Is reporting on the time of an eclipse considered fortune-telling?
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The Shaykh : No, it is not from these fortune-tellers; it is not of fortune-telling in any way. Whoever reports on matters that can be determined by calculation, those matters are not of fortune-telling in any way. Just as if one reports on a solar or lunar eclipse, this is not fortune-telling because it can be determined by calculation. And just as if one reports that the sun will set on the twentieth of the zodiac sign of Libra, for example, at such and such an hour, this is not knowledge of the unseen because it can be determined by calculation. And just as they say that Halley's Comet will appear this year or at the beginning of the following year. This is a star that has a very long tail reaching millions of miles, and it is luminous. When it first appeared to people, there was great panic among them, but after studying the astronomical conditions and what happens in this celestial sphere, the matter became easy for them. We have seen it, but this comet called Halley seems greater than what happened years ago, larger and brighter in illumination. This also is not of fortune-telling in any way because it is among the matters that can be determined by calculation. So anything that can be determined by calculation, reporting on it, even if it is in the future, is not considered knowledge of the unseen or fortune-telling. Is fortune-telling what is reported now about weather conditions within twenty-four hours or the like?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, because it also relies on tangible matters, which are the conditions of the atmosphere. The atmosphere takes on a specific condition that they know by the precise scales they have, and it becomes suitable for it to rain or not to rain. The parallel in basic knowledge is that if we see the sky has become cloudy and there is thunder and lightning and the clouds are heavy, we say that rain is likely to fall, and that is likely to lead to rain. So the important point is that what relies on something tangible is not knowledge of the unseen, even if some of the common people think that such matters are knowledge of the unseen and say that believing in them is believing in the fortune-teller and that it is not permissible for us to believe in them. This is something that should not be the case. Denying what is perceived by the senses is like what passed to us in the creed of al-Safarini; denying it is ugly in reason, meaning in intellect:
"So everything is known by sense or reason *** So denying it is ugly ignorance in reason"
What passed to us? So what is known by the senses cannot be denied. If someone denied it relying on that on the Shari'ah, that would be an attack on the Shari'ah. That would be an attack on the Shari'ah. The common people attack the Shari'ah, but those who know the reality of these matters and that they are based on tangible, studied matters, meaning they are certain of them just as we are certain of the sun when it rises and comes out, yes.
The questioner : Well, the eclipse came upon the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and he did not know about it, how...?
The Shaykh : Yes, because the conditions of calculation had not developed for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as the Messenger said: So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in his time, these sciences had not spread. These sciences did not spread except after a long period after the spread of Islam. Then now, with machines, many things have been brought closer and many things have been discovered that were not known at first.
The questioner : If there was good in it, the Messenger would have known it.
The Shaykh : No, there is no good or evil in it. The discussion is whether reporting on this matter is considered fortune-telling and must be refuted, and whether believing in it is disbelief. That is the discussion. As for the issue of a person learning it or not learning it, that is another matter. And we have spoken in one of the episodes of *Nur 'ala al-Darb* (Light on the Path) about this issue, I think, or something close to it, regarding the rotation of the earth or the rotation of the sun. And we said that there is no evidence from the Shari'ah indicating the rotation of the earth. And the danger is not the issue of the earth rotating or not rotating. This is an issue we said is among the superfluous matters of knowledge. It is among the superfluous matters of knowledge. It is not of much importance, except that some people said that it has great importance at the present time considering aviation and guided missiles, and that it is important to study this matter and look at whether it rotates or not. Yes, so in any case, I say that we may not see much in this knowledge and see it as a waste of time, but there are people who see it as having a great role in reaching what they want. The satellites now and the space stations and the like are all built on such things and calculations.
The student: There is a book...
The Shaykh : How?
The student: There is a printed book, "The Ascent to the Moon."
The Shaykh : In what?
The student: About the ascent to the moon.
The Shaykh : Yes, in
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The student: ... It was sold in the market, it was printed, meaning.
The Shaykh : They printed it, I think Dar Tiba, and they are selling it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, no, it is said this is an error, especially since it is from the actions of Allah, meaning you say by the will of Allah. Yes.
