Mascara Man in Herat

This photo of a Sufi man with mascara on his eyes was taken in September 2006 at the shrine of the 11^th century Sufi master Abdullah Ansari at Gazar Gah, 5 km from Herat, Afghanistan.

Does anybody know why Sufi men sometimes put on mascara? I was told to protect them from the evil eye but would like to learn if more explanations exist.