1a: Section 1

الفصل الأول

Mishkat al-Masabih 4528

Umm Salama told that the Prophet ﷺ in her house a girl with saf’a, i.e. yellowness,* in her face and said

“Use a spell for her, for she has been affected by the evil eye.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Saf’a is explained as a stroke from the devil, or the influence of the evil eye. It may be read suf’a which means blackness, or blackness tinged with red. Sufra normally means yellowness, but it can also mean blackness, and that may be the interpretation it should have here, in which case one should read suf'a.

وَعَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَأَى فِي بَيْتِهَا جَارِيَةً فِي وجهِها سفعة يَعْنِي صُفْرَةً فَقَالَ: «اسْتَرْقُوا لَهَا فَإِنَّ بِهَا النَّظْرَةَ»