Islamic Astrology

While some Christians are hesitant to embrace astrology, there are some Muslims that are less so. Some feel it is okay to follow it because astrology, the prediction of future events, does not threaten free will nor does it threaten the authority of Allah. Some point to the fact that the Qu’ran says that the stars were created by God and men should be guided by them. While there is still argument over whether devote Muslims should be allowed to follow astrology, there is a history of astrology to be found in Islam.

History

It is believed that the early Islamic societies relied heavily on astrology. Rulers would have horoscopes done for their infant sons, however it was primarily the women of the society that would consult the astrologers. The stars were often used by Muslims to navigate through the desert. Another influence on the Islamic community by astrology is the fact that the Moon still regulates the Islamic calendar. The origins of Islamic astrology can be traced back to 770 AD, when the Indian astrological treatise, the Siddhanda, first arrived in Baghdad. That Indian influence, along with that of Persian and Greek astrology helped form the basis for Islamic astrology.

There are Islamic astrological writings that date back to 900 AD. In 1649, William Lilly cited works by many Islamic philosophers including Albumazar (who wrote many essays on astrology), Alkindus (he wrote in one of his treatise that the heavenly bodies were rational entities whose circular motion was in obedience to God and served to worship Him), Alcabitius (best known for “Introduction to the Art of Judgments of the Stars,” a dissertation on judicial astrology), Albategnius, and Messahala. Messahala, both an astrologer and astronomer as many were in ancient times, wrote over 20 essays on astrology.

Al-Biruni, a Persian scholar from the 11th century, is lesser known in the western astrology world than the others, but his book “Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology” remains an important work in Islamic astrology. It was published in 1029, during what is often referred to as the Golden Age of Islamic Astrology. In this work, al-Biruni compared and contrasted the different systems of astrology as well as illustrated how to use the astrolabe in great detail.

Most Islamic astrological works of the time have not been translated from Latin, making it inaccessible to most astrologers today. However, “Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology” is one of the rare pre-Renaissance essays that have been translated into English, thus making it a significant work for today’s astrologers.

Transmitting Astrology to Europe

Islamic astrology has often been ignored by those in the western world, but it has played an important part in the continuance of astrology. By the fifth century, astrology had almost vanished from Western Europe, due mainly to the Germanic invasions and Christianity’s rejection of it. However, it was the followers of Islamic astrology that brought the legacy of Babylonian astral astrology back to medieval Europe.

Messahala’s essays, including “Astral sympathies,” would end up playing a prominent role in both the Middle East and the western world, as they were important in bringing horoscopic astrology back to Europe during this time.

As with other branches of astrology such as Indian, Egyptian, and Chinese, Islamic astrology has a long history. It also was beneficial in helping bring horoscopic astrology back to Europe, thus making it available for the western world today.