اِنَّهٗ لَقَوۡلُ رَسُوۡلٍ كَرِيۡمٍۙ ١٩
That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,
ذِىۡ قُوَّةٍ عِنۡدَ ذِى الۡعَرۡشِ مَكِيۡنٍۙ ٢٠
Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
مُّطَاعٍ ثَمَّ اَمِيۡنٍؕ ٢١
(One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy;
وَ مَا صَاحِبُكُمۡ بِمَجۡنُوۡنٍۚ ٢٢
And your comrade is not mad.
وَلَقَدۡ رَاٰهُ بِالۡاُفُقِ الۡمُبِيۡنِۚ ٢٣
Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.
وَ مَا هُوَ عَلَى الۡغَيۡبِ بِضَنِيۡنٍۚ ٢٤
And he is not avid of the Unseen.
وَ مَا هُوَ بِقَوۡلِ شَيۡطٰنٍ رَّجِيۡمٍۙ ٢٥
Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.
[Al-Quran, Surah at-Takwir, ayaat 19-25, Translation: Pickthal]
Surah at-Takwir begins with the news of some future events. It then informs us that it (The Quran), and the news of the unseen, is being brought to Muhammad ﷺ by an honourable, trustworthy messenger (Gabriel (Jibreel عليه السلام)) who has a high status from where he brings it. The surah also clarifies that he ﷺ is not possessed by any jinn.
وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الۡبُرُوۡجِۙ ١ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الۡمَوۡعُوۡدِۙ ٢ وَشَاهِدٍ وَّمَشۡهُوۡدٍؕ ٣
By the heaven, holding mansions of the stars,
And by the Promised Day.
And by the witness and that whereunto he beareth testimony,
...
بَلۡ هُوَ قُرۡاٰنٌ مَّجِيۡدٌ ۙ ٢١ فِىۡ لَوۡحٍ مَّحۡفُوۡظٍ ٢٢
Nay, but it is a glorious Qur'an.
On a guarded tablet.
[Al-Quran, Surah al-Buruj, ayaat 1-3, ... 21-22, Translation: Pickthal]
Surah al-Buruj, begins with the mention of the constellations, and concludes with the statement that a glorious Quran is on a guarded tablet.
سَابِقُوۡۤا اِلٰى مَغۡفِرَةٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكُمۡ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرۡضُهَا كَعَرۡضِ السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِۙ اُعِدَّتۡ لِلَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَرُسُلِهٖؕ ذٰلِكَ فَضۡلُ اللّٰهِ يُؤۡتِيۡهِ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُؕ وَاللّٰهُ ذُو الۡفَضۡلِ الۡعَظِيۡمِ ٢١
Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whereof the breadth is as the breadth of the heavens and the earth, which is in store for those who believe in Allah and His messengers. Such is the bounty of Allah, which He bestoweth upon whom He will, and Allah is of Infinite Bounty.
مَاۤ اَصَابَ مِنۡ مُّصِيۡبَةٍ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَلَا فِىۡۤ اَنۡفُسِكُمۡ اِلَّا فِىۡ كِتٰبٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ نَّبۡـرَاَهَا ؕ اِنَّ ذٰ لِكَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ يَسِيۡرٌۚ ۖ ٢٢
Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being - Lo! that is easy for Allah -
لِّـكَيۡلَا تَاۡسَوۡا عَلٰى مَا فَاتَكُمۡ وَلَا تَفۡرَحُوۡا بِمَاۤ اٰتٰٮكُمۡؕ وَاللّٰهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالٍ فَخُوۡرِۙ ٢٣
That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boasters,
اۨلَّذِيۡنَ يَبۡخَلُوۡنَ وَيَاۡمُرُوۡنَ النَّاسَ بِالۡبُخۡلِؕ وَمَنۡ يَّتَوَلَّ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡغَنِىُّ الۡحَمِيۡدُ ٢٤
Who hoard and who enjoin upon the people avarice. And whosoever turneth away, still Allah is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise.
لَـقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالۡبَيِّنٰتِ وَاَنۡزَلۡنَا مَعَهُمُ الۡكِتٰبَ وَالۡمِيۡزَانَ لِيَقُوۡمَ النَّاسُ بِالۡقِسۡطِۚ وَاَنۡزَلۡنَا الۡحَـدِيۡدَ فِيۡهِ بَاۡسٌ شَدِيۡدٌ وَّمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَـعۡلَمَ اللّٰهُ مَنۡ يَّنۡصُرُهٗ وَ رُسُلَهٗ بِالۡغَيۡبِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيۡزٌ ٢٥
We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance, that mankind may observe right measure; and He revealed iron, wherein is mighty power and (many) uses for mankind, and that Allah may know him who helpeth Him and His messengers, though unseen. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty.
[Al-Quran, Surah al-Hadid, ayaat 21-25, Translation: Pickthal]
The Quran mentions that nothing happens till Allah decrees it, and that everything is written in a Book. It also urges to race in forgiveness in pursuit of a Garden, as wide as the sky and earth, prepared for the believers. The believers are exhorted to spend from whatever they have been given, instead of hoarding it.
اِنَّا زَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنۡيَا بِزِيۡنَةِ اۨلۡكَوَاكِبِۙ ٦
Lo! We have adorned the lowest heaven with an ornament, the planets;
وَحِفۡظًا مِّنۡ كُلِّ شَيۡطٰنٍ مَّارِدٍۚ ٧
With security from every froward devil.
لَّا يَسَّمَّعُوۡنَ اِلَى الۡمَلَاِ الۡاَعۡلٰى وَيُقۡذَفُوۡنَ مِنۡ كُلِّ جَانِبٍۖ ٨
They cannot listen to the Highest Chiefs for they are pelted from every side,
دُحُوۡرًا وَّلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ وَّاصِبٌ ۙ ٩
Outcast, and theirs is a perpetual torment;
اِلَّا مَنۡ خَطِفَ الۡخَطۡفَةَ فَاَتۡبَعَهٗ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ ١٠
Save him who snatcheth a fragment, and there pursueth him a piercing flame.
[Al-Quran, Surah as-Saffat, ayaat 6-10, Translation: Pickthal]
The Quran mentions that the sky is guarded from the devils, who cannot listen to the exalted assembly, except that if and when someone steals a hearing, he is pursued by a flame. We know that there are meteors in our solar system, which can be observed falling into our atmosphere as a burning stone.
وَلَـقَدۡ جَعَلۡنَا فِى السَّمَآءِ بُرُوۡجًا وَّزَيَّـنّٰهَا لِلنّٰظِرِيۡنَۙ ١٦
And verily in the heaven we have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders.
وَحَفِظۡنٰهَا مِنۡ كُلِّ شَيۡطٰنٍ رَّجِيۡمٍۙ ١٧
And We have guarded it from every outcast devil,
اِلَّا مَنِ اسۡتَرَقَ السَّمۡعَ فَاَ تۡبَعَهٗ شِهَابٌ مُّبِيۡنٌ ١٨
Save him who stealeth the hearing, and them doth a clear flame pursue.
وَالۡاَرۡضَ مَدَدۡنٰهَا وَاَلۡقَيۡنَا فِيۡهَا رَوَاسِىَ وَاَنۡۢبَتۡنَا فِيۡهَا مِنۡ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ مَّوۡزُوۡنٍ ١٩
And the earth have We spread out, and placed therein firm hills, and caused each seemly thing to grow therein.
وَجَعَلۡنَا لَـكُمۡ فِيۡهَا مَعَايِشَ وَمَنۡ لَّسۡتُمۡ لَهٗ بِرٰزِقِيۡنَ ٢٠
And we have given unto you livelihoods therein, and unto those for whom ye provide not.
وَاِنۡ مِّنۡ شَىۡءٍ اِلَّا عِنۡدَنَا خَزَآٮِٕنُهٗ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهٗۤ اِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَّعۡلُوۡمٍ ٢١
And there is not a thing but with Us are the stores thereof. And we send it not down save in appointed measure.
وَاَرۡسَلۡنَا الرِّيٰحَ لَوَاقِحَ فَاَنۡزَلۡنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَسۡقَيۡنٰكُمُوۡهُۚ وَمَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ لَهٗ بِخٰزِنِيۡنَ ٢٢
And We send the winds fertilising, and cause water to descend from the sky, and give it you to drink. It is not ye who are the holders of the store thereof.
وَ اِنَّا لَــنَحۡنُ نُحۡىٖ وَنُمِيۡتُ وَنَحۡنُ الۡوٰرِثُوۡنَ ٢٣
Lo! and it is We, even We, Who quicken and give death, and We are the Inheritor.
