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Amina Inloes,
Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the Islamic College in London and also the Managing Editor of the Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies. 530 Answers
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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi,
Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to religious questions. In the past, he has also spent significant time in India guiding the community. 2634 Answers
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Zoheir Ali Esmail,
Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD from the University of Exeter in the philosophical and mystical readings of Mulla Sadra in the context of the schools of Tehran and Qum. 352 Answers
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Zaid Alsalami,
Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from ANU, Canberra. He has written and translated several Islamic texts and also prepared educational videos on Islamic rulings and practices. 487 Answers
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There are two separate questions here: first, ruling regarding receiving astrological advice or services, and, second, belief.
(a) Ruling regarding receiving astrological advice or services. There is some variance on rulings here depending on the situation. For instance, are you reading horoscopes in the newspaper, paying an astrologer (which goes under laws of transaction) and if yes what kind of services are you paying for, etc.
Sunni scholars tend to disallow astrology.
There is somewhat more variety among Shi'i scholars, and some will distinguish between what they will consider permissible or impermissible matters.
In general, Shi'i scholars agree that astrology is impermissible if it includes the belief that the planets and stars act independently from Allah or can override the divine decree, because this would be shirk.
Beyond that, the ruling depends on your situation and what specifically is going on.
Contemporary Shi'i scholars generally express the view that they do not consider there to be a basis for or benefit in things like horoscope columns.
(b) Believing that astrology is real. This is slightly more complicated.
From a Shi'i perspective, the Shi'i hadith collections, like al-Kafi, contain narrations indicating that astrology, as a theoretical branch of knowledge, has a truth value and that the Imams have full knowledge of it. However, they also say that other people do not have full or correct knowledge of it, and they do not encourage people to focus on astrology or consult astrologers. Instead, they encourage people to focus on prayer, and remind us that du'a and good acts can change our destiny with Allah.
Of course, some people might reject these narrations and say it is all pseudo science and that is fine. It is not necessary to accept it; I am simply saying there is a textual basis within the Shi'i tradition for accepting that it has a reality.
Even if there is a theoretical correctness to astrology, there is no guarantee that what is being said on social media about it has any truth value. Some things that shared on Instagram and Twitter today about astrology are either baseless (in the sense of the historical practice of astrology) and are just pop psychology, or are too general to be meaningful.
Similarly, most horoscope columns are too general to have any usefulness to anyone since they apply to millions of people. The historical practice of astrology in the cultures where the Imams (A) lived was much more complex and nuanced than this.
So, regardless of one's views, it is good to take things that one reads online or elsewhere with a grain of salt.
Astrology has many meanings in today's world. If you mean by astrology Fortune telling and the claims to foretell a person’s future, then it is not permissible to do so, and any money earned from it is unlawful.
Since the information claimed by the astrologist has no value, it is, therefore, not permissible for him to give information with certainty, just as it is not permissible for the customer to plan any act according to it.
Wassalam