Do I Have an Evil Eye or a Mental Health Problem? Quiz

Islam affirms that the evil eye is real and that ruqyah is permissible. (Sunnah) 

But anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, sleep problems, and other conditions can cause emotional, mental, and physical symptoms that people may mistakenly interpret as purely spiritual. 


For each question, answer Yes, Sometimes, or No.


  1. Have your symptoms lasted for weeks or kept returning over a long period?
  2. Can you connect when they began to stress, grief, trauma, relationship problems, major changes, or another difficult experience?
  3. Do you experience persistent worry, overthinking, fear, panic, or a sense that something bad will happen?
  4. Do you experience ongoing sadness, hopelessness, guilt, irritability, emptiness, or loss of interest in things you normally enjoy?
  5. Have your sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, or motivation noticeably changed?
  6. Are your symptoms making it difficult to work, study, care for yourself, maintain relationships, or complete normal responsibilities?
  7. Do certain thoughts, situations, memories, people, or places reliably trigger your symptoms?
  8. Do you avoid situations, repeatedly seek reassurance, check things, overthink, or perform certain behaviors because they temporarily reduce your fear?
  9. When you challenge anxious thoughts, change your behavior, solve problems, improve your routine, or receive support, do your symptoms improve?
  10. Have you experienced similar symptoms during other stressful periods of your life


If you answered Yes to several questions, it is worth getting a mental health assessment. These are recognized features of mental health difficulties, and psychological treatment can help. 

If you are worried about the evil eye, you can use Islamically permissible ruqyah without abandoning psychological or medical treatment. The Prophet ﷺ instructed ruqyah for the evil eye. (Sunnah)

The most important question is not necessarily “Is this evil eye or mental health?” Both spiritual practice and appropriate mental health care can be pursued without contradiction. 


How to Tell the Difference Between Evil Eye and Mental Illness


Islam recognizes the evil eye, waswasa from Shayṭān, and genuine psychological illness.

The Qur’an describes Shayṭān as one who whispers. His influence does not mean that every thought originates from him. People also have their own fears, memories, beliefs, habits, desires, and psychological difficulties.

But an existing vulnerability can give waswasa something to work with.

For example:

  • If you already have low self-esteem, the whisper may fit thoughts such as, “You are worthless. Nobody could really love you. Allah must be displeased with you.”
  • If you already have anxiety, the whispers may attach themselves to uncertainty: “What if something terrible happens? What if Allah is warning you? What if you missed a sign?”
  • If you struggle with OCD, religious doubts can become another subject for obsession: “Was my wuḍū’ valid? Did I say that correctly? What if I committed kufr? Repeat it just to be safe.”
  • If you have experienced trauma, existing fears about danger or betrayal may be intensified: “Nobody is safe. You cannot trust anyone. Something bad is about to happen.”
  • If you struggle with depression, thoughts of hopelessness may become more severe: “Nothing will ever change. There is no point trying. Allah has abandoned you.”
  • If you have body-image problems, comparison may become harsher: “Look at everyone else. You are ugly. You will never be enough.”
  • If you already carry shame about a sin, waswasa may push you beyond healthy guilt into despair: “You have done this too many times. Allah will never forgive you.”

This is why simply asking, “Is this psychological or is it Shayṭān?” is sometimes the wrong question.

The psychological vulnerability may already exist, while waswasa encourages the thoughts that keep it going.