وَلَـقَدۡ عَلِمۡنَا الۡمُسۡتَقۡدِمِيۡنَ مِنۡكُمۡ وَلَـقَدۡ عَلِمۡنَا الۡمُسۡتَـاْخِرِيۡنَ ٢٤
And verily We know the eager among you and verily We know the laggards.
وَاِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَحۡشُرُهُمۡؕ اِنَّهٗ حَكِيۡمٌ عَلِيۡمٌ ٢٥
Lo! thy Lord will gather them together. Lo! He is Wise, Aware.
[Al-Quran, Surah al-Hijr, ayaat 16-25, Translation: Pickthal]
The Quran mentions that everything is being sent down in known quantities, in a timely manner. This should obviously be the case, as Surah al-Hadid (quoted above) informs us that everything is written in a Book before it is brought into existence. So, there is a well-organised, planned system of sustenance for each and every creature.
وَّاَنَّهٗ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الۡاِنۡسِ يَعُوۡذُوۡنَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الۡجِنِّ فَزَادُوۡهُمۡ رَهَقًا ۙ ٦
And indeed (O Muhammad) individuals of humankind used to invoke the protection of individuals of the jinn, so that they increased them in revolt against Allah);
وَّاَنَّهُمۡ ظَنُّوۡا كَمَا ظَنَنۡتُمۡ اَنۡ لَّنۡ يَّبۡعَثَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدًا ۙ ٧
And indeed they supposed, even as ye suppose, that Allah would not raise anyone (from the dead) -
وَّاَنَّا لَمَسۡنَا السَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدۡنٰهَا مُلِئَتۡ حَرَسًا شَدِيۡدًا وَّشُهُبًا ۙ ٨
And (the Jinn who had listened to the Qur'an said): We had sought the heaven but had found it filled with strong warders and meteors.
وَّاَنَّا كُنَّا نَقۡعُدُ مِنۡهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمۡعِ ؕ فَمَنۡ يَّسۡتَمِعِ الۡاٰنَ يَجِدۡ لَهٗ شِهَابًا رَّصَدًا ۙ ٩
And we used to sit on places (high) therein to listen. But he who listeneth now findeth a flame in wait for him;
وَّاَنَّا لَا نَدۡرِىۡۤ اَشَرٌّ اُرِيۡدَ بِمَنۡ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ اَمۡ اَرَادَ بِهِمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ رَشَدًا ۙ ١٠
And we know not whether harm is boded unto all who are in the earth, or whether their Lord intendeth guidance for them.
وَّاَنَّا مِنَّا الصّٰلِحُوۡنَ وَمِنَّا دُوۡنَ ذٰلِكَؕ كُنَّا طَرَآٮِٕقَ قِدَدًا ۙ ١١
And among us there are righteous folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules.
وَّاَنَّا ظَنَنَّاۤ اَنۡ لَّنۡ نُّعۡجِزَ اللّٰهَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَلَنۡ نُّعۡجِزَهٗ هَرَبًا ۙ ١٢
And we know that we cannot escape from Allah in the earth, nor can we escape by flight.
وَّاَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعۡنَا الۡهُدٰٓى اٰمَنَّا بِهٖ ؕ فَمَنۡ يُّؤۡمِنۡۢ بِرَبِّهٖ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخۡسًا وَّلَا رَهَقًا ۙ ١٣
And when we heard the guidance, we believed therein, and whoso believeth in his Lord, he feareth neither loss nor oppression.
[Al-Quran, Surah al-Jinn, ayaat 6-13, Translation: Pickthal]
Surah al-Jinn begins with the information that a group of jinn listened to The Quran and marvelled at it. It informs us that some human men used to establish contact with some jinn men, seeking protection, and that only increased them in the burden of sin. The surah quotes the jinns' statement that previously they used to sit in pursuit of information, but now the sky is guarded, and they can no longer access the information.
