TAWHEED IS ISLAM
Yaomal Ahad 22/10/1441
Sunday 14/06/2020
Bismillah Wassalaatu Wassalam Ala Rasulillah
What Has Been Said About At-Tanjeem 1
Bukhari narrates in his Saheeh, that Qatadah said:
"Allah created these stars for three reasons: (i) To adorn the heaven, (ii) as missiles against the devils and (ii) as signs by which (the traveller) may be guided; and so whoever claims more than this for them has is emoneous and has lost his reward (on the Day of Resurrection) and taken upon himself that of which he has no knowledge."
In this narration, Qatadah informs us that Allah (swt ), Most High, Created the stars for only three things: The first, to beautify the night sky; the second, as projectiles against the devils who approach the lowest heaven in order to overhear the angels speaking of the Commandments of Allah (swt ) which they then attempt to convey to the fortune-tellers and soothsayers; 2 and the third, as guidance for the wayfarer at night, whether on land or at sea. He (saas ) added that anyone who claims more than this for the stars such as the claims of astrologers, that the positions of the stars and planets exert an influence on our daily lives, is acting out of ignorance, and will receive no reward from Allah (swt ) on the Day of Judgement and has gone astray from the Straight Path.
Benefits Derived From This Narration
1. The wisdom of creating the stars.
2. The falseness of the claims of those who say otherwise.
3. The forbiddance of belief in astrology.
4. The punishment prescribed for those who practice or believe in astrology.
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of Tawheed
That it informs us of the view of Qatadah concerning astrology, that it is false and forbidden.
That Qatadah rejected that which the astrologers claim concerning the stars and knowledge of the unseen because it is an act of Shirk to claim knowledge of the unseen; as such knowledge is only with Allah (swt ).
Harb informs us that while Qatadah disliked the studying of the lunar phases, Ibn `Uyainah forbade it, and Ahmad and Ishaq permitted it.
Important Note
(a) Study of the stars is of three kinds: (i) That which is kufr, and that is the belief that the heavenly bodies themselves decide the events of our daily lives. (ii) The belief that events may be predicted by studying the courses and relative positions of the stars and planets which they claim is by Allah's Ordainment and His Will and there is no doubt of the forbiddance of this nor of its being a form of Shirk. (iii) The study of the stars and the planets in order to have knowledge of their cycles for the purpose of aiding travellers in order to know the direction of the Qiblah 3 and to know the time and season and this is permissible.
(b) The suggestion that Allah's Words:
" And marks and signs; and by the stars they are guided" (Qur'an 16:16)
Are an indication that astrology is permissible is totally false and baseless, because its forbiddance has been reported in many authentic Ahadith and therefore, it is clear that the meaning of this verse is not as the ignorant and misguided have claimed, but that Allah (swt ) has placed in the earth many natural sign- posts such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, rocks, etc.; and in the heaven stars to help the traveller find his way and that we may know the time and the season.
Footnotes
1. At-Tanjeem: Astrology.
2. This refers to meteorites, not stars, which are referred to in Arabic also as stars, as indeed they are in English (shooting stars, falling stars).
3. Qiblah: The direction towards which we face when we pray i.e. the K'abah in Makkah.
Wallaahu A'lam
Source: Explanation of Kitabu Tawheed by Sameh Strauch
Edited by: The Islam Soul Care Centre
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