Order Regarding Going to Astrologers
Question: What is the ruling on going to astrologers and those who perform talismanic practices?
Answer: It is not permissible,
because it is clearly prohibited in this regard, and rather a severe warning (threat) has been given. It is narrated in Sahih Muslim from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم that he said:
من أتى عرافا فسأله عن شيء لم تقبل له صلاة اربعين يوما
“Whoever goes to a soothsayer or astrologer and asks about anything, forty days of his prayers will not be accepted as a punishment.”
Consider carefully, if this is the punishment for the one who asks, then what will be the fate of the soothsayer (kaahin and astrologer) himself?
Imam Ahmad and other scholars of hadith, may Allah have mercy on them, narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
من أتى عرافا او كاهنا ، فصدقه بما يقول ، فقد كفر بما أنزل على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم
Ahmad Shakir has declared it authentic. This hadith is also present in all the Sunan collections. For further details, see Arwa al-Ghaleel by Al-Albani
“Whoever goes to a soothsayer or astrologer and believes in what he says from his heart, then indeed he has committed disbelief against the Quran revealed to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.”
The same warning has been mentioned in many other hadiths. The reason is that the soothsayer claims knowledge of the unseen, whereas this knowledge belongs only to Allah and no one else knows it. For the soothsayer, it is necessary to have contact with devils and rebellious jinn, then he calls upon them instead of Allah. Thus, the devils and jinn serve him and tell him about stolen goods, lost items, magic places, and other matters.
The method of contacting devils and jinn is that the soothsayer sacrifices animals in their name, prostrates before them, or commits some other unlawful act, or eats filthy and impure things, or does other similar acts that devils like. These acts are either disbelief by themselves or lead to polytheism. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said that most of the statements of soothsayers and astrologers are lies. The reality is that the devils secretly overhear things from the heavens and convey them to these soothsayers and astrologers, who then mix one true thing with a hundred lies.
As for magic tricks, they are the acts of magicians through which they deceive the public and show them illusions that have no reality.
One such magic trick is the story of a magician who cut off a man’s head and then reattached it. As a result, Hazrat Jundub رضي الله عنه killed that magician based on the command of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم that:
حد الساحر ضربه بالسيف
Although the chain of this hadith is weak, other hadiths confirm this ruling.
“The punishment for a magician is to have his neck cut with a sword.”
So that people are not deceived by their tricks, fraud, and fabricated things. It is not permissible to leave such people free, nor is it permissible to confirm their statements. Rather, the punishment for these magicians, according to the consensus of scholars, is death, and they should not be asked for repentance.
Therefore, whoever goes to these magicians and confirms their words and actions, he has allowed them to remain upon disbelief. Hence, there is a severe warning for that person as well. And Allah knows best!
