Setting: A cozy rooftop in Riyadh, just after Maghrib. The call to prayer has faded, and the city glows under amber lights. Two longtime friends, Faisal (superstitious, cheerful, and animated) and Nabeel (rational, curious, and calm), sip mint tea under the stars.
Faisal:
(sips chai, looking at Nabeel’s new smartwatch)
Masha’Allah, Nabeel! This watch is amazing. Very sleek, very smart. May Allah protect it from the evil eye.
Nabeel:
(chuckles)
Thanks, Faisal. But you know, I don’t really believe in the evil eye thing. I mean, it’s just a watch. What’s it going to do, get jealous and explode?
Faisal:
Eyebrows up
No, no, not the watch! It’s the people! Someone might look at it with envy and — boom — bad luck. You don’t mess with the evil eye. I’ve seen it myself.
Nabeel:
You’ve seen it? Come on, Faisal. That sounds like something from a spooky Ramadan soap opera. “The Curse of the Jealous Cousin.”
Faisal:
(leans in conspiratorially)
No joke! Remember my cousin Mariam’s baby? Everyone kept saying how adorable he was — “what big eyes! what soft cheeks!” But no one said “Mashallah.” The next day, bam, fever out of nowhere. He cried all night. The doctor couldn’t even explain it. My aunt was convinced it was the evil eye.
Nabeel:
Or maybe it was… a virus? You know, babies are basically walking bacteria magnets.
Faisal:
That’s what you always say — “germs, germs, science, science.” But bro, how do you explain the timing? The day after all those compliments?
Nabeel:
Coincidence. You know, our brains are really good at connecting dots — even when there’s no real link. It’s called confirmation bias. We remember the one time your cousin’s baby got sick after compliments, but forget all the times nothing happened.
Faisal:
Hmmm. So you’re saying all those times I said “Mashallah” after complimenting someone — and nothing bad happened — it was just… chance?
Nabeel:
Exactly! It’s like carrying an umbrella and saying it stopped the rain because you had it. Correlation isn’t causation, my friend.
Faisal:
Okay, Mr. Science. But riddle me this — why do so many people across different cultures believe in some version of the evil eye? Turkey has blue eye charms, India has black kohl dots on babies’ heads, even Latin Americans have their own rituals. Are we all just superstitious fools?
Nabeel:
No, not fools. Just human. Our brains evolved to find patterns — it helped us survive. Seeing cause and effect, even when it wasn’t really there, was safer than missing a real threat. So over time, we built stories to explain things we didn’t understand. It’s comforting.
Faisal:
So you’re saying belief in the evil eye is basically… emotional software?
Nabeel:
Exactly! Like antivirus software for the soul. Outdated, maybe, but emotionally useful. It gives people a sense of control in a random world.
Faisal:
Hmm. sips chai thoughtfully
Okay, okay. I get that. But I still think it doesn’t hurt to say “Mashallah.” Like, if it gives people peace and maybe prevents envy, why not?
Nabeel:
True, it’s harmless unless it stops you from seeking real solutions. Like blaming the evil eye instead of going to a doctor. Or assuming someone’s misfortune is because they got “looked at wrong.” That can get dangerous — even judgmental.
Faisal:
Yeah… I’ve heard some aunties whispering like, “That girl didn’t wear her Nazar charm, that’s why her marriage failed.” That’s a bit much.
Nabeel:
Exactly. Belief should comfort, not punish. But hey, if saying “Mashallah” makes you feel better, go for it. Just don’t forget to wash your hands and get vaccinated too.
Faisal:
laughs
Fine! Science and “Mashallah” can be teammates. Like chai and mint.
Nabeel:
Deal. Just don’t start burning oud every time I buy new sneakers.
Faisal:
Too late, bro. Already put a clove under your pillow.
(Both laugh, the city lights twinkling as their tea glasses clink together.)
[End Scene]
Science Vs Superstition 
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