Answer
Wa Alaykum Assalam,
Thank you so much for sending your question and for your desire to seek knowledge and cure through the Noble Quran and blessed Sunnah. May Allah (SWT) bless your pursuit of knowledge and grant you light and wisdom.
With regards to your question: Yes, both the evil eye and witchcraft exist, and there is cure for them and precautions to be taken against them.
But first and foremost, one needs to remember that there is nothing and no one that is more powerful than Allah (SWT), The Creator! Allah (SWT) is the All-Powerful, All-Seeing, the Source of Purity and Healing.
This conviction needs to be strongly there before anything else.
The evil eye and witchcraft are evil and this work essentially is from the devil. And Allah (SWT) says with regards to the devil:
“Indeed, over My [believing] servants there is for you no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as Disposer of affairs.” [Quran 17: 65]
So if one has strong faith in Allah (SWT), then he/she can overcome any evil and they will find goodness and rewards in anything that befalls them.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.” [Muslim]
So, if the person is having strong faith, working on doing what is right and avoiding sins, empowering oneself with the Quran and supplications, then there shall be cure and relief from every difficulty, insha’Allah.
Now, how to cure/protect oneself from these matters:
- Recite Surat Al Ikhlas, Surat Al Falaq and Surat An-Nas three times at dawn and dusk, as per the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Abdullah bin Khubaib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to me, “Recite Surat Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu’awwidhatain (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) three times at dawn and dusk. It will suffice you in all respects.” [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
- Recite Surat Al Baqarah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says “Do not turn your houses into graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited.” [Muslim].
One should at least recite the last 2 verses of this surah regularly. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed Allah wrote in a book two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and He sent down two Ayat from it to end Surat Al-Baqarah with. If they are recited for three nights in a home, no Shaitan shall come near it.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi]
- Recite the adhkar (supplications and remembrance of Allah)on a daily basis. The morning and evening adhkar shield and protect the person daily from different types of harm. Neglecting them, accordingly, breaks this shield and makes one more vulnerable to evil of different sorts.
- Among the supplications recommended by the Prophet (peace be upon him):
“‘A’udhu bikalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaqa”
(I seek the protection of Allah’s Perfect Words from the evil of whatever He has created)
- Another supplication to recite:“Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) used to teach them the following words in the case of alarm: I seek refuge in Allah’s perfect words from His anger, the evil of His servants, the evil suggestions of the devils and their presence. Abdullah ibn Amr used to teach them to those of his children who had reached puberty, and he wrote them down (on some material) and hung on the child who had not reached puberty.
Transliteration: (A`ūdhu bikalimātillāhit-tāmmati min ghadabihī wa `iqābihī wa sharri `ibādih, wa min hamazātish-shayātīni wa an yahdurūn).
- Another supplication: Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain and say: “Your forefather (i.e. Abraham) used to seek Refuge with Allah for Ishmael and Isaac by reciting the following: ‘O Allah! I seek Refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil and from poisonous pests and from every evil, harmful, envious eye.’ ” [Sahih al-Bukhari]
- You can use the Ruqyah that Angel Jibril performed on the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him).
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) and said: “O Muhammad! Do you feel sick?” He (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Yes.” Jibril supplicated thus (i.e., he performed Ruqyah): “Bismillahi arqika, min kulli shay’in yu’dhika, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ‘ayni hasidi, Allahu yashfika, bismillahi arqika.
[With the Name of Allah. I recite over you (to cleanse you) from all that troubles you, and from every harmful mischief and from the evil of the eyes of an envier. Allah will cure you; and with the Name of Allah, I recite over you].” [Muslim].
- We must also strive to refrain from sins, while engaging in purifying ourselves to the best of our ability. Shaytan thrives on sins and is closer to those committing sins and are headless of the remembrance of Allah (SWT).
“O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan – indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” (Quran 24:21)
- Always engage with the Quran through recitation and understating of its meaning. This Book is a cure and guidance. Allah (SWT) says:
“O mankind, there has come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.” [Quran 10:57]
To wrap up, the Noble Quran and the supplications taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) can definitely help one overcome those adversities. But one has to firmly believe in Allah (SWT) and His power over anything else.
“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” [Quran 13: 28]
With regards to the symptoms of one afflicted by evil eye or witchcraft, here are some resources.