[53] Surah An-Najm [The Star]: Ayat 048-049

৪৮. এবং তিনিই ধনবান করেন ও সম্পদ দান করেন।

৪৯. তিনি শিরা নক্ষত্রের মালিক। 

Ayat 48. And that it is He (Allah) Who gives much or a little (or gives wealth and contentment),

Ayat 49.  And that He (Allah) is the Lord of Sirius (the star which the pagan Arabs used to worship);

Tafseer of Surah An-Najm (The Star) Ayat 48 & 49. That it is He Who gives wealth and satisfaction; Wealth and material gain are sought by most men, in the hope that they will be a source of enjoyment and satisfaction. But this hope is not always fulfilled. There is a psychical and spiritual side to it. But both the material and the spiritual side depend upon the working of Allah's Plan. This is referred to in the ninth aphorism. 49. That He is the Lord of Sirius (the Mighty Star); The tenth aphorism refers to a mighty phenomenon of nature, the magnificent star Sirius, which is such a prominent object in the skies, in the early part of the solar year, say, from January to April. It is the brightest star in the firmament, and its bluish light causes wonder and terror in Pagan minds. The Pagan Arabs worshipped it as a divinity. But Allah is the Lord, Creator and Cherisher, of the most magnificent part of Creation, and worship is due to Him alone. 

Hazrat Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Some people asked the Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) about soothsayers. He [SAWW](PBUH) said, "They are of no account.'' Upon this they said to him, "O Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) ! But they sometimes make true predictions.'' Thereupon the Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinn snatches (from the angels) and whispers into the ears of his friend (the soothsayers) who will then mix more than a hundred lies with it.''

[Muslim Book 26, Number 5535].

Lesson: as mentioned above in Surah An-Najm Ayat 49.  And that He (Allah) is the Lord of Sirius (the star which the pagan Arabs used to worship)" This Hadith brings out the following points: Kahin (soothsayer), Munajjim (astrologer) and Arraf (foreteller) have similar characteristics but with a slight difference. All of them make predictions about the future. Kahin would overhear some jinn and disclose the secret to people which would sometimes prove true, because the jinn's source of information was Satan who sometimes stole away some information from the angels. But after the annunciation of the Prophet [SAWW](PBUH) it was made impossible for jinns and satans to overhear anything in the skies. Moreover, Kahin and others of his ilk would make predictions on the basis of certain signs and circumstantial evidence which could go wrong or right. This is so even to this day. Astrological prediction is also a form of foretelling but this is often wrong. Al-Irafah, or what is known to be as divination is also an indication of some future occurrence on the basis of certain causes and events. All the three occult arts supplement each other and also take the help of similar other things. In other words, these are all different forms of soothsaying. Geomancy also tries to tell about the invisible future. At-Tarq is the art of taking omen by striking birds with gravel on their wings or by throwing barley, etc., before them. In the latter formula, if a bird flies towards the right side, it would be a good omen; and if it goes towards the left it will be a bad one. All such things are unlawful and have been strictly forbidden by Islam. If anything predicted by these means comes by chance true, it does not furnish any justification for their validity.