may Allah be pleased with them both—said: “Some of the people exclaimed, ‘The rising of such-and-such a star has proved true,’ so Allah revealed these verses: ‘Then I swear by the setting of the stars…’ up to His words, ‘and you turn your provision into denial.’
Sending down rain is solely from Allah, by His power and might; no created being has any share in it. Allah says: ‘Have you considered the water that you drink? Is it you who bring it down from the clouds, or are We the One who brings it down?’ ⦗1⦘
Accordingly, whoever attributes rainfall to the stars, or to natural phenomena such as atmospheric low pressure or climate conditions, has lied and fabricated; this is major shirk. If he maintains that Allah is the One who truly sends the rain yet mentions those factors only figuratively, his utterance is forbidden and counts as minor disbelief, because he has credited the blessing to someone other than Allah—like the one who says, “We were rained on by virtue of such-and-such a star.”
Many journalists and media figures are heedless in this matter; a Muslim must be vigilant about it. Allah is the One who grants success, and there is no power nor might except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
- Attributing blessings to others besides Allah
We have already discussed the ruling on linking rainfall to the stellar phases and seeking rain through them; we now turn to the ruling on attributing blessings in general to anyone other than Allah.
Acknowledging Allah’s grace, recognizing His bounty, and offering Him thanks are integral to faith. Whoever ascribes a blessing to anyone other than its true Giver—Allah, exalted is He—has denied that blessing and committed shirk by associating it with another.
Allah says: “They recognize Allah’s blessing, yet they deny it, and most of them are ungrateful.” ⦗2⦘
Some exegetes explained: “They know that the blessings come from Allah and that He is the One who has bestowed them upon them, but they deny this and claim that they inherited them from their forefathers…"