asalaam walaykum brothers and sisters. i would just like to say that iv read many questions concerning superstition and biddah ect. i would like to warn you all to be careful of these biddahs and to not implement them in your lifes. especially that blue and white eye i see hanging from cars. especially in turkish culture. we have to remember puttin your trust in an object/sumthing to warn off evil is associating partners with allah and this falls into SHIRK...and owning such beads/hanging things will take you out of the fold of islam....be careful.
before it gets deleted...do u agree??
alot of people are saying about the culture and they have it as fun or a gift...all am saying is if you think it can protect u against anything, it can take you out of the fold because you are associating partners with allah
The Evil Eye
When I made a kindly remark about the beautiful tuft of thick black hair on the crown of the new born child I was warned by the father that saying such things might inadvertently cast "esfeena" on the baby. That's bloody rubbish, I tell him. "Yeah, I don't think anyone believes that crap anymore", he chuckled.
In many cultures the "esfeena" is known as the curse of the Evil Eye.
The evil eye is commonly associated with envy, and transmitted by a look, touch or verbal expression of envy, or by excessive praise without a blessing (Elworthy).
This Evil Eye business has been a recurring notion for as long as I can remember. It is believed it can be cast on anyone, but children, women and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. It is, of course, a superstitious belief like so many others beliefs in our society. What is different about this one is that it is not unique to us.
The notion of the Evil Eye is fairly widely spread and very ancient. In his book "Wet and Dry: The Evil Eye", Professor Alan Dandes theorizes that the concept of the evil eye may have its origins in ancient Mesopotamia from where it might have propagated to Europe and India. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft says the oldest references to it appear in the cuneiform texts of the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, around 3000 BC. Other texts say it is much older suggesting that prehistoric cultures had documented the belief in various ways. Although believed by many to be a universal concept, the Evil Eye is non-existent in Chinese culture and various other Asian cultures - including those of aboriginal Australia.
In our society, especially in the olden days, children were made to wear eye shadow (adhun or kohl), as they still do in some parts of India - as a way to ward off or stop the evil eye from entering the child. Amulets and charms containing verse from the Quran were also worn until recently. Today, although practices such as these have largely disappeared (my observation), the belief is still held by many - but only as an afterthought to a praising comment. And since the ancient times of Sumer, the eye shadow has definitely found its use in fashion and makeup than anything else in modern times.
So how did this superstitious belief find its way into our culture? It is very likely that our notion of Evil Eye may have its origins with the introduction of Islam.
History shows that the Bedouins were quite a superstitious people and among their beliefs, even after the arrival of Islam, the evil eye remained a powerful defining social belief. In fact, numerous Arab and Islamic sources show ample evidence of the prevailing belief, then and now, in almost all Arab societies of the region. The belief in the evil eye is also found in Islamic doctrine and it is here, in Quran and the Hadith, that we come across the most important pieces of evidence to support how this belief may have been transmitted to us with the arrival of the religion.
In Quran, Surah al-Falaq [113:5], "And from the evil of the envier when he envies,".
In Hadith reported by Sahih Muslim [026.5427], the Prophet saying "The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye..."
It is clear how the above lines could have shaped our belief system over the centuries. Our beliefs may have evolved since the olden days and we might know for a fact that the Evil Eye is only a superstitious belief - that envious feelings and jealousy towards others don't physically affect them. Such beliefs can be constructed and attributed to anything if we want because illnesses, accidents and generally bad "omens" are nothing but everyday occurrences in a less-than perfect physical world.
The Evil Eye is a good example of our inclination to believe in superstitions. The fact that the Evil Eye has found its way into religious texts and prophetic words stands as testimony to this very human trait. There is, after all, only a thin line separating religious beliefs and superstition.
References:
The evil eye and cultural beliefs among the Bedouin tribes of the Negev, Middle East
The Evil Eye
The Evil Eye
Evil Eye
The evil eye jewelry making business is a flourishing one. In the past and up until now, the trade involving jewelry and the beads that are used to make them have been and remained quite lively. The art of evil eye jewelry making can be traced back to the ancient Romans, which started the trend of using jewelries with the protective eye to guard them against the curse brought by the evil eye. The art of the eye beads, however, is attributed to Turkey where craftsmen have mastered the art of creating them.
Evil eye beads can be found everywhere in Turkey, where it is called nazar or Blue Glass Nazar Boncugu. In fact, anywhere you go in Turkey, you will most likely find an evil eye bead looking at you and seemingly watching over you. Turkish beads are of great quality where the production of these beads is a 3000-year-old antique Mediterranean craft that some people in Turkey even endeavor to master. In many parts of Turkey, the creation of a glass eye bead is even considered as a tradition. Turkish makers of evil eye beads and jewelry are considered to be masters of the art and in many cases the skill is passed on from generation to generation where young sons work along their fathers as teenagers learning the intricate details of the craft
Evil eye beads are often also called glass eyes because most are made from this material. You will also be able to find acrylic and plastic beads for lower end jewelry making or more geared towards kids.
The various colors that the beads are available in makes it a constant popular if there is such a concept. Jewelry makers have always taken advantage of the fact that any jewelry made with the eye beads will appeal to a larger crowd not only because of the emotional comfort it will provide but the fact that it will appeal to a wide range of tastes. These glass beads are used to make bracelets, necklaces,anklets, and several other forms of evil eye jewelry. Instead of using evil eye talismans that you can hang on your bags or on your doors, you can use evil eye jewelry with attractive and beautifully crafted evil eye beads. The evil eye is also used to create various gift items that can be given to loved ones and friends as gifts of protection and goodwill.
In the art of jewelry making, it's either a glass eye bead is used as the central point of a jewelry piece, or several beads make up the jewelry itself. You can use the beads to accent the rest of the beads or to provide a unique look to your existing creation. The availability of different colors and styles makes it easy to find one that will match your style or taste. Jewelry designers can appeal to a larger crowd who share the belief by simply adding a few of these beads to their existing creation.
Evil eye jewelry, however, has also evolved through the years. In the past, protective charms mostly came in bracelets and necklaces. Now, there are sterling silver and 14k gold bracelets and necklaces, Swarovski style bracelets and necklaces, and a full range of other jewelry for both men and women. The selection has evolved to appeal to all regardless of sex or age. You can find many items with these beads for toddlers such as bedding items or even towels. On the other hand, to cater to the men there are several items from cufflinks to money clips. Producing these items has become a big business with true marketing as opposed to the older more traditional items and sales.
One thing that makes the beads attractive to jewelry makers is the versatility and the variety of them. There are traditional eye beads with the older and more of an antique look , newer glass eye beads in various colors and sizes such as 8mm,12mm and even the rarre 8x13mm among many others. If you are interested in dabbling in a bit of jewelry making, you can buy your preferred types and colors of evil eye beads from trusted sellers online.
You can make your own jewelry with the added sense of protection that comes from these beads. As always, make the first one for yourself!!
Angie Uras is the sales and marketing manager of JEYLA (http://www.jeyla.com), the evil eye jewelry store. Angie has been working with production,marketing, and sales of evil eye jewelry for over 10 years. She currently resides in Chicago,IL but is involved in evil eye sales and marketing all over the world with close contacts in Turkey as well as a wholesaler for evil eye shops in Australia, Mexico, Spain, Canada, Russia, Greece and throughout the US.
