Tafsir of Al-Qalam 68:51

And those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes—the in is the lightened (takhyif) form of inna, and the lam is its indicator, for it does not enter after the negative particle, which is why it is called the "distinguishing particle" (al-fariqah) in the convention of grammarians. The meaning is that due to the intensity of their enmity, they look at you with hostility, such that they almost cause your foot to slip, thereby casting you down, much like the saying, "He looked at me with a gaze that almost felled me" or "almost devoured me"—meaning, if he were capable of felling or devouring with his gaze, he would have done so. This is an exaggeration regarding their enmity, as if it had spread from the heart and the limbs into the sight, to the point that the sight began to perform the work of the limbs. They cited the poet’s verse: (They exchange, when they meet on the battlefield, / A gaze that causes the soles of the feet to slip.)

Or, it means they almost afflict you with the evil eye (al-'ayn). It is reported that there were people in the tribe of Banu Asad who were known for the evil eye, and some of them intended to afflict the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with it, so this verse was revealed. Al-Kalbi stated that there was a man among the Arabs who would go two or three days without eating, then he would lift the side of his tent and say, "I have never seen today camels or sheep better than these," and a group of them would immediately fall and perish. The disbelievers suggested to him that he afflict the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he answered them, as the verse recited: (Your people used to consider you a master, / And I suspect that you are a master who is afflicted by the eye.)

Allah the Exalted protected His Prophet (peace be upon him) and revealed this verse. It has been said that reading it wards off the harm of the evil eye; this is reported from al-Hasan. In the book Al-Ahkam, it is stated that this verse is a foundation for the fact that the evil eye is a reality. The most appropriate way to prove this is through what has been authentically narrated via multiple chains: that the evil eye puts a man into the grave and a camel into the cooking pot. Also, what Ahmad reported—with narrators who are, as al-Haythami said, reliable—from Abu Dharr in a marfu' (attributed) report: "The evil eye will certainly stalk a man by the permission of Allah, until he climbs a high mountain and then falls from it," along with many other such hadiths. This is among the characteristics of certain souls, and Allah the Exalted may grant any of His creation whatever attributes He wills. Attributing it to the "eye" is because the soul generally influences through it, though sometimes the influence occurs without it, such as when something is described to the one who casts the evil eye, their soul directs itself toward it and corrupts it. Whoever claims that Allah the Exalted has established a habit (a natural law) of creating what He wills upon the confrontation of the gazer's eye without any actual influence has closed the door of causality, effects, and reasons upon himself and has opposed all rational thinkers—this is what Ibn al-Qayyim stated.

Some proponents of natural philosophy said that a poisonous power emanates from the eye, which influences what it looks at, as detailed in the commentary on Sahih Muslim. This does not hold up in my view regarding what he does not see, nor in cases like the aforementioned hadith of Abu Dharr, nor in a person afflicting themselves with their own eye, as reported by al-Manawi; for a serpent is not killed by its own venom. Among these is what al-Ghassani narrated, saying that Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik looked in the mirror, was pleased with himself, and said: "Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a prophet, Abu Bakr was a siddiq, Umar was a faruq, Uthman was modest, Mu'awiyah was forbearing, Yazid was patient, Abd al-Malik was a statesman, al-Walid was a tyrant, and I am the young king, I am the young king." Before the month had passed, he died. Similar to this is what is said to be of the nature of influence in the force known today as electrical force among modern natural philosophers. It is verified that some people repeat their gaze at others from head to toe, causing them to collapse as if unconscious. Sometimes one might stand behind another, placing their fingers level with the nape of their neck and directing their soul toward them until their strength weakens, they fall into a state resembling sleep, and they speak things they would not speak at other times. I do not add more to this than saying it is among the influences of the souls, and I do not define it further, for the human soul is among the most wondrous of Allah’s creations, containing within it secrets and marvels at which intellects are bewildered—none denies this except a madman or an ignoramus. I cannot deny the evil eye due to the abundance of hadiths narrated regarding it and the observation of its effects across different eras. I do not restrict this to wicked souls, as has been claimed; it may also come from pure souls. It is famous that the affliction does not occur with dislike or hatred for the thing, but rather with admiring it. Al-Qushayri held this view, and he seems to be indicating a challenge to the authenticity of the report here, because the disbelievers hated him (peace be upon him), so they could not have afflicted him with the eye. This is a point to be considered. The ruling for the one who casts the evil eye, according to Qadi Iyad, is that they should be avoided; the Imam should imprison them and prevent them from mixing with people to curb their harm as much as possible, and he should provide for them from the public treasury during that time.

Nafi' read li-yazliqunaka with a fatha on the ya, from zalaqa, meaning "he caused him to slip." Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud], Ibn Abbas, al-A'mash, and 'Isa read li-yazhaqunaka with a ha instead of the lam, meaning "they almost cause you to perish."

When they hear the Reminder—meaning, at the time they hear the Quran. This is due to the intensity of their hatred and envy when hearing it. "When" (la-ma), as we pointed out, indicates the timing (zarfiyyah) and is connected to yazliqunaka. Whoever claims it is a particle of obligation (wujub) maintains that its answer is omitted due to the indication of what precedes it; that is: "When they heard the Reminder, they almost caused you to slip."

And they say—due to the extremity of their confusion regarding his affair (peace be upon him), the limit of their ignorance of the wondrous wisdoms and novel sciences within the Quran, and in order to turn people away from him:

Indeed, he is a madman—Since the foundation of their false judgment was what they heard from him (peace be upon him), this was refuted by explaining his lofty status and the brilliance of his evidence.