Guide-to-Sound-Creed-A-Book-on-Muslim-Creed-and-Faith

1: Beliefin Allah, and Ex.a1ted be He 113
As for the Prophet's saying, "Seeking rain by stars,", itmeans attributing rainfall
<strong>to</strong> the effective force and power ofa star. Thus some people used <strong>to</strong> say, «We have
been given rain by virtue ofsuch and such a star:'
Seeking rain by help ofthe stars and being convinced that they influence
the fall of rain are acts of major polytheism and disbelief, which used <strong>to</strong> be
retained bythe people ofthe Pre-Islamic Period ofIgnorance (the Jtlhiliyyah).
If a man is convinced that a star does not influence the fall of rain, but it
cus<strong>to</strong>marily becomes familiar <strong>to</strong> see rain upon the appearance ofa star, such
a thought may be rendered as an act of minor polytheism, since Islam has
prohibited the attribution ofrainfall <strong>to</strong> the effective force ofstars even ifit is
a metaphorical speech.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim relate on the authority ofZayd Ibn KhaJid (may Allah
be pleased with him) who has narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) led us in the Subb. (Morning)
Prayer at Hudaybiyah. There was some rainfall during the night.
After he had finished prayer, he turned <strong>to</strong>ward people and said, 'Do
you know what your Lord has said?' They replied, 'Allah and His
Messenger know best.' Upon this, he (the Prophet) said that Allah
said, 'Some of My servants entered upon morning as My believers
and some as unbelievers. He who says, 'We have had a rainfall
due <strong>to</strong> the Blessing and Mercy of Allah: is a believer of Me and a
disbeliever of stars, and he who says, 'We have had a rainfall due
<strong>to</strong> the rising ofsuch and such a star,' disbelieves Me and affirms his
faith in the stars: "
In the aforementioned b.adUh, the Prophet interpreted Allah's saying,
"Some ofMy servants entered upon morning as believers ofMe and some as
unbelievers." That is, a true believer is the one who refers the giving of rain
<strong>to</strong> the bounty and mercy ofAllah. On the contrary, a disbeliever ofAllah has
been interpreted as the one who refers the fall of rains <strong>to</strong> the influence of
the stars. Hence, the acts, which are solely Allah's, must not be attributed <strong>to</strong>
others. Ifany ofAllalls acts is referred <strong>to</strong> any ofHis creatures, such a reference
may be rendered as an act ofpolytheism. Ifit is believed that stars influence
the fall ofrain, this is considered an act ofmajor polytheism. Also, attributing
the fall of rain <strong>to</strong> a star metaphorically is prohibited as it is considered as an
act of minor polytheism through which one may ascribe such a bounty <strong>to</strong> a
thing other than Allah .