- 01 Nov 2004, 04:51
#318
Please find below three questions and answers in relation to astronomy and horoscopes
QUESTION 1:
I have a question regarding astronomy. I have heard that muslims should not major in the field of astronomy. Is that true? Also since
horoscopes are directly related to astronomy, how should a muslim act towards it? I mean, should we have belief in horoscopes? A feedback will be appreciated on the issue.
QUESTION 2:
As salamu alay kum. I wanted to know what Islam says on horoscopes and the zodiac. The zodiac says that people have elements like water, earth, fire and that Imam Ali (AS) called himself Abu Turab , and that he had this earth element. A very religious friend of mine told me that there is some Islamic significance, I just wanted to know what it is , and if there are any harm things to look out for .
ANSWER 1 & 2
Fuqaha have different opinion with regard to the issue of astronomy and astrology which are usualley referred to as Nujum. Here are
some brief points which may help you to get some ideas with regard to the issue at hand.
Celestial bodies like every other entity in the universe (material and non-material) may have some causal relationship with other entities. There is nothing inherently "shirkful" in the ideas that some they, like other things, may have some effects. As to the nature of those effects one must look for convincing evidence before establishing certain relationships.
The mere belief in the existence of causal relationship among entities is not Shirk unless one considers them independent in their relationships. In other words, believing things can have effects without God's permission (izn-u- Allah). This was the case with non-Muslim astrologists. They believed everything which happens in the world is a result of certain arrangement in celestial bodies. At the time of Prophet Muhammad (SA) a Munajjem predicted rain for a certain day and it did in fact rained on that day, but Prophet Muhammad (SA) said Munajjemun are liar. His majesty (AS) was not denying the fact that it rained on that day, it was an observable fact but rather he was reminding people that even though the Munajjem was right in his prediction he was wrong in his belief that celestial bodies control the world. The supereme ruler of the world is Allah (SWT). Based on this view some shia scholars believe that Nujum like
any other science can be viewed as shirk if Allah's Izn is ignored, and Ja'z (halal) if it is conceived within the world view of Tawhid.
As to the issue of horoscope, again it depends where you stand with regard to the issue of astrology. Those who see nothing inherently haram in astrology believe the correct practice by qualified people is not haram. But from the time of Greek astrologists down to through Islamic scholars and to the present day Shia scholars it has always been emphasised that there are two aspects in astrology: one related to celestial bodies and one related to the earthly objects. Like any other cause, the effect is received when receiver is Ghabel (qualified, prepared). Therefore the predictions of even a well qualified person may not come true because his knowledge is only about the celestial bodies. He may not know about other factors that may affect a particular outcome.
Let me give you an example, suppose he predicts person X will lose some money in a transaction, but on the other hand X helps his\her parents and goes to a great burden to please them and the parents pray for him\her. Here another set of rule comes into play: with God's permission (bi Izn-e-Allah), Angels protect him\her against the loss. I cannot elaborate more on this point here but I like to make it clear that since many different relationships are at work in our universe and all are governed by Allah (SWT), and Allah's blessing (Rahmah) is infinite, one who seeks blessing should make him\herself Ghabel of blessing by being a good servant of his, not by investing on anything as a substitute for being his Abd (servant). May we all be good servants of his and good followers of his holy prophet and his Ahlul Bayt (AS).
With regard to the belief that the basic constitutive elements of the material world being four i.e, water, soil, air, and fire, one should note that this was a scientific belief of the Greek inherited and accepted by many Muslim Scholars. This like any other scientific idea is subject to objective and empirical validation. Islam has no position with regard to many specific scientific finding. Imam Ali's (AS) kunyeh, Abu Turab, has nothing to do with this idea which was prevalent in what classical scholars used to call "Ta'abiyat" (Sciences related to Nature), it was given to Imam Ali (AS) by the holy Prophet (SA) in a historical event. As to the validity of this idea from an empirical perspective I believe there are not much scientific support for it.
Wa- Allah-u- 'Alamu bi- Ssawab.
With Regards
Mohammad
------------------------------------
QUESTION:
What is the hukm of ( your luck today ) subject ... I mean that what is the
hukm when we read our luck which is mentionedin the newspapers
and magazines ....
according to fatwa of Ayatollah al Sistani
ANSWER:
The luck predictions, horoscopes etc... have no meaning whatsoever in
Sharia', and believing in these things and acting according to them is a
type of SHIRK.
