29 December 2013

Astrology, horoscopes and fortune-telling in Islam

on 2:01:00 PM

Astrology, horoscopes, superstition and fortune-telling are all actions of jaahiliyyah (ignorance) which Islam came to show as false and to explain that they are shirk, because they involve depending on something other than Allah and believing that benefit and harm come from something other than Him, and believing the words of fortune-tellers and soothsayers who falsely claim to have knowledge of the unseen in order to cheat people of their money and change their beliefs. The evidence (daleel) for that is the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn ‘Abbaas (R.A), that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Whoever learns anything of astrology has learned a branch of witchcraft (al-sihr)…” And al-Bazzaar narrated with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “He is not one of us who practises augury or has it done for him, who tells fortunes or has his fortune told, or who practises witchcraft or has that done for him.” Allah is the only One Who has knowledge of the unseen. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning);
“Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allah.…’” [al-Naml 27:65]
And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but he knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record. [al-An’aam 6:59]
“Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is AllKnower, AllAware (of things).” [Luqmaan 31:34].
“(He Alone is) the All-Knower of the Ghayb (Unseen), and He reveals to none His Ghayb (Unseen)” [al-Jinn 72:26].
Aa’ishah (R.A) said: “Whoever tells you that he knows what will happen tomorrow is lying.” Then she recited, “No person knows what he will earn tomorrow.” (Hadeeth no. 4477.Al-Bukhaari )
Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights.” Narrated by Muslim (2230).

My advice to everyone who has anything to do with these matters is to repent to Allah and ask for His forgiveness, and to depend only on Allah and to put their trust in Him in all their affairs, whilst following the practical means that are prescribed or permitted in sharee’ah. They should give up these matters of jaahiliyyah, keep away from them and avoid asking the people who practise them or believe what they say, out of obedience to Allah and His Messenger (pbuh), and in order to protect his commitment to Islam and his ‘aqeedah (religious belief).
Allah know the best!