النُّجومِ
THE STARS
عِلمُ النُّجومِ / The Science of the Stars
[Astronomy] *
1ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أيُّها النّاسُ، إيّاكُم وتَعَلُّمَ النُّجومِ إلّا ما يُهتَدى بهِ في بَرٍّ أو بَحرٍ، فإنّها تَدعو إلَى الكِهانَةِ، والمُنَجِّمُ كالكاهِنِ، والكاهِنُ كالسّاحِرِ، والسّاحِرُ كالكافِرِ، والكافِرُ في النّارِ.
1– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘O people, beware of learning astrology except that which is used for guidance in the land or the sea
[astronomy], because it
[astrology] leads to divining and an astrologer is like a diviner. And the diviner is like a sorcerer, and a sorcerer is like the disbeliever and the disbeliever will be in Hell.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 79]
2ـ عن يونسِ بنِ عبد الرّحمن بإسناده: قلتُ لأبي عبدِ اللّه (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): جُعلتُ فِداكَ، أخبِرني عن عِلمِ النُّجومِ ما هوَ؟ فَقالَ: هُو عِلمٌ مِن عِلمِ الأنبياءِ.
2– Imam al-Sadiq (AS), when asked about the science of the stars said, ‘It
[i.e. astronomy] is a science from the sciences of the prophets.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 58, p. 235, no. 15]
النُّجومِ
THE STARS
3ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لَمّا سُئلَ عمّا اشتَهَرَ بينَ النّاسِ مِن حُرمَةِ النَّظَرِ في النُّجومِ وعن ضَررِهِ بالدِّينِ ـ: لَيس كما يَقولونَ، لا تَضُرُّ بدِينِكَ. إنّكُم تَنظُرونَ في شَيءٍ مِنها كثيرُهُ لا يُدرَكُ، وقَليلُهُ لا يُنتَفَعُ بهِ.
3– Imam al-Sadiq (AS), when asked about what was popularly held among people that looking at the stars was prohibited and harmful to religion, said, 'It is not as they say. It
[i.e. astronomy] does not harm your religion.' He then said, ‘You are looking into something
[a science] where too much of it cannot be achieved and too little of it cannot be benefitted from.’
[al-Kafi, v. 8, p. 195, no. 233]
4ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لَمّا سألَهُ زِنديقٌ عن عِلمِ النُّجومِ ـ: هُو عِلمٌ قَلَّت مَنافِعُهُ وكَثُرَت مَضَرّاتُهُ ؛ لأ نّهُ لا يُدفَعُ بهِ المَقدورُ ولا يُتَّقى بهِ المَحذورُ، إن أخبَرَ المُنَجِّمُ بالبَلاءِ لَم يُنجِهِ التَّحَرُّزُ مِن القَضاءِ، وإن أخبَرَ هُو بخَيرٍ لَم يَستَطِعْ تَعجيلَهُ، وإن حَدَثَ بهِ سُوءٌ لَم يُمكِنْهُ صَرفُهُ، والمُنَجِّمُ يَضادُّ اللّهَ في عِلمِهِ بزَعمِهِ أ نّهُ يَرُدُّ قَضاءَ اللّهِ عَن خَلقِهِ.
4– Imam al-Sadiq (AS), when an atheist asked him about the science of the stars
[i.e. astrology] said, ‘It is a science whose benefits are few and whose harms are many… an astrologer contradicts Allah in His knowledge, claiming he is refuting Allah in His fate over His creation.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 58, p. 223, no. 3]
5ـ عن عبد الملكِ بنِ أعيَنٍ: قلتُ لأبي عبدِ اللّهِ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّي قدِ ابتُلِيتُ بهذا العِلمِ، فاُريدُ الحاجَةَ ؛ فإذا نَظَرتُ إلَى الطّالِعِ ورأيتُ الطّالِعَ الشَّرَّ جَلَستُ ولَم أذهَبْ فيها، وإذا رأيتُ الطّالِعَ الخَيرَ ذَهَبتُ في الحاجَةِ، فقالَ لي: تَقضي ؟ قلتُ: نَعَم، قالَ: أحرِقْ كُتُبَكَ.
5– `Aabd al-Malik b. A`ayan said, ‘I asked Abu `Aabdillah
[al-Sadiq] (AS), ‘I have been tried by this science
[astrology], so when I want something I look at the rising star, and if I see the rising star as evil, I desist from pursuing that thing, and if I see good in the rising star, I pursue the matter.’ He asked me, ‘Do you predict fate?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then burn your books.’
[al-Faqih, v. 2, p. 267, no. 2402]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Some of the traditions in this section refer to astronomy and some to astrology, and have been indicated to in their respective cases (ed.)