Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:97

(And it is He who placed) meaning: He originated or fashioned (for you) meaning: for your benefit, (the stars). It is said: The intent here is everything other than the two luminaries (the sun and the moon), because they are the ones used for the guidance mentioned hereafter, and because in common parlance, "stars" refer to what is besides them. It is permitted that both are included, making this an explanation of their general benefit following the explanation of their specific benefit.

Astrologers divide the stars into fixed stars and planets. The planets are seven by the consensus of the ancients, and eight with the addition of Herschel (Uranus) by the astrologers of today. As for the fixed stars, no one knows their number except Allah, the Exalted. Those observed, as Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi stated, are one thousand and twenty-five, including the Dhafira (Coma Berenices). Those who exclude it say: they are one thousand and twenty-two. They arranged the fixed stars into six magnitudes, calling them increasing magnitudes, sixth by sixth, and they assigned each magnitude three grades: greater, middle, and lesser. They have other divisions based on different considerations, upon which they built what they built; yet hardly anything of it is safe from falling into what is religiously forbidden.

(That you may be guided by them) is a substitute for the pronoun in "for you" by repeating the governing agent, acting as a substitute of inclusion (badal al-ishtimal); as if it were said: "He placed the stars for your guidance" (in the darkness of the land and the sea), meaning: in the darkness of the night on land and at sea. Attributing the darkness to both is due to the association, or it refers to the confused paths. He called them "darkness" by way of metaphor. This is a singling out of some of their benefits for mention as required by the context; otherwise, they are more useful than "separating the sticks." Regarding all that results from them, they are like all other customary causes; they have no effect in and of themselves.

There is no harm in learning the science of astronomy, knowing the zodiac signs, the lunar stations, the positions, and the like, through which religious interests are attained. The scholar Ibn Hajar, may mercy be upon him, said: "The prohibited aspect of the science of the stars is what its practitioners claim of knowing future events in the time to come—such as the coming of rain, the occurrence of snow, the blowing of winds, changes in prices, and the like—claiming that they perceive this through the movement of the planets due to their conjunctions and oppositions. This is a knowledge that Allah, the Exalted, has reserved for Himself; no one knows it except Him. Whoever claims to know this is a transgressor (fasiq), and it may even lead him to disbelief (kufr). As for the one who says: 'The conjunction or opposition of such-and-such was made by Allah, the Exalted, as a sign—according to His divine custom—for the occurrence of such-and-such,' while acknowledging it might not occur, then there is no sin upon him. Likewise, reporting what is perceived by way of observation from the science of the stars—through which one knows the decline of the sun (zawal), the direction of the Qibla, and how much time has passed or remains—there is no sin in that; rather, it is a communal obligation (fard kifaya)."

As for what is in the tradition of the Two Sahihs from Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, who said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, led us in the morning prayer after it had rained during the night. When he finished, he turned to us and said: 'Do you know what your Lord said?' They said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'This morning, some of My servants became believers in Me, and some became disbelievers. Whoever said: "We have been given rain by the grace of Allah," that one is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars. And whoever said: "We have been given rain by the rising of such-and-such star (naw')," that one is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.'" The scholars have said: This is understood as referring to when one says that while intending that the star itself is the creator of the rain. As for if he says it with the meaning that the star is a sign for the descent of rain, while the Sender is Allah alone, he does not commit disbelief, but it is disliked for him to say it because it is from the expressions of disbelief.

I say: The reports regarding the prohibition of the science of the stars and looking into them have become numerous. Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abu Dawood, and Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Whoever acquires a branch of the science of the stars has acquired a branch of sorcery; it increases as he increases." Al-Khatib narrated from Maymun ibn Mihran, who said: "I said to Ibn Abbas, 'Advise me.' He said: 'I advise you to fear Allah, and beware of the science of the stars, for it invites to soothsaying.'" He also narrated from Ali, may his face be honored, that he said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade me from looking into the stars." Abu Hurayrah and Aisha, may Allah be pleased with them, narrated something similar. Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The one who learns the letters of Abjad and looks into the stars has no portion with Allah, the Exalted, on the Day of Resurrection." Al-Khatib narrated from Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Learn from the stars that by which you may be guided in the darkness of the land and the sea."

Then they end there, among other such reports. Perhaps the prohibition of learning it is a matter of blocking the means (sadd al-dhara'i), for that knowledge may lead to what is religiously prohibited, as the report of Ibn Mihran indicates. Likewise, the prohibition of looking into them is understood as the type of looking that the soothsayers used to do—those who claimed the stars had an effect in and of themselves, and who judged the certainty of what they indicated by their triangles, squares, conjunctions, and oppositions—in such a way that they would never fail. Moreover, attaining all that Allah has entrusted in every star is impossible for other than the Knower of the Unseen, and attaining some or all of it regarding only some stars does not bring benefit nor provide anything but conjecture. The one who clings to it is like the one who clings to the ropes of the moon, and the one who grasps it is like the one who grasps the rays of the sun. Yes, some events in the world of generation and corruption have had the habit of Allah occurring mostly at the rising or setting of a star, or its conjunction with another star. What is observed at the setting and rising of the Pleiades and the rising of Canopus is evidence of what we mentioned. It is not far-fetched that these are from the customary causes, and their effects may sometimes fail to occur, whether we say: "The effect happens at the time of them," as is famous among the Ash'aris, or we say: "They are the influencers by the permission of Allah," as is the position supported by the predecessors, which the speech of the Proof of Islam, al-Ghazali, on causality points to. Whenever an experienced person reports something of this nature in this manner, there is no harm in it. As for what Al-Khatib narrated from Ikrimah, that he asked a man about the calculation of the stars and the man hesitated to inform him, Ikrimah said: "I heard Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both, say: 'A science that people became incapable of; I wish I had known it.'" And what Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar narrated from Abdullah ibn Hafs, he said: "The Arabs were characterized by traits: soothsaying, physiognomy, omen-reading, star-reading, and calculation. Islam demolished soothsaying and established the rest." And the saying of al-Hasan ibn Salih: "I heard from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both, that he said regarding the stars: 'That is a science that people have wasted.'" Perhaps this, if authentic, is interpreted similarly to what we have said. After all of this, I say: It is a science that does not benefit, and ignorance of it does not harm; whatever Allah wills happens, and whatever He does not will, does not happen.

(We have detailed the verses) meaning: We have clarified the recited verses mentioning His blessings—of which this blessing is one—or the cosmic verses indicating His affairs, detailed part by part (for a people who know) meaning: who understand the mentioned verses and act according to their requirements, or who contemplate the cosmic signs and come to know the reality of the situation. The specification of "those who know" for this detail—despite its generality for all—is because they are the ones who benefit from it.