Why we are not allowed to believe on horoscop?

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

Ku rasa terpanggil untuk berkongsi sedikit tazkirah dari seorang hamba Allah yang juga merupakan seorang sahabat semuslim. Ini adalah rentetan dari forwarded e-mail from my friend about horoscope, and he was giving a very constructive and good idea for us to take a break and think about it. All this while, most of the people including me (one time ago), has so much believe on the horoscope. But, do we realize that the horoscope is kinda game that fool our faith to Allah and try to change our believe to Allah as the mighty one that has arrange everything, good and bad in our lives? Sama-sama kita renungkan...

Written by: Brother Ahmad Tarmizi Abd Wahab.

Assalamu’alaikum my dear Brothers and Sisters,

Bismillah ar-Rahmaan ar-Raheem,

I ask Allah to provide us with constant guidance from Him ‘azza wajall, for whomever Allah guides will never go astray, and whomever Allah leads astray will not find guidance from other than Him.

This kind of email (on horoscope) has been circulating among us for quite a while, as if there is nothing wrong with this issue. This is indeed a very sad phenomenon and has alarmed the need for some explanations, bi izni-Allahi wa hudaahu wa ‘inaayatihi.

As Muslims, we are obliged to know that horoscopes, zodiac signs, astrology or anything similar to it, is a form of fortune-teller, and believing in it is a clear cut major shirk which leads to kufr (disbelieves). Astrology claims to predict the destiny and personality of people based on the activities of planets. The truth is, as Allah The Most High says in the Qur’aan,

"With Him are the keys to the unseen and none knows it except Him {6:59}"

Whatever will happen in future is only known to Allah, and was already written by the Pen long time before the creation of mankind. Allah discloses not the unseen matters to anyone except to a messenger whom He is pleased with. Only Allah knows whether we will be successful in our business or not, or whether we will get married before the age of 30 or not. The hikmah then is for us to strive at our best to achieve something, and the end result is within His Hands (subhaanahu wa ta’aala).

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has also given his beloved Ummah enough warning regarding this matter that we should never ignore them, as He said:

“Whoever goes to a soothsayer or fortune-teller and believes what he says has disbelieved in what has been revealed to Muhammad.” [Ahmad]

And,

"The Salaah of whoever approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything will not be accepted for forty days and nights." [Muslim]

Shirk (to associate partner with Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala) is the only sin that is not forgiven by Allah (we seek refuge with Allah from it), and as Muslims who hope to see Allah in the Day of Judgment with safety, tranquility and pure clean aqeedah, we need to stay away from this sin as far as possible. As what Ulama’ have said, even going to visit the fortune-teller, buying books on astrology, and reading one’s horoscope are all acts of major sin themselves. This is the teaching of Islam; it strikes hard at the root and closes every door that can possibly lead to a sin. This is the way of our master our beloved Prophet, his sahaabah and the pious predecessors after them. Shirk is so great that whoever has committed the sin needs to completely repent and renew his/her syahaadah.

The confusion creeps in when some of us choose to stand by the platform of “good will”, “respect others” or “having fun”. This has been the case for most of the situation when we see some Muslims read on horoscope and laugh together with their fellow disbelievers, or when some Muslims celebrate Christmas with their co-workers etc. Having fun is permissible in Islam as long as it is bounded by the Islamic rules. Seeking fun in things that can cause Allah’s wrath is something that true believers should stay away from.

Talking about celebrating Christmas, it is very affecting to see Muslims in Malaysia start to celebrate the birthday of Jesus just as the Christians do. Everywhere in newspaper, TV, or Facebook, we can see a number of Muslims being proud with their wearing Christmas attires, their holding Christmas dinner, and sometimes their wishing and praying to Santa. Muslims nowadays have lost touch on (or some even forget the warning from Rasulullah sal-allahu ‘alaihi wasallam on) the danger of imitating the disbelievers and how Islam strictly disapproves it. The Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

"Whosoever imitates a nation is amongst them ” [Abu Daud].

Imitation, which is prohibited, is effected in one of the following two ways:
a) One does something with the intention of imitating the Kuffar (disbelievers), meaning one does so because one wants to be like a particular disbeliever; and

b) Doing something that is unique and exclusive to the disbelievers or it is part of their faith. This will also be considered imitation, thus Haram (unlawful). (See the Fatwa of Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani)

What are we celebrating Christmas for? Allah has already provided Muslims with two Eids, in which we can enjoy ourselves and thank Allah for His blessings. Our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was so meticulous in being different from the Jews and the Christians, that He even ordered the men to trim the moustache and leave the beard, and He even parted his own hair on a different side of the head as from those people. We, on the other hand, feel ashamed to dress and look like Muslims, and look up to the way the disbelievers talk, dress, and live their lives. For what? Are we seeking recognition from them? Allah The Most High says,

"Are they (the ones who take the disbelievers as their helper) seeking honor/strength from them (the disbelievers)? Indeed, the honor/strength, all of them, belongs to Allah {4:139}"

As Shaykh Faraz said, good will is cultivated by being realistic and working together on matters of common concern. We can always co-operate with people from different religions in common causes, but not by celebrating Christmas together. Yes, we can (or, rather, should) work with them for moral and social issues, but sitting through a ceremony in which shirk is committed is just intolerable. Our stand, as our Sayyid Umar al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) expressed it, should be that we respectfully tolerate others’ beliefs and then leave them to that which they believe. We don’t respect their actual beliefs, and there is no reason or wisdom in explaining that to them.

Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

Indeed Allah has provided his best creation, namely mankind, with 1001 desires and feelings, but with them come along His Noble Books, His Messengers and the Best Messenger Muhammad, the delight of our eyes, sal-Allahu wasallama ‘alaihi wa’alaihim ajma’een. Whoever seeks to please one’s desire beyond the Divine Guidance has transgressed against Allah’s right and in the end against one-own-self. Whoever stays away from the gray area has protected one’s religion. Why are we busy looking for these kinds of entertainment, while we only understand about 10% of what we say in our Solaat everyday and there are thousands of books on Solaat and Arabic available in the bookstores?

This is indeed a test for us, and Allah has promised to grant the highest and unimaginable rewards to those who pass the test. So let us revive our emaan and love for Rasulullah sal-Allahu ‘alaihi wasallam and his companions, and concentrate on the eternal, everlasting reward that Allah has promised the true believers in the afterlife.

And Allah alone gives success.

Wallahua'lam.