On the authority of Abu Musa who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared, “Three people shall not enter Paradise: the habitual wine-drinker, the one who severs family ties, and the believer in siḥr (sorcery).” (1) The ḥadith is narrated by Ahmad and by Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ.
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Biographical note on Abu Musa: He is Abu Musa al-Ashʿarī, ʿAbd Allah ibn Qays, a renowned Companion; he died in Kūfa in the year 50 AH.
“Shall not enter Paradise”: this belongs to the threat-texts whose wording is accepted as it stands.
“Habitual wine-drinker”: one who persists in drinking until he dies without repenting.
“One who severs family ties”: i.e. the person who fails to fulfil the duties owed to his relatives.
“Believer in siḥr (sorcery)”: this includes astrology, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever acquires a branch of knowledge from the stars has acquired a branch of siḥr.”
Overall meaning of the ḥadith: By way of warning, the Prophet ﷺ informs us that three categories of sinners will not enter Paradise:
- Anyone who continually consumes intoxicants of any kind.
- Anyone who neglects the obligations of kinship that Allah has commanded him to uphold.
- Anyone who affirms siḥr, which comprises many forms and manifestations, among them astrology.
Relevance to the chapter: The ḥadith threatens those who affirm siḥr, and astrology is one of its forms—the very topic under discussion.