by Shahul Hameed
Indeed astronomy is a veritable science in its own right, like physics and chemistry and Islam does encourage the study of astronomy, the science.
But astrology is not a science; it is merely a jumble of superstitious beliefs based chiefly on the idea that events in the life of a particular human being are influenced in mysterious ways by certain stars existing in the distant galaxies. The propagators of astrology often cite what they call “scientific facts” to argue their case.
For instance, they speak of “cosmic rays”, or of “positive” and “negative” energy. But to say that an incident like the failure of a business venture of an individual is caused by cosmic rays would be ridiculous. Or to believe that negative energy or cosmic rays seek out a specific individual to inflict on him a disease, leaving out his close neighbors would be equally absurd. That is to say, there is no scientific basis for such beliefs.
Islam clearly prohibits astrology as well as beliefs and practices linked to it. Astrology is used by the Hindus of India, for instance, chiefly for looking into the future and finding out which time is “good” and which time is “bad”. And from the Islamic point of view, future is ghayb (the unseen) and nobody knows ghayb, except Allah Almighty as the following verses clearly teach us:
Say: None in the heavens or earth knows the unseen except Allah. (Quran 27:65)
With Him are the keys to the unseen and none knows it except He. (Quran 6:59)
The reference to stars and planets by Allah Almighty in Holy Quran in several chapters is not an indication of the validity of astrology. A study of the relevant verses will prove that this is wrong. Note the following verse, for instance:
By the sky full of great constellations… (Quran 85:1)
The verses following this oath refer to a group of disbelievers who dug a ditch and lit a fire in it to burn the believers and make them recant. Allah cursed those People of the Ditch as well as their fire fed with fuel:
Cursed were the People of the Ditch. Of fire fed with fuel. When they sat by it. And they witnessed what they were doing against the believers. And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise! To Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is Witness over everything. (Quran 85:4-9)
This chapter is entitled, Buruj, meaning constellations, and its first verse contains the word, buruj, which is rendered in many translations as “zodiacal signs”.
This expression might mislead several readers to think of use of the same phrase in astrology. In fact, zodiac is used both in astrology and astronomy and it stands for the circle of twelve thirty degree divisions of celestial longitude that are centered on the path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year.
Superstitious people might argue that the reference to zodiacal signs points to their beliefs in astrology; but the Quran has nothing to do with them. The reference in the context is to the constellations of stars alone; and this is to be treated just like other expressions that denote oaths, like the following:
By the fig and the olive… (Quran 95:1) and By the glorious morning light and the night when it grows still and dark... (Quran 93:1-2) etc.
The constellations as referred to in the context of the particular chapter do not mean that Allah the Almighty corroborates the superstitions prevailing among the ignorant Arabs or Hindus.
As Allah Almighty refers in the Quran various aspects of His creation — the multifarious phenomena of nature — such as the day, the night, the waxing and the waning of the moon as well as the planets, the orbits and the galaxies or constellations of stars.
It is His privilege, period. And by this means He wants us to ponder over the overwhelming Majesty and Glory of His Creative Power. And remember: The Quran’s mission consists in dispelling all the false beliefs existing among mankind and establishing the True Religion of Allah Almighty.
Hence, it would be preposterous to cite some words and phrases from the Quran out of context and claim that the superstitions of ignorant people are still valid.
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