Explanation of the Author's Statement: The Chapter on What Has Come Regarding Astrology

The Shaykh : The science of influence, and the second is the science of the movement of the stars, which is the motion of the stars and the like. What is the blameworthy one? The blameworthy one is the science of influence. The science of influence is the blameworthy one. So we divide astrology first into two parts: the first part is the science of influence, and the second part is the science of the movement of the stars... Did you understand that the movement of the stars comes from the word for motion? Yes, the science of the movement of the stars. Did you write it down?
The student: ...

The Shaykh : The movement of the stars comes from the word for motion. Yes, the science of the movement of the stars. As for the first one, which is the science of influence, it is also divided into two parts: the first part, or rather into three parts. The first part is that one believes that these stars are influential and active, meaning that they are the ones who create events, who create wars, who create evils, and the like. What is the ruling on that? This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), because it is obligatory for us to believe that whoever claims that there is a creator with Allah is an associate of partners with Allah, committing major shirk. So we say that this person is an associate of partners with Allah, committing major shirk, because he made the created, subjugated entity a creator and a subjugator. The stars are subjugated, created beings. Yes, so how can you make them a creator and a subjugator? So this is shirk, major shirk, which takes one out of the religion.
The second part is that one makes them a cause by which he claims knowledge of the unseen. He infers from their movements, shifts, and changes that such and such will happen. He says, "Such and such will happen." Why? And what makes you know that? He says, "Because such and such a star became such and such." This person's life will be a life of misery. Why? Because he was born under such and such a star. This person's life will be a life of happiness because he was born under such and such a star. If one takes the learning of stars as a means to claim knowledge of the unseen, and the claim of knowledge of the unseen—what is its ruling? It is disbelief (kufr). The claim of knowledge of the unseen is disbelief. So we say that this second part is also disbelief that takes one out of the religion, because whoever claims knowledge of the unseen is a disbeliever. How is he a disbeliever? Because Allah says in the Noble Qur'an: This is a restriction enclosed by negation and exception, which is one of the strongest types of restriction. So we say that whoever claims knowledge of the unseen through the movements of these stars, their shifts, and the like, is a disbeliever. Our evidence is: So if he claims knowledge of the unseen, he has lied to the Qur'an.
Now, the third part of the science of influence: he does not claim knowledge of the unseen by it, nor that it is a creator and active, but he believes it to be a cause in the occurrence of the thing, whether evil or good. This is an associate of partners with Allah, committing minor shirk. He says, "I do not claim knowledge of the unseen, but when this thing happened, I said it was because of such and such a star." Write this down: this is not attributing the thing to the stars except after it has occurred. He does not say that they are the active, influential ones, but he says that they are a cause. So we say that this is from the category of minor shirk, because you have no knowledge of this thing, and we do not know that Allah the Exalted made these things a cause for the occurrence of evil. If someone were to say, "This last part is refuted by what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his statement regarding the eclipse: So does that mean they are a sign of warning? What is the answer to that? The answer to that is that what is established to have an effect—yes, on my eyes and head—we do not say except what we know. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say that they have an influence in the descent of punishment, but rather that they are a warning and a frightening. The warning and the frightening do not mean that the punishment will occur because of the eclipse, but rather because of sins. And this is from the category of what? It is from the category of warning. And for this reason he said: And so it does not hold against us. So the answer is from two angles: First, that we do not concede that the eclipse has an influence in punishments and events, such as drought, war, and the like. It has no influence. And for this reason the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Not in the past and not in the future. Rather, Allah frightens the servants with them as a frightening, so that perhaps they may turn back. This is one.
The second angle: even if we concede that they have an influence, the text has indicated that, and what the text indicates, it is obligatory to say it. But the first angle is the closest: that we do not concede at all that they have an influence in this, because the hadith does not require it. What does the hadith say? Yes, that is right.

The questioner : ... Oh Shaykh, Allah says: Here, why do we not consider it major shirk?

The Shaykh : No, it was mentioned to us earlier that whoever believes that they have an influence in the descent of rain by themselves, that is major disbelief (kufr). And if he believes them to be a cause, it is minor disbelief (kufr), because he attributed the blessing to its cause rather than to the one who caused it.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No... it is understood in detail, as indicated by the texts. Yes.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Now wait, this is the science of influence. We said it is divided into how many? Into three parts. As for the science of the movement of the stars, it is also divided. Sometimes their movement is used to infer religious or worldly benefits. So the knowledge of this is fine. And if it helps in obligatory religious benefits, learning it becomes obligatory. Learning it becomes obligatory. For example, if one wants to infer the direction of the qiblah (direction of prayer) from the stars, and such and such a star, when it becomes... one-third of the night is the qiblah, like what is done... in the times, he says such and such a star is the qiblah at one-quarter of the night, one-third of the night, and so on. So this is undoubtedly good and has a great benefit. The worldly benefits: learning it to infer worldly benefits is also fine. And it is of two types: worldly benefits are fine, and it is of two types: One is that one infers directions from them. This is permissible from the category of the permissible. How does one infer directions from them? For example, one knows where the Pole Star is located? In the north. And Capricornus, which revolves around it, is also near it in the north. And we do not see the Pole Star, because they say it is a very faint star, not seen except by one with sharp eyesight on nights other than moonlit nights. We also say, in countries with electricity, this Pole Star. But Capricornus is near it, around it. And for this reason, some people think that Capricornus does not move from its place. It does move, but because of its closeness to the Pole Star, its circle is narrow, by the permission of Allah. The stars around the Pole Star move like this, like a millstone revolving around the Pole Star. And for this reason, the Great Bear, which they call the Great Bear, we call it the Greater Wagon, revolves around it, but it does not disappear except for a small part. Perhaps its end does not disappear before its beginning appears. And as for the Lesser Wagon, which revolves around the Pole Star, it never disappears. You saw it now, the Lesser Wagon. You find it does not set. It revolves.
The student: ...

The Shaykh : It is only, if Allah wills... it comes, but it does not disappear.
The student: Other than the six.

The Shaykh : From the six, but the six big ones... this is what disappears for part of the night, but it comes out immediately. And... the small ones, these do not disappear. They revolve and do not disappear. Look, from the beginning of the night, you find it, for example, according to the custom of the seasons... at the beginning of the night, you find it in the north at the end of the night. And at the end of the Lesser Wagon, there are two bright stars called the Two Stars (al-Farqadayn). Al-Hariri says in his *Mudhakkhal* (or *Mudhakkhal*): "And the two stars of the sky will not be stolen" ... the example is in not being close. In any case, inferring directions from their movement, yes.
The student: We go...

The Shaykh : We will go out, if Allah wills, one night.
The student: I know them.

The Shaykh : Yes, we know them. If Allah wills, we will go out one night without a moon. Yes. So I say: this is fine in worldly benefits, inferring directions from them, by the saying of Allah the Exalted: .
The second is inferring the seasons from them, not the directions. This is what is known as learning the mansions of the moon. Some of the Salaf (earliest generations) disliked it, and others permitted it. Those who disliked it said that it is feared that if it is said, "Such and such a star, when it rises, is the time of winter," it is feared... that it brings the cold. That it is the one that brings the cold, the one that brings the heat, the one that brings the winds, and the like. So for this reason, some of the Salaf disliked it... And the correct view is that it is not disliked, as will come, if Allah the Exalted wills...