Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying:
“If anyone acquires a section of the science of the stars for a purpose other than what God has mentioned he has acquired a branch of magic. The astrologer is a kahin, the kahin is a magician, and the magician is an infidel.”
Qatada said God most high created these stars for three purposes; He made them an adornment for the sky, missiles for the devils, and signs by which people find their way.
If anyone explains them differently he makes a mistake, squanders what is allotted to him, and occupies himself with something he does not know.
Bukhari transmitted it without a full isnad.
Razln’s version has, “occupies himself with what does not concern him, what he has no knowledge of, and what prophets and angels are incapable of knowing.”
On the authority of ar-Rabi’* there is something to the same effect with the addition, “I swear by God that God has not set in a star anyone’s life, provision, or death. They are only speaking lies against God and attributing causes to the stars.”
Narrated Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying:
“If God were to withhold rain from his servants for five years and then send it, a section of mankind would be infidels saying they had been supplied with water through the agency of the rainy star al-Mijdah*.”
Nasa’i transmitted it.
* The word comet from a root meaning to stir up, and the plural is used as a general name for stars which are said to stir up rain, the singular used here may refer to the Hyades, but other explanations are also given. As rainy seasons were connected with particular times at which certain stars rose, the rain was attributed to them.
A man of the Ansar who was a companion of the Prophet told me that while they were sitting one night along with God’s messenger, a star was thrown and shone brightly. He asked them what they used to say in the pre-Islamic period when something of that nature was thrown, and they replied, “God and His messenger know best. We used to say that a great man had been born that night, or that a great man had died."
Then God’s messenger said, “It is not thrown because of anyone’s death or life; but when our Lord whose name is blessed decrees a matter the bearers of the Throne extol Him, then the inhabitants of heaven who are next to them extol Him till the extolling reaches the inhabitants of this lowest heaven. Then those who are near the bearers of the Throne ask them what their Lord has said and they tell them what He said. Then the inhabitants of the heavens ask one another till it reaches this lowest heaven. The jinn then snatch a hearing and pass it on to their friends and have thrown at them. Now what they bring as it came is true, but they mix things with it and make additions."