The questioner : If he believes that, no...
The Shaykh : No... He believes it is from Allah, he does not believe it is from himself.
The questioner : No, he is certain that this will happen.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is certain that it will happen based on the cosmic laws that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has established, and they do not change. Yes, he is certain of this for this reason.
The questioner : Does he not sin by that?
The Shaykh : I do not think he sins, but it is said that it is better to clarify this so that the common people do not be deceived and think that the matters are natural and proceed by a system and have no regulator. Yes.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, because it also relies on tangible matters, which are the conditions of the atmosphere. The atmosphere takes on a specific condition that they know by the precise scales they have, and it becomes suitable for it to rain or not to rain. The parallel in basic knowledge is that if we see the sky has become cloudy and there is thunder and lightning and the clouds are heavy, we say that rain is likely to fall, and that is likely to lead to rain. So the important point is that what relies on something tangible is not knowledge of the unseen, even if some of the common people think that such matters are knowledge of the unseen and say that believing in them is believing in the fortune-teller and that it is not permissible for us to believe in them. This is something that should not be the case. Denying what is perceived by the senses is like what passed to us in the creed of al-Safarini; denying it is ugly in reason, meaning in intellect:
"So everything is known by sense or reason *** So denying it is ugly ignorance in reason"
What passed to us? So what is known by the senses cannot be denied. If someone denied it relying on that on the Shari'ah, that would be an attack on the Shari'ah. That would be an attack on the Shari'ah. The common people attack the Shari'ah, but those who know the reality of these matters and that they are based on tangible, studied matters, meaning they are certain of them just as we are certain of the sun when it rises and comes out, yes.
The questioner : Well, the eclipse came upon the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and he did not know about it, how...?
The Shaykh : Yes, because the conditions of calculation had not developed for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as the Messenger said:
We are an unlettered nation; we do not read or write. The month is like this, and like this, and like this.
إنا أمةٌ أمية ما نقرأ ولا نكتب الشهر هكذا وهكذا وهكذاThe questioner : If there was good in it, the Messenger would have known it.
The Shaykh : No, there is no good or evil in it. The discussion is whether reporting on this matter is considered fortune-telling and must be refuted, and whether believing in it is disbelief. That is the discussion. As for the issue of a person learning it or not learning it, that is another matter. And we have spoken in one of the episodes of *Nur 'ala al-Darb* (Light on the Path) about this issue, I think, or something close to it, regarding the rotation of the earth or the rotation of the sun. And we said that there is no evidence from the Shari'ah indicating the rotation of the earth. And the danger is not the issue of the earth rotating or not rotating. This is an issue we said is among the superfluous matters of knowledge. It is among the superfluous matters of knowledge. It is not of much importance, except that some people said that it has great importance at the present time considering aviation and guided missiles, and that it is important to study this matter and look at whether it rotates or not. Yes, so in any case, I say that we may not see much in this knowledge and see it as a waste of time, but there are people who see it as having a great role in reaching what they want. The satellites now and the space stations and the like are all built on such things and calculations.
The student: There is a book...
The Shaykh : How?
The student: There is a printed book, "The Ascent to the Moon."
The Shaykh : In what?
The student: About the ascent to the moon.
The Shaykh : Yes, in
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.
The student: ... It was sold in the market, it was printed, meaning.
The Shaykh : They printed it, I think Dar Tiba, and they are selling it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, no, it is said this is an error, especially since it is from the actions of Allah, meaning you say by the will of Allah. Yes.
The questioner : If he believes that, no...
The Shaykh : No... He believes it is from Allah, he does not believe it is from himself.
The questioner : No, he is certain that this will happen.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is certain that it will happen based on the cosmic laws that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has established, and they do not change. Yes, he is certain of this for this reason.
The questioner : Does he not sin by that?
The Shaykh : I do not think he sins, but it is said that it is better to clarify this so that the common people do not be deceived and think that the matters are natural and proceed by a system and have no regulator. Yes.