Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Palmistry and Astrology in Islam

I am a Buddhist in religion. Not a simple Buddhist :) but Theravada Buddhist, which are often said to be the Buddhist extremists. In Buddhism, palmistry is forbidden for Buddhist monks, not for ordinary folks. So I have been happily practicing it on hundreds of people so far. However, one email concerned me once. She was a Muslim and she was afraid that Allah might put her into hell in her afterlife for taking resort to palmistry to know the future things which was supposed to be known only by Him, not a mere palmist like me.

My question is, if Islam prohibits such practice, why do Muslim people keep asking me to read their palms till now?

And I keep searching, searching, and find many things about astrology, palmistry, and their practice by medieval Arab scholars like Al Beruni and others, really I don't care. Also I find many arguments, both in support and against astrological practice in Islam.

There are some points I really appreciate mentioning here on this purpose.
In http://quantummethod.org.bd/en/question/3494  it says that,
"Astrology is a science. It is the science of possibilities or probabilities. It conducts analysis and gives expanations and opinions about what might happen. We have saught the opinion of renowned Islamic scholars about the issue. Allama Hazrat Mowlana Abdur Rahim, Mowlana Alauddin al Azhari and other respected Islamic scholars have clearly stated that only God can say something will happen with certainty. Humans and other creations cannot. However, when someone says something might happen,  it is well within the boundaries of Islam. There is no controversy about it."

It also says that,
"In verses 26-27 of Surah Jinn Allah says,
(He alone is) the all-knower of the  ghaib (unseen), and He reveals to none His ghaib (unseen), except to a messenger (from mankind) who He has chosen.
This means that it is not impossible to know the unseen. If Allah wants to, He can open the door to this knowledge to anyone. And He has given us the assurance that if someone wants to gain a particular knowledge, He will help him attain it."

Also it says,
"The name of the 85th surah in the Quran is Al Buruj, which means the zodiac."
Can you guys have something to say about the topic?

3 comments:

  1. no comments on islam..... they don't like it.

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    Replies
    1. Of course they don't. One shouldn't comment on things one doesn't know about anyway.

      Also, Al Buruj means 'The Mansions of Stars' not the zodiac. If someone reads the Surah, it is obvious it has nothing to do with the zodiac.

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  2. First. You have to interpret the Surah Jinn verse properly. It indicates that only God is the All-Knowing and only He know what will be and the Truth of things or (Ghaib), however His messengers i.e. His prophets, can know some part of it, whatever He chooses to (fore)tell these prophets by Revelation.
    It does not mean that any random person who learns about palmistry or astrology etc will start to have predictive powers and knows "Ghaib"

    Second, islam prohibits consulting astrologers or palmists or other 'psychics' and then use those 'readings' to direct your lives, which is what a lot of humans are supposed to do. For instance, going to an astrologer to find out if two people shall marry is not allowed. Its frankly ridiculous. Next thing you know the astrologer is telling people "No, the girl is Manglik and shall kill her husband" bla bla and needs to be married to a tree. Or something else which he has 'divined', and then people forgetting all dictates of reason and going for it. Second, we all like 'good news' from divination. We hate bad news. And depending on a person, it can make them think a reading from an astrologer or a palmist is "destiny". For instance, a few fun readings by 'palmists' have told me I am dying at 32. Do I believe it? Hell to the no! But there are plenty of people out there who would. Or who would start to be worried about it. Hence, the prohibition! Only God knows whats going to happen and what is destined. So people should stop wasting their precious time to 'divine' things by using these methods and then dictating their lives.
    Doing these things for fun etc isn't the problem :) As for Muslims asking, since when do all followers of a religion follow it properly? Human beings are weak! So either they r 'desperate' or just having fun.

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