And anyone whose support they enlist among those who profess to follow a revealed scripture is indeed liable to fall, in some measure, under His words:

“And when a messenger from Allah came to them, confirming what was with them, a group of those who had been given the Scripture cast the Book of Allah behind their backs, as though they did not know.”

“And they followed what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon. Solomon did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and what was sent down to the two angels in Babylon, Hārūt and Mārūt. Yet neither of them taught anyone without first saying, ‘We are only a trial, so do not disbelieve.’ They learned from them that by which they caused separation between a man and his wife. But they could not harm anyone thereby except by Allah’s permission. They learned what harmed them and did not benefit them. They certainly knew that whoever purchased it would have no share in the Hereafter. Wretched indeed was that for which they sold themselves, if only they knew.”

Likewise, leading astrologers of earlier and later times have acknowledged that Allah averts from believers devoted to worship and supplication—through the blessing of their worship, their supplication, and their reliance upon Allah—what astrologers claim the celestial spheres necessarily bring about. They also acknowledge that those devoted to worship and supplication who rely upon Allah are granted rewards in this world and the Hereafter that the celestial spheres have no power to bring about.

All praise, then, belongs to Allah, who has placed the good of this world and the Hereafter in following the messengers, and has made those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong the best community. The Most High said:

“Allah will then bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving in Allah’s cause and fearing no critic’s blame. That