7. Astrology

Some scholars have defined it as the study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs such as changes in the climate, the fall or rise of prices and the occurrences of disease, death, happiness and misfortune. Astrology is of two kinds. First, an astrologer may allege that celestial planets independently influence the course of natural occurrences without the intervention of Allah. Whoever believes so is, according to the consensus of Muslim scholars, a disbeliever, as it indicates believing in a creator other than Allah, and that this so-called creator controls Allalis creation without Allalis Will. Second, an astrologer may take the movements ofsuch planets as an indication of a future event.

It is undoubtedly unlawful, because it is as ifhe alleges pos­ sessing knowledge of the unseen. The Prophet (PBUH) says: "If anyone acquires any knowledge of astrology, he acquires a branch of magic of which he gets more as long as he continues to do so." (Related by Abft Dftwftd, Ibn Majah and Imam Ahmad and others. It is narrated with an authentic chain of transmitters; Al-Nawawi and Adh­ Dhahabi deem it sahih). Foretelling aided by the stars or other celestial bodies is tantamount to claiming to know the unseen which is one ofAllalis unique attributes. It, therefore, contradicts the concept of Tawbfd, as it is a false claim.

Al-Khatl; Ahi has said: "Prohibited astrology is represented in the allegation of knowing future events such as the definite times of the wind blowing, the fall ofrain, the change ofprices and such otherevents which astrologers predict depending on celestial movements. Claiming that such celestial movements have an influence on the terrestrial world is like claiming to have the knowledge of the unseen, which is only possessed by Allah:' Al-BukhAri relates in his S.ahib (Authentic Book of Hadith) that Qatftdah has said: ~Uah created these stars for three purposes: (iJ as decoration of the heaven (ii) as projectiles to hit the devils and (iii) as signs to guide travelers. So, if anyone tries to find a different interpretation other than that, he is mistaken, just wastes his efforts and troubles himself with what is beyond his limited knowledge ..." AI-Khatib relates that Qatc1dah has said: "Some people, who are ignorant of the commands ofAllah, have practiced astrology saying: 'The one whose marriage concurs with the appearance ofsuch and such a star will have such and such a thing, and the traveler whose traveling concurs with the appearance of such and such a star will have such and such a thing, and so on. Surely, never does a star appear but one who is red, black, long, short, good or bad, be born concurring with it. Knowledge of such a star, such an animal or such a bird is not considered knowledge of the unseen.

If someone were to know the Unseen, it would be Adam (Adam) whom Allah created by His Hand, made His angels prostrate to him, and taught him the names of every thing." Among frequently spread superstitions are horoscope and fortunetelling, which are commonly issued and published in daily papers and magazines. Sheikh' Abdur-Rahmin Ibn Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) provided in his Fathul-Majid (Bestowal of the Honorable): "Jf it is argued that astrologers may sometimes tell the truth and their predictions prove true, to this we reply that they are like soothsayers who tell a true word mixed with one hundred lies. Jfhis predictions come true, it only occurs accidentally, for such predictions are nothing but baseless claims. Besides, the occurrence ofsuch predictions may cause one to fall into polytheism ifhe believes in them." He further explained: f\. lot ofProphetic b..adUhs invalidate astrology, such as the Prophet's saying, 'If anyone acquires any knowledge of astrology, he acquires a branch of magic of which he gets more as long as he continues to do so.' (Related by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah) Raja' Ibn Haywah also narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said, .ttmong what I fear for my nation are: believing in astrology, denying divine predetermination, and injustice of Imams (rulers): (Related by Ibn Humayd)." As for taking celestial bodies as a guideline in order to determine directions, it is among the favors ofAllah and there will be no harm in doing so. Allah, Exalted be He, says: ~----------------- .....-~ "And it is He Who has placed for you the stars that you may be guided by them through the darknesses of the land and sea.

We (Quran: AI-An 'run: 97) Al-Khattabi has maintained: ')is for using the stars to determine the direction of the Ka 'bah, it has been carried out by the competent scholars who have been sincerely concerned with the observance ofritual ordinances. The direction of the Ka 'bah may, thus, be determined through direct observation or by help of celestial bodies. Muslims certainly accept views of those scholars if they are religiously reliable and scientifically skilled." Ibn Rajab maintains: "What is permissible to be acquired and learnedfrom such a science (i.e. Astrology) is only what meets ourneeds accordingto the Islamic teachings, and not what the astrologers allege to have an influence on our lives. The latter is definitely impermissible to learn or acquire, while the former may be obtained to guide people when traveling and let them recognize the proper direction of the Ka 'bah.

