Are Muslims allowed to believe in Astrology, Palmistry, Optical Telepathy and horoscopes?

Are Muslims allowed to believe in

Astrology, Palmistry, Optical Telepathy and
horoscopes?

Q;
Are Muslims allowed to believe in palmistry and
horoscopes?

A;
Allah has chosen to keep for himself the knowledge of what the future brings. The next moment and what it may bring is a divine secret of which no one knows anything whatsoever.

Since knowledge of the future has always intrigued man and since people have always yearned to know what will tomorrow bring, human societies have always had some people who claim to be able to tell the future.

Some have enlisted the Help of the stars, and they claim that the positions of different stars at the Moment of birth of any one person affect his life. Others have tried to “Read” the palm of a person in order to discover his future. There are also those who “Read” tea or coffee cups, and those who draw
lines in special sand, etc. The list is endless.
Islam views all these practices as means of trickery.

No one can ever discover what God has chosen to keep secret. Hence, anyone who pretends to be able to tell what will happen at any future moment is a liar who cannot substantiate his claim. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has given a decisive and final ruling on this subject when he said: “Astrologers are liars, even when they tell the truth.”

This means that even when an (Astrologer) says that
something will happen in the future, and it happens as he has described, he would be telling a lie. This is because he had no knowledge whatsoever of what was going to happen.

It was only by mere coincidence that what he has said has turned out to be true. His claim of having prior knowledge of it was certainly false.

Hence, a Muslim, believes in Allah and in the message of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and believes that everything which our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has told
us is absolutely true. He cannot then combine such a belief with believing in palmistry or astrology or any method of telling the future. Such a belief is contradictory with the faith of Islam. It follows that a Muslim must not read his or her horoscope, which is unfortunately being published in most newspapers and magazines.

It says a great deal when we realize that even the editors of those papers and magazines do not believe their horoscopes. Indeed, those who write the horoscope do not believe a word they write because they are fully aware of the trick they use.

And Allah knows Best

Astrology, Palmistry, Optical Telepathy...

Undoubtedly, the complete and correct knowledge of the unseen and the future is only known by Allah Ta’la but Allah Ta’la through His wisdom has kept open certain ways and methods for man to determine the unseen and future which sometimes turn out to be true but often untrue.

Although Allah Ta’la has kept open these certain avenues for man, He has also made it haraam for man to utilize these methods and ways to determine the future and unseen and to believe in it, therefore, establishing this knowledge as a test for the hearts of man.

It is recorded in the books of Tafseer and Hadith that before the birth of Nabi alaihis salaam the jinnaat and shayateen were granted free-flow access to the skies so that whenever any command of Allah Ta’la was to be transmitted via the Angels from the seventh heaven to the first heaven, the Jinnaat would listen to the command of what was to occur on the earth and spontaneously they would pass this knowledge on to their fortuneteller, astrologer or palmistry friends on the earth who would then foretell the different occurrences to take place.

After the blessed birth of Nabi alaihis salaam, Allah had destined that the Jinnaat and shayateen would not be granted access to the skies and now whenever they would try to listen to any order being passed-on by the Angels they would be repelled instantly.

Now, the jinnaat would climb on the backs of each other and make a queue till the sky and the one at the top would hide behind a star and listen like a thief to the order being transmitted and almost instantly the Angel after noticing the jinnaat would kick the star thereby burning the jinn. As soon as the first jinn would hear anything, he would immediately whisper it to his companion below him and so on till the fortuneteller at the end would be informed of the future occurrences.

Before this information could reach the last person, many lies would have been mixed to the original message therefore the last person would only receive one percent of truth and ninety nine of lies. This is only one of the methods which was and is still adopted to foresee the future.

Allamah Ibn Hajar Asqalaani in his book, Fathul Bari, has mentioned four ways of how the unseen and future is interpreted. The above method is the first one and the other three are as follows: 2) Some people come to know of the unseen via a jinn who befriends them and informs them of different occurrences and happenings regarding which man is unaware of OR 3) Through conjecture, estimation and guess some people tell of the unseen. This is a type of power which Allah Ta’ala grants an individual but many a times it turns out to be false OR 4) By means of experience and understanding the habits and system of different things some people deduce of what is to occur in the future . This last type is similiar to magic.

All the above methods adopted to foresee the future and to tell of the unseen are reproachable and reprehensible. (Fathul Bari vol. 10 pg. 266, Kitaab on Tibb, Chapter on Fortunetelling, Qadeemi Kutub Khana).

In no circumstance is it permissible to go to a fortuneteller or astrologer. There are numerous Ahadith sounding prohibition from visiting a fortuneteller. Nabi alaihis salaam said: He who visits a fortuneteller, his salaah will not be accepted for 40 days.

Corncerning the person who recites Quraanic verses and foresees the future, we cannot be specific and pass any verdict as to the methodology he adopts but the above 4 methods are the common ones used.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai,

www.ask-imam.com
FATWA DEPT.

The Islamic Ruling on Horoscopes

Chapter on Astrology from “The Fundamentals of Tawheed”

By Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Not only is the practice of astrology Haraam as mentioned earlier, but also visiting an astrologist and listening to his predictions, buying books on astrology or reading one’s horoscope are also

forbidden! Since astrology is mainly used for predicting the future, those who practice it are considered fortune-tellers. Consequently, one who seeks his horoscope comes under the ruling contained in The Prophet’s statement:

“The Salaah (daily prayer) of whoever approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything will not be accepted 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 the empty soul, which has not tasted real Eemaan (belief) that seeks out these paths. Essentially these paths, represent a vain attempt to escape Qadar (fate). The ignorant believe that if they know what is in store for them tomorrow, they can prepare from today. In that way they may avoid the bad and ensure the good. Yet, Allaah’s messenger was told by Allaah to say:

“If I knew the unseen, I would surely have only sought the good. But, I am only a warner and a bearer of glad tidings for believers.”

[Soorah al-A`raaf 7:188]

True Muslims are therefore obliged to stay far away from these areas. Thus, rings, chains, etc., which have the signs of the Zodiac on them should not be worn, even if one does not believe in them. They are part and parcel of a fabricated system which propagates Kufr and should be done away with entirely. No believing Muslim should ask another what his sign is, or attempt to guess his sign. Nor should he or she read horoscope columns in newspapers or listen to them read. And, any Muslim who allows astrological predictions to determine his actions, should seek Allaah’s forgiveness and renew his Islaam.