And if the ruler fails to act against them, does he fall under the warning in the authentic hadith reported from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—in which he said:

“No ruler whom Allah entrusts with subjects, but who then fails to strive for their welfare and sincerely advise them, will enter Paradise with them.”

If the ruler acts against this wrongdoing, does he come within the words of Allah Most High:

“Let there be among you a group inviting to good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. It is they who will be successful”?

Will he receive a great reward for opposing it or not? Would the esteemed scholars also kindly mention whatever hadiths containing warnings on this matter come to mind? May they be rewarded, Allah Most High willing.

He replied:

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds. None of these practices is lawful. The practice of “astrology,” concerned with predictions and celestial influence—that is, inferring earthly events from celestial conditions and combining celestial forces with their earthly recipients—is forbidden by the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslim community. Indeed, it has been forbidden through the teachings of all the messengers in every revealed religion. Allah Most High says:

“The magician will never succeed, wherever he may go.”

He also says:

“Have you not seen those who were given a share of the Scripture, yet believe in jibt and tāghūt (false objects of worship)?”

‘Umar and others said: “Jibt means sorcery.”

Abū Dāwūd narrated in his Sunan, with a sound chain of transmission, from Qabīsa ibn Mukhāriq that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Divination from birds, divination by tracing lines, and belief in omens are forms of sorcery.”

‘Awf said: