The Islamic Ruling on Horoscopes
Creator: Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Date: 2007-07-07
Format: text
Identifier: http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=311
Language: en
Source: The Fundamentals of Tawheed
Subject: iman
Title: The Islamic Ruling on Horoscopes
Created on: Sat Jul 07 13:26:35 -0400 2007
Updated on: Sat Jul 07 13:26:35 -0400 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... ccepted for forty days and nights." [Reported by Hafsah and collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol. 4, p. 1211, no. 5440).]As was mentioned in the previous chapter, the punishment in this Hadeeth is simply for approaching and asking the astrologist, even if one is in doubt about the truth of his statements. If one is in doubt about the truth or falsehood of astrological information, he is in doubt about whether or not others know the unseen and the future besides Allaah. This is a form of Shirk because Allaah has clearly stated: "With Him are the keys to the unseen and none knows it except Him" [Soorah al-An`aa,m 6:59] "Say: None in the heavens or earth knows the unseen except Allaah." [Soorah an-Naml 27:65] If, however, one believes in the predictions of their horoscope, whether spoken by an astrologist or written in books of astrology, he falls directly into Kufr (disbelief) as stated by the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) "Whoever approaches an oracle or fortune-teller and believes in what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad." [Reported by Abu Hurayrah and collected by Ahmad and Abu Daawood (Sunan Abu Dawud (English Trans.), vol. 3, p. 1095, no. 3895).] Like the previous Hadeeth, this Hadeeth literally refers to the fortune-teller but it is just as applicable to the astrologist. Both claim knowledge of the future. The astrologist’s claim is just as opposed to Tawheed as the ordinary fortune-teller. He claims that people’s personalities are determined by the stars, and their future actions and the events of their lives are written in the stars. The ordinary fortune-teller claims that the formation of tea leaves at the bottom of a cup, or lines in a palm tell him the same thing. In both cases individuals claim the ability to read in the physical formation of created objects knowledge of the unseen. Belief in astrology and the casting of horoscopes are in clear opposition to the letter and spirit of Islaam. It is really th... [Full Article...]