Asgherali M M Jaffer
QUESTION 1:
I have a question regarding astronomy. I have heard that muslims should not major in the field of astronomy. Is that true? Also since
horoscopes are directly related to astronomy, how should a muslim act towards it? I mean, should we have belief in horoscopes? A feedback will be appreciated on the issue.
QUESTION 2:
As salamu alay kum. I wanted to know what Islam says on horoscopes and the zodiac. The zodiac says that people have elements like water, earth, fire and that Imam Ali (AS) called himself Abu Turab , and that he had this earth element. A very religious friend of mine told me that there is some Islamic significance, I just wanted to know what it is , and if there are any harm things to look out for .
ANSWER 1 & 2
Fuqaha have different opinion with regard to the issue of astronomy and astrology which are usualley referred to as Nujum. Here are
some brief points which may help you to get some ideas with regard to the issue at hand.
Celestial bodies like every other entity in the universe (material and non-material) may have some causal relationship with other entities. There is nothing inherently "shirkful" in the ideas that some they, like other things, may have some effects. As to the nature of those effects one must look for convincing evidence before establishing certain relationships.
The mere belief in the existence of causal relationship among entities is not Shirk unless one considers them independent in their relationships. In other words, believing things can have effects without God's permission (izn-u- Allah). This was the case with non-Muslim astrologists. They believed everything which happens in the world is a result of certain arrangement in celestial bodies. At the time of Prophet Muhammad (SA) a Munajjem predicted rain for a certain day and it did in fact rained on that day, but Prophet Muhammad (SA) said Munajjemun are liar. His majesty (AS) was not denying the fact that it rained on that day, it was an observable fact but rather he was reminding people that even though the Munajjem was right in his prediction he was wrong in his belief that celestial bodies control the world. The supereme ruler of the world is Allah (SWT). Based on this view some shia scholars believe that Nujum like
any other science can be viewed as shirk if Allah's Izn is ignored, and Ja'z (halal) if it is conceived within the world view of Tawhid.
As to the issue of horoscope, again it depends where you stand with regard to the issue of astrology. Those who see nothing inherently haram in astrology believe the correct practice by qualified people is not haram. But from the time of Greek astrologists down to through Islamic scholars and to the present day Shia scholars it has always been emphasised that there are two aspects in astrology: one related to celestial bodies and one related to the earthly objects. Like any other cause, the effect is received when receiver is Ghabel (qualified, prepared). Therefore the predictions of even a well qualified person may not come true because his knowledge is only about the celestial bodies. He may not know about other factors that may affect a particular outcome.
Let me give you an example, suppose he predicts person X will lose some money in a transaction, but on the other hand X helps his\her parents and goes to a great burden to please them and the parents pray for him\her. Here another set of rule comes into play: with God's permission (bi Izn-e-Allah), Angels protect him\her against the loss. I cannot elaborate more on this point here but I like to make it clear that since many different relationships are at work in our universe and all are governed by Allah (SWT), and Allah's blessing (Rahmah) is infinite, one who seeks blessing should make him\herself Ghabel of blessing by being a good servant of his, not by investing on anything as a substitute for being his Abd (servant). May we all be good servants of his and good followers of his holy prophet and his Ahlul Bayt (AS).
With regard to the belief that the basic constitutive elements of the material world being four i.e, water, soil, air, and fire, one should note that this was a scientific belief of the Greek inherited and accepted by many Muslim Scholars. This like any other scientific idea is subject to objective and empirical validation. Islam has no position with regard to many specific scientific finding. Imam Ali's (AS) kunyeh, Abu Turab, has nothing to do with this idea which was prevalent in what classical scholars used to call "Ta'abiyat" (Sciences related to Nature), it was given to Imam Ali (AS) by the holy Prophet (SA) in a historical event. As to the validity of this idea from an empirical perspective I believe there are not much scientific support for it.
Wa- Allah-u- 'Alamu bi- Ssawab.
With Regards
Mohammad
------------------------------------
QUESTION:
What is the hukm of ( your luck today ) subject ... I mean that what is the
hukm when we read our luck which is mentionedin the newspapers
and magazines ....
according to fatwa of Ayatollah al Sistani
ANSWER:
The luck predictions, horoscopes etc... have no meaning whatsoever in
Sharia', and believing in these things and acting according to them is a
type of SHIRK.
Asgherali M M Jaffer
Watch 'The Mukhtar Narrative / Mukhtar Nama' on Ask - a series narrating Mukhtar al-Thaqafi's revenge for Karbala.- Watch 'The life of the Father of Chemistry, Jabir ibn Hayyan'
