Explanation of the author's statement: The chapter on what has come regarding seeking rain through the stars
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Then he said: "The chapter on what has come regarding seeking rain through the stars". Seeking rain means asking for rain, or does it not? It is like how it is said: seeking forgiveness means asking for forgiveness, seeking help means asking for assistance, seeking refuge means asking for protection, and seeking guidance means asking for direction. This root (istif'ala) generally indicates asking, though it may not always indicate asking; it can indicate exaggeration in the action, such as *istakbara* (became arrogant). *Istakbara* does not mean asking for arrogance; rather, it means he reached the extreme of arrogance. Now, seeking rain through the stars means asking the stars to rain on you. This seeking of rain through the stars is divided into two categories. One category is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is when one calls upon the stars for rain, saying, "O star of such-and-such, save us, rain on us," or the like. What is this? It is major shirk, because it is calling upon other than Allah, and calling upon other than Allah is major shirk. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Mu'minun 23:117] So Allah the Exalted made him a disbeliever. And He said: [Al-Jinn 72:18] And He said: [Yunus 10:106] And other than that, there are many verses indicating the prohibition of calling upon other than Allah and that it is shirk. This is the first point.
Second: Seeking rain through the stars involves attributing the descent of rain to them. We said there are two categories: major shirk and minor shirk. Now, major shirk has two forms:
The first form is calling upon the stars to rain on you, asking them to rain. This is shirk, as you have heard.
The second is attributing the occurrence of rain to these stars, considering them to be the doers in themselves, without Allah. Even if he does not call upon them, but says that they are the ones who send down rain without Allah, this is also major shirk in lordship. The first is in worship, which includes shirk in lordship. It is shirk in worship because calling is part of worship, and it includes shirk in lordship because he does not call upon them except while believing that they act and fulfill needs. This category is major shirk, and it has two forms, as you have seen.
The second category is making these stars a cause, while Allah the Exalted is the Doer and the Creator. This is minor shirk, not major shirk, because he does not believe in a creator alongside Allah, nor in a creator independent in action without Allah, or does he? But he made what is not a cause into a cause. This is a type of associating partners with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, because it is not permissible for you to make something a cause when Allah the Exalted has not made it a cause, neither by His revelation nor by His decree. Whoever affirms a cause that Allah has not made a cause, neither by revelation nor by decree, is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), but it is minor shirk. So seeking rain through the stars is divided into two categories: major shirk and minor shirk, and major shirk has two forms.
The first form is calling upon them for rain, asking them to rain. This is shirk in worship and in lordship as well.
And the second is believing or attributing the descent of rain to them, considering them to be the doers in themselves without Allah. This is also major shirk. In what? In lordship. Yes.
The second category is the minor one, which is making them a cause, while the one caused is Allah, the Doer is Allah, and the Creator is Allah. But he says it is a cause. When the star of the Crown (al-Iklil) rises, yes, rain descends with it. Is this correct? No. The star of the Crown, al-Shawlah, al-Na'im, al-Sa'ud, and others are not a cause; they are not a cause, because Allah has not made them a cause. So our claim that they are a cause is saying about Allah without knowledge, yes, and it is associating partners with Him where we have affirmed a cause that Allah has not made a cause. And who establishes the legislative and cosmic causes? The One who establishes and affirms them is Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He said: And the saying of Allah the Exalted, yes, O Hamid, here.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : This is from the chapter of shirk in lordship.
And whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
وَمَنْ يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهاً آخَرَ لا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَAnd [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
وأن المساجد لله فلا تدعوا مع الله أحداAnd do not invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.'"
وَلا تَدْعُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَنْفَعُكَ وَلا يَضُرُّكَ فَإِنْ فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذاً مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَSecond: Seeking rain through the stars involves attributing the descent of rain to them. We said there are two categories: major shirk and minor shirk. Now, major shirk has two forms:
The first form is calling upon the stars to rain on you, asking them to rain. This is shirk, as you have heard.
The second is attributing the occurrence of rain to these stars, considering them to be the doers in themselves, without Allah. Even if he does not call upon them, but says that they are the ones who send down rain without Allah, this is also major shirk in lordship. The first is in worship, which includes shirk in lordship. It is shirk in worship because calling is part of worship, and it includes shirk in lordship because he does not call upon them except while believing that they act and fulfill needs. This category is major shirk, and it has two forms, as you have seen.
The second category is making these stars a cause, while Allah the Exalted is the Doer and the Creator. This is minor shirk, not major shirk, because he does not believe in a creator alongside Allah, nor in a creator independent in action without Allah, or does he? But he made what is not a cause into a cause. This is a type of associating partners with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, because it is not permissible for you to make something a cause when Allah the Exalted has not made it a cause, neither by His revelation nor by His decree. Whoever affirms a cause that Allah has not made a cause, neither by revelation nor by decree, is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), but it is minor shirk. So seeking rain through the stars is divided into two categories: major shirk and minor shirk, and major shirk has two forms.
The first form is calling upon them for rain, asking them to rain. This is shirk in worship and in lordship as well.
And the second is believing or attributing the descent of rain to them, considering them to be the doers in themselves without Allah. This is also major shirk. In what? In lordship. Yes.
The second category is the minor one, which is making them a cause, while the one caused is Allah, the Doer is Allah, and the Creator is Allah. But he says it is a cause. When the star of the Crown (al-Iklil) rises, yes, rain descends with it. Is this correct? No. The star of the Crown, al-Shawlah, al-Na'im, al-Sa'ud, and others are not a cause; they are not a cause, because Allah has not made them a cause. So our claim that they are a cause is saying about Allah without knowledge, yes, and it is associating partners with Him where we have affirmed a cause that Allah has not made a cause. And who establishes the legislative and cosmic causes? The One who establishes and affirms them is Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He said: And the saying of Allah the Exalted, yes, O Hamid, here.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : This is from the chapter of shirk in lordship.