Islam & Astrology

September 5, 2002

Hello/Pranam,

It is usually said that astrology is strickly prohibited in Islam and there are

hundreds of Fatawa and opposing arguments about astrology. Very few persons

tried to highlite the true picture. If our respected Hidu conferes do not mind

then I want to lay my personal opinion about the place of astrology in Islam.

Because I know this web-group is build to discuss, preech and teach vedic

astrology.But I am penning as this forum is covering many borders of occult

subjects.

"Because Islam is the fatest growing and youngest religion of the world and many

of its education are beyond geography, caste and colour, therefore its ‘culture

or civilization’ has still been evolving, although its essentials are completed

and compiled in the form of Quran and Hadees(the collections of sayings of

Prophet Muhammad). Looking at the initial periods of Arab tradition we don’t

get any clue of astrology in that region, but other techniques of fortune

telling was in vogue including witchcraft, alchemy and omen by observing sky,

birds and sand of desert. A mind of current age find lots of Hadeeses reveal

many a times Prophet Muhammad prohibited such activities, superstitions and

cursed those who was involved in that business of prophecy. But very few knows

that, in the life of Muhammad no one was aware of astrology in the Arab. After

many years when Islam was spreaded outside Arabian region, the muslim came

across many of non-arab arts and sciences and the scholars of those time

adopted and learn the different branches of knowledge. The Greek and Greece

were the richest source of knowledge for Arab conquerers. Arab were been

fimiliar with astology through Greek, and after that they study astrology

thoroughly, make an authentic research and build new postulates. Iran, Iraq,

Central Asia and Turkey were the centres of astrological knowledge. Al-Beruni

was the first eminent muslim scholar who came India, learn Sanskrit and Vedic

literature and then after translated Brihat Samhita of Vrihamihira. The

successors of Beruni developed new theories on the basis of Beruni’s work,

which he extracted from Indian souls. At that time no major opposition arised

against astrology because many of the religious scholars themselves know

astronomy and astrology very well.

Unfortunately today’s Maulvis could not differentiate between the fortunetelling

that was practiced during Muhammad’s life and present approach and philosophy of

astrology. Therefore we see lot of material full of opposing views and

‘Fatawas’. The rigid mullahas are blindly stick to the wordings of Prophet,

without comprehend the purpose and appraoch of Prophet’s wordings. Whereas,

there is a learned and intellectual class who donot think Astrology beyond the

teaching of Islam, they hold that it’s a science cum art which should be given

its right place.

I am again recalling that there was not any existance of Asrology and even

Palmisty in the Arabian region at the time of Muhammad’s life. So how it become

a sin, when there are not any Sura or Hadees prohibiting to consult or practice

'astrology' directly. All the Hadees are with reference to those techniques of

fortunetelling that was prevailed in the dark age of Arabian history. The study

of Astrology come under the Imam Ghazili’s category of Non-Revealed Knowledge.

For which the fourth and last criteria of Sharia i.e; ‘Ijtehad’ (interpretation

of any newly arises problem/point in the light of Quran by the present savants

and scholars for the benefit of muslim as a whole) is always there to check its

all good and bad impacts on the society and then decide whether it should allow

or not. And that is the opinion of the majority of educated muslims not only in

Pakistan but also around the world. Through this message I want to ask the

opponent, if astrology is not allowed in Islam then how Jafr (a sacred

numerical way of delineating query and talisman making) and ‘Faal’ ( omen or

presage with the help of sacred book or numbers) can be permitted.

Here I donot want to repeat the names of muslim astrologers, their work and the

famouse rulers who favoured to practice astrology, because this site is

reserved for the propagation of vedic astrology. These few word are the answer

of my personal explation of the frequently asked question i.e; Astrology is

prohibited in Islam why? and one of our web friend Mr.Jagmeet S Dheendsa, who

queried about relevent topic. The article attatched containing many good

perspective but with a losely translated Hadees without any reference.

In another mail our dear Qamar Waheed Naqvi required the source of quote

someone used last week, In my view the actual words are Ilm(knowledge) and

Aalim(savant) not the astrology and astrologer, but since there are many

translations of Hazrat Ali’s “Nahij-ul-Balagha”, so instantly I can’t write the

correct name of translator, though I didn’t use the quote but I will try to get

the correct wordings from authentic sources. Qamar also wants to know about the

vedic tradition in Pakistan or some useful web-links that can hilight it.

Unfortunate you hardly find any site contianing efforts or research work of

Pakistani vedic astrologers, but its not mean that there is not any astrologer

or researcher performing this task. I know many and I will inform you. But

little knowledge is often dangerous, so first I myself collect complete

information then write any thing later.

Regards,

M.Imran

Finance - Get real-time stock quotes

September 6, 2002

Dear Muhammad,

Excellent mail and thanks for enlightening us...but perhaps all are

not ready for a cultural dialogue. But thanks for initiating it and

maybe some time later, we will be in a position to discuss this with you.

Definitely you have got me thinking on this. I have just learnt that Vedic

Astrology is nothing but another method of spiritual realization

in the classical Hindu tradition. I wonder how Al Berauni dealt with this

and related it to Islam. Also how was it received and interpreted by Islamic

scholars and prophets? It is not surprising, as Vedic culture sprang on

the banks of the Indus, so close to where you live...the exchange was bound

to have happened. You spoke of numerology in the Arabic tradition, have

you looked into the Jewish Qabbalah, which is from the Middle-East and

hence stems from the Judeo and Islamic traditions?