وَلِسُلَيۡمٰنَ الرِّيۡحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهۡرٌ وَّرَوَاحُهَا شَهۡرٌۚ وَ اَسَلۡنَا لَهٗ عَيۡنَ الۡقِطۡرِؕ وَمِنَ الۡجِنِّ مَنۡ يَّعۡمَلُ بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ بِاِذۡنِ رَبِّهِؕ وَمَنۡ يَّزِغۡ مِنۡهُمۡ عَنۡ اَمۡرِنَا نُذِقۡهُ مِنۡ عَذَابِ السَّعِيۡرِ ١٢
And unto Solomon (We gave) the wind, whereof the morning course was a month's journey and the evening course a month's journey, and We caused the fount of copper to gush forth for him, and (We gave him) certain of the jinn who worked before him by permission of his Lord. And such of them as deviated from Our command, them We caused to taste the punishment of flaming Fire.
يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ لَهٗ مَا يَشَآءُ مِنۡ مَّحَارِيۡبَ وَتَمَاثِيۡلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالۡجَـوَابِ وَقُدُوۡرٍ رّٰسِيٰتٍ ؕ اِعۡمَلُوۡۤا اٰلَ دَاوٗدَ شُكۡرًا ؕ وَقَلِيۡلٌ مِّنۡ عِبَادِىَ الشَّكُوۡرُ ١٣
They made for him what he willed: synagogues and statues, basins like wells and boilers built into the ground. Give thanks, O House of David! Few of My bondmen are thankful.
فَلَمَّا قَضَيۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ الۡمَوۡتَ مَا دَلَّهُمۡ عَلٰى مَوۡتِهٖۤ اِلَّا دَآ بَّةُ الۡاَرۡضِ تَاۡ كُلُ مِنۡسَاَتَهُ ۚ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الۡجِنُّ اَنۡ لَّوۡ كَانُوۡا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ الۡغَيۡبَ مَا لَبِثُوۡا فِى الۡعَذَابِ الۡمُهِيۡنِ ؕ ١٤
And when We decreed death for him, nothing showed his death to them save a creeping creature of the earth which gnawed away his staff. And when he fell the jinn saw clearly how, if they had known the Unseen, they would not have continued in despised toil.
[Al-Quran, Surah Saba, ayaat 12-14, Translation: Pickthal]
The Quran mentions how the ignorance of the jinns was exposed when they continued to work for Solomon even after he had died, as he appeared to be standing till his stick was eaten by the creeping creature of the earth (termite?), and it consequently collapsed. Had they known the unseen, they would not have continued in the humiliating service.
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Astrology is an ancient practice of seeking knowledge about the future from the stars, and making future plans accordingly. The most ancient records of Astrology are found from Babylon, ancient Mesopotamia. The Quran mentions Babylon in the context of magic learnt there. Both magic and astrology are denounced in Islam.
Professional astrologers still practice and are sought out by people. Indian movies have created awareness about the key role of astrologers in setting the date of Hindu weddings.
According to Wikipedia [copied on April 14, 2023]:
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century,[1] that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects.[2][3][4][5][6] Different cultures have employed forms of astrology since at least the 2nd millennium BCE, these practices having originated in calendrical systems used to predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial cycles as signs of divine communications.[7] Most, if not all, cultures have attached importance to what they observed in the sky, and some—such as the Hindus, Chinese, and the Maya—developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations. Western astrology, one of the oldest astrological systems still in use, can trace its roots to 19th–17th century BCE Mesopotamia, from where it spread to Ancient Greece, Rome, the Islamic world, and eventually Central and Western Europe. Contemporary Western astrology is often associated with systems of horoscopes that purport to explain aspects of a person's personalityand predict significant events in their lives based on the positions of celestial objects; the majority of professional astrologers rely on such systems.[8]: 83
Throughout most of its history, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition and was common in academic circles, often in close relation with astronomy, alchemy, meteorology, and medicine.[9] It was present in political circles and is mentioned in various works of literature, ... Astrology thus lost its academic and theoretical standing in the western world, and common belief in it largely declined, until a continuing resurgence starting in the 1960s.[16] In India, belief in astrology is long-standing, widespread and continuing.
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Surah at-Tur clearly and emphatically clarifies that Muhammad ﷺ is neither a soothsayer nor one possessed by a jinn:
فَذَكِّرۡ فَمَاۤ اَنۡتَ بِنِعۡمَتِ رَبِّكَ بِكَاهِنٍ وَّلَا مَجۡنُوۡنٍؕ ٢٩
Therefor warn (men, O Muhammad). By the grace of Allah thou art neither soothsayer nor madman.
[Al-Quran, Surah at-Tur, ayat 29, Translation: Pickthal]
Last updated on: May 2, 2023
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