Such knowledge is, according to the unanimous agreement of the Muslim scholars, permissible to learn and acquire to a certain degree." It is similarly permissible to learn the changing positions of the sun and the moon so that people may realize the proper times ofdaily prayers, the alternations of seasons and due times of the meridian. Al-Khattlbi states: '.i4.stronomy which is acquired through observation and obtained for the sake of realizing meridian hours and the accurate direction of the Ka' bah is not prohibited. Recognition of meridian hours is not more than knowing exact anteand postmeridians; that is when shadows become smaller, this means that the sun moves from the east towards its meridian, and when the shadow begins to be cast again over the earth, this means that the sun moves from its meridian towards the west. Such knowledge is obtained through observation and may also be acquired through basic apparatuses which may save time and effort." Ibnul-Mundhir reported that MujMlid did not disapprove of a man acquiring the knowledge of lunar perigee (i.e., the nearest point of the moon to the earth) and apogee (i.e., the farthest point of the moon to the earth). To conclude. a Muslim's Creed should be the dearest and most beloved thing to him. through which he beseeches pleasure and salvation.

Thus, he should avoid any act, which may impair his faith such as acts involving superstitions, bid'tlhs (matters innovated in religion) and other acts of disbelief. A Muslim, moreover, should keep his faith clear by abiding by the Quran and following the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) and that ofhis righteous Salaf( early Muslim scholars). Retaining a pure faith can only be attained through knowledge of this Creed as well as what contradicts it. Comprehensive knowledge about faith necessitates the avoidance of corrupt beliefs, for we, nowadays, are witnessing a number ofMuslims who spoil the beliefofothers by professionally practicing fraud and jugglery and calling others to pay regular visits to tombs and consecrate graves of righteous people to seek the fulfillment of their desires and alleviation of their tribulations. Nonetheless, some people take such Sufis as an exemplary model to be followed, even though it may be a violation of the Law of Allah. 8.lstisqd' by the Anwd' (Over Belief in the Virtue of Stars) lstisqtl' by the Anwtl' is an Arabic expression, which means attributing the rainfall to stars or other celestial bodies as people in the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance (the Jtlhiliyyah) used to do.

They used to say, "We have been given rain by such-and-such a star:' Such a saying implies that the appearance of a specific star in the sky represents an effective force or power which causes the rain to fall. The Arabic word Anwtl' is the plural of Naw', which refers to the 28 phases of the moon. Every thirteen nights, one of these phases disappears and is replaced with another. Such process represents the lunar year. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that at the beginning of a new specific phase of the moon at dawn rain might fall; they believed that rain is sought by virtue of the moon.

Islam nullified such a wrong belief, by stating that rain falls and is withheld only by the command of Allah and in accordance with His Divine Decree and Will Allah, Exalted be He, says: "Then I swear by the setting of the stars, and indeed, it is an oath - if you could know - [most1 great. Indeed, it is a noble Quran in a Register well protected; none touch it except the purified [i.e., the angels1. [It is1 a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. Then is it to this statement that you are indifferent and make [the thanksfor] your prOVision that you deny [the Provider1?" (Quran: Al-Waqi'ah: 75-82) The phrase c~nd make {the thanks for] your provision that you deny {the Provider}?" (Quran: Al-Waqi' ah: 82) is interpreted that attributing the fall of rain to the effective force of a specific star is one of the gravest sins and heinous lies. This is stated in the hadith related by Imam Ahmad, At-Tirmidht and deemed hasan by Ibn Jartr, Ibn Abu Hatim and Ad-Diya' AI-Maqdisi in his book Al-Mukhtarah (The Selected Hadtths). This hadith is related on the authority of ' AU Ibn Abu 1'lUib (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: (Quran: Al-Waqi' ah: 82) indicates your showing gratefulness.