Till then, why don't you continue with this research of cultural exchange,

as you would have better access to Islamic sources, both by your birth

and upbringing. You live within the living tradition of Islam, as we do

of Hinduism, and you would know the nuances better. Also, try and look

into the lost traditions of your religion, specially the folk and esoteric

connections, which might have been suppressed by the establishment religion,

like in most countries of the world.

Regards,

Sarbani

Muhammad Imran wrote:

Dear Jagmeet, Qamar and List,

Hello/Pranam,

It is usually said that astrology is strickly prohibited in Islam and

there are hundreds of Fatawa and opposing arguments about astrology. Very

few persons tried to highlite the true picture. If our respected Hidu conferes

do not mind then I want to lay my personal opinion about the place of astrology

in Islam. Because I know this web-group is build to discuss, preech and

teach vedic astrology.But I am penning as this forum is covering many borders

of occult subjects.

"Because

Islam is the fatest growing and youngest religion of the world and many

of its education are beyond geography, caste and colour,therefore

its ‘culture or civilization’ has still been evolving, although its essentials

are completed and compiled in the form of Quran and Hadees(the collections

of sayings of Prophet Muhammad). Looking at the initial periods of Arab

tradition we don’t get any clue of astrology in that region, but other

techniques of fortune telling was in vogue including witchcraft, alchemy

and omen by observing sky, birds and sand of desert. A mind of current

age find lots of Hadeeses reveal many a times Prophet Muhammad prohibited

such activities, superstitions and cursed those who was involved in that

business of prophecy. But very few knows that, in the life of Muhammad

no one was aware of astrology in the Arab. After many years when Islam

was spreaded outside Arabian region, the muslim came across many of non-arab

arts and sciences and the scholars of those time adopted and learn the

different branches of knowledge. The Greek and Greece were the richest

source of knowledge for Arab conquerers. Arab were been fimiliar with astology

through Greek, and after that they study astrology thoroughly, make an

authentic research and build new postulates. Iran, Iraq, Central Asia and

Turkey were the centres of astrological knowledge. Al-Beruni was the first

eminent muslim scholar who came India, learn Sanskrit and Vedic literature

and then after translated Brihat Samhita of Vrihamihira. The successors

of Beruni developed new theories on the basis of Beruni’s work, which he

extracted from Indian souls. At that time no major opposition arised against

astrology because many of the religious scholars themselves know astronomy

and astrology very well.

Unfortunately

today’s Maulvis could not differentiate between the fortunetelling that

was practiced during Muhammad’s life and present approach and philosophy

of astrology. Therefore we see lot of material full of opposing views and

‘Fatawas’. The rigid mullahas are blindly stick to the wordings

of Prophet, without comprehend the purpose and appraoch of Prophet’s wordings.

Whereas, there is a learned and intellectual class who donot think Astrology

beyond the teaching of Islam, they hold that it’s a science cum art which

should be given its right place. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =

"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"

/>

I

am again recalling that there was not any existance of Asrology and even

Palmisty in the Arabian region at the time of Muhammad’s life. So how it

become a sin, when there are not any Sura or Hadees prohibiting to consult

or practice 'astrology' directly. All the Hadees are with reference to

those techniques of fortunetelling that was prevailed in the dark age of

Arabian history. The study of Astrology come under the Imam Ghazili’s category

of Non-Revealed Knowledge. For which the fourth and last criteria of Sharia

i.e; ‘Ijtehad’ (interpretation of any newly arises problem/point

in the light of Quran by the present savants and scholars for the benefit

of muslim as a whole) is always there to check its all good and bad impacts

on the society and then decide whether it should allow or not. And that

is the opinion of the majority of educated muslims not only in Pakistan

but also around the world. Through this message I want to ask the opponent,

if astrology is not allowed in Islam then how Jafr (a sacred numerical

way of delineating query and talisman making) and ‘Faal’ ( omen

or presage with the help of sacred book or numbers) can be permitted.

Here

I donot want to repeat the names of muslim astrologers, their work and

the famouse rulers who favoured topractice

astrology, because this site is reserved for the propagation of vedic astrology.

These few word are the answer of my personal explation ofthe

frequently asked question i.e; Astrology is prohibited in Islam why? and

one of our web friend Mr.Jagmeet S Dheendsa, who queried about relevent

topic. The article attatched containing many good perspective but with

a losely translated Hadees without any reference.

In

another mail our dear Qamar Waheed Naqvi required the source ofquotesomeone

used last week, In my view the actual words are Ilm(knowledge) and Aalim(savant)

not the astrology and astrologer, but since there are many translations

of Hazrat Ali’s “Nahij-ul-Balagha”, so instantly I can’t write the correct

name oftranslator, though I didn’t

use the quote but I will try to get the correct wordings from authentic

sources. Qamar also wants to know about the vedic tradition in Pakistan

or some useful web-links that can hilight it. Unfortunate you hardly find

any site contianing efforts or research work of Pakistani vedic astrologers,

but its not mean that there is not any astrologer or researcher performing

this task. I know many and

I will inform you. But little knowledge is often dangerous, so first I

myself collect complete information then write any thing later.

Regards,

M.Imran

Finance - Get real-time stock quotes

|| Om Tat Sat || Sarvam Sri

Krishnaarpanamastu ||

Terms of Service.

Attachment: (image/gif) C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\nsmail0T.gif [not stored]

September 6, 2002

Dear Muhammad,

I would definitely like to know about the websites on this subjects.BTW,

what do you? Tell me a little about yourself...