English Translation of Al-Quran
[37].Surah As-Saffat (Those Ranged in Ranks)
Ayat 6. Verily! We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty).
Ayat 7. And to guard against every rebellious devil.
Ayat 8. They cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every side.
Ayat 9. Outcast, and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment.
Ayat 10. Except such as snatching away something by stealing and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness.
Tafseer of Surah As-Saffat (Those Ranged in Ranks) Ayat 6. We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars,- Cf. 67:3-5.’Stars’ may be taken here in the popular sense, as referring to fixed stars, planets, comets, shooting stars, etc. On a clear night the beauty of the starry heavens is proverbial. Here they are meant to illustrate two points: (1) their marvelous beauty and their groupings and motions (apparent or real) manifest and typify the Design and Harmony of the One true Creator: and (2) the power and glory behind them typify that there is a guard against the assaults of Evil. Ayat 7. (For beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits, Verses 7-11 seem to refer to shooting stars- Cf. 15:17 -18, 53. The heavens typify not only beauty but power. The Good in Allah’s world is guarded and protected against every assault of Evil. Evil is not part of the heavenly system: it is a thing in outlawry, merely a self-willed rebellion-“cast away on every side, repulsed under a perpetual penalty” (verses 8-9). Ayat 8. (So) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from every side, We can form a mental picture of the Court of the Most High, in the highest heaven, conforming to the highest idea we can form of goodness, beauty, purity, and grandeur. The Exalted Assembly of angels is given some knowledge of the Plan and Will of Allah. Evil is altogether foreign to such an atmosphere, but is actuated by feelings of jealousy and curiosity. It tries to approach by stealth and overhear something from the august Assembly. It is repulsed and pursued by a flaming fire, of which we can form some idea in our physical world by the piercing trail of a shooting star. Ayat 9. Repulsed, for they are under a perpetual penalty, Ayat 10. Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.
English Translation of Hadith
Hazrat Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Some people asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH) about soothsayers. He ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH) said, “They are of no account.” Upon this they said to him, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH) ! But they sometimes make true predictions.” Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH) said, “That is a word pertaining to truth which a jinn snatches (from the angels) and whispers into the ears of his friend (the soothsayers) who will then mix more than a hundred lies with it.”
[Muslim Book 26, Number 5535].
Lesson: as mentioned above in Surah As-Saffat Ayat 8. They cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every side” This Hadith brings out the following points: Kahin (soothsayer), Munajjim (astrologer) and Arraf (foreteller) have similar characteristics but with a slight difference. All of them make predictions about the future. Kahin would overhear some jinn and disclose the secret to people which would sometimes prove true, because the jinn’s source of information was Satan who sometimes stole away some information from the angels. But after the annunciation of the Prophet ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH) it was made impossible for jinns and Satan’s to overhear anything in the skies. Moreover, Kahin and others of his ilk would make predictions on the basis of certain signs and circumstantial evidence which could go wrong or right. This is so even to this day. Astrological prediction is also a form of foretelling but this is often wrong. Al-Irafah, or what is known to be as divination is also an indication of some future occurrence on the basis of certain causes and events. All the three occult arts supplement each other and also take the help of similar other things. In other words, these are all different forms of soothsaying. Geomancy also tries to talk about the invisible future. At-Tarq is the art of taking omen by striking birds with gravel on their wings or by throwing barley, etc., before them. In the latter formula, if a bird flies towards the right side, it would be a good omen; and if it goes towards the left it will be a bad one. All such things are unlawful and have been strictly forbidden by Islam. If anything predicted by these means comes by chance true, it does not furnish any justification for their validity.