And the verse ~ .. that you deny {the Provider]?' means when you say 'We have been given rain by such-and-such a star. ' " Sheikh' Abdur-RahmAn Ibn Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) has provided: "The aforementioned interpretation of the Qurtmic verse is the most accurate representation ofits meaning. It may be traced back to 'Ali, Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah, Ad-Dahak and 'Ald' AI-Khurasany and others. It also agrees with the interpretation unanimously provided by the majority of Muslim exegetes." Abu Malik Al-Ash'art (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has said: 'f1mong my nation, there are four characteristics belonging to the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance (the Jahiliyyah) which they do not abandon: boasting of high rank, slandering other peoples' lineages, seeking rain by stars, and wailing (for the deceased)." Shaykhul-Isl8m Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) commented: "Some of the practices which were prevalent during the Pre-Islamic Period ofIgnorance may not be unanimously avoided by all people, but it should be noted that referring the practices mentioned in the hadtth to the period of Jahiliyyah is a sufficient proof that they are detested and rejected in Islam. It should also be noted that terming this period as 'The Period ofIgnorance' is enough to denounce its practices.

';. •• and do not display yourselves as {was] the display ofthefoman times of ignorance: (Quran: Al-Ahzab: 33)" As for the Prophet's saying, "Seeking rain by stars,", it means attributing rainfall to the effective force and power of a star. Thus some people used to say, «We have been given rain by virtue ofsuch and such a star:' Seeking rain by help of the stars and being convinced that they influence the fall of rain are acts of major polytheism and disbelief, which used to be retained by the people of the Pre-Islamic Period ofIgnorance (the Jtlhiliyyah). If a man is convinced that a star does not influence the fall of rain, but it customarily becomes familiar to see rain upon the appearance of a star, such a thought may be rendered as an act of minor polytheism, since Islam has prohibited the attribution of rainfall to the effective force of stars even if it is a metaphorical speech. AlBukhari and Muslim relate on the authority ofZayd Ibn KhaJid (may Allah be pleased with him) who has narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) led us in the Subb. (Morning) Prayer at Hudaybiyah.

There was some rainfall during the night. After he had finished prayer, he turned toward people and said, 'Do you know what your Lord has said?' They replied, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' Upon this, he (the Prophet) said that Allah said, 'Some of My servants entered upon morning as My believers and some as unbelievers. He who says, 'We have had a rainfall due to the Blessing and Mercy of Allah: is a believer of Me and a disbeliever of stars, and he who says, 'We have had a rainfall due to the rising ofsuch and such a star,' disbelieves Me and affirms his faith in the stars: " In the aforementioned b.adUh, the Prophet interpreted Allah's saying, "Some ofMy servants entered upon morning as believers ofMe and some as unbelievers." That is, a true believer is the one who refers the giving of rain to the bounty and mercy of Allah. On the contrary, a disbeliever of Allah has been interpreted as the one who refers the fall of rains to the influence of the stars. Hence, the acts, which are solely Allah's, must not be attributed to others.

If any ofAllalls acts is referred to any of His creatures, such a reference may be rendered as an act of polytheism. If it is believed that stars influence the fall of rain, this is considered an act of major polytheism. Also, attributing the fall of rain to a star metaphorically is prohibited as it is considered as an act of minor polytheism through which one may ascribe such a bounty to a thing other than Allah. .. - •.. ~ ... -------------------­ ..- ..• ~.- A1-Qurtubt (may Allah have mercy on him) provides: "Once a new star replaces an old one, some of the Pre-Islamic Arabs used to attribute the fall ofrain to the new star while others referred its fall to the old one. They used to say that they were given rain by virtue ofsuch and such a star. Therefore, the Lawgiver18 has prohibited such a saying lest it should be misconceived that the star is the dominant determiner of the fall ofrain." With regard to the reason ofrevealing the verse, "Then I swear by the setting relates, "Rain fell in the lifetime of the Messenger ofAllah (PBUH) so some of the people said, 'Such and such a star was right.' It was upon this that these verses were revealed, tThen I swear by the setting of the stars: (Al-Waqi' ah: 75) until the verse, tAnd make [the thanks for] your provision that you deny [the Provider]f (Al-Waqi' ah: 82)" Rain only falls by the might and power of Allah without any intervention of any creature.

Allah, Almighty, says: t~nd have you seen the water that you drink? Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We Who bring it down?" (Quran: Al-Waqi' ah: 68-69) So, whoever ascribes the fall of rain to the sole and direct influence of stars or attributes it to any natural phenomenon, such as the low pressure or climate conditions, should be regarded as a liar. Such a thought is similarly regarded as an act of major polytheism. If a man is well convinced that Allah is the Creator and the One Who causes rain, but only attributes its fall to stars figuratively speaking, his speech in such a case will be considered as an act of minor polytheism. A lot of people who work in mass media easily indulge in the latter acts. So a Muslim should be warned against such things.