Pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance:

During the time of ignorance, there were those who worshipped the sun and stars. They believed in the existence of Allah, but they also respected the stars, considering them to be among the greatest things Allah had created. Over time, this respect for the stars took on a different form and became a specific form of worship. ([600])It is known that some tribes in the Hijaz region considered certain stars to be sacred. Among these were the stars Sirius, Jupiter, Pleiades, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. According to their beliefs, the stars were related to the world. Therefore, they believed in the influence of the stars in almost every matter. The shooting star or falling of a star was considered a sign of the death of a great person in that region or the coming of a great disaster. Sun worship, on the other hand, was a belief known since ancient times. We learn that this belief dates back to ancient times from the words of Hudhud, who came from the Queen of Sheba. The Quran reports this news as follows: Hudhud soon arrived and said, “I have learned something you do not know; I bring you very important news from Sheba. I met a woman who rules over that region. Allah has given her everything; she has a magnificent throne. I saw that she and her people have abandoned Allah and prostrate themselves before the sun. Satan has made their wrong deeds seem beautiful to them and has led them astray, so they cannot find the right path.

ISLAM:

Purpose: Satan’s goal is to prevent them from prostrating to Allah, who knows all their hidden and revealed feelings, who reveals the secrets of the heavens and the earth.

Sun: Do not prostrate yourselves to the sun and the moon. If you wish to worship only Allah, then prostrate yourselves to their Creator. [604]

Star: The Lord of the star “Shira” (which polytheists worship) is also Him. [605]

Nowadays: When you criticize a person who lives unconsciously, you witness that the response they give is just as unconscious; when you ask for evidence, you are met with the answer that the action is based on historical knowledge. For example, if you ask, “Why do you fold the edge of your prayer mat when you pray?”, the answer will be, “So that Satan does not pray.” When asked, “What is your evidence that curling the edge prevents the devil from praying?”, the response is, “How should I know? That’s what they’ve always said, that’s what we saw our ancestors do, etc.” They do not say, “Didn’t everything that happened to us come from the devil not prostrating himself ?” They have accepted that it is an ancient practice as proof of its feasibility. Should the continued existence of these worship practices today be attributed to their historical origins, or to the existence of people who insist on disobeying their Lord and serving the devil?

This belief falls under paganism, which comes from the Latin word “paganus,” meaning rural. It comes from the word rural because it covers everything related to nature. Everything masculine or feminine is accepted as part of the sacred whole and honored as such. Pagans explain what they consider sacred through symbols. Their worship of stars and suns is also part of this broad belief system. At the center of the pagan belief is the name of seven stars set on seven hills. The position of the sky at the moment of a person’s birth is called a star chart. Each nation has assigned a task to these stars according to their own beliefs. Just as in the days of ignorance, they believe that the sun and stars are related to the state of the world and try to find meaning in their movements. Each planet in the star chart has a different meaning. We can briefly list their meanings as follows:

The Sun represents the soul and the self. The Sun itself means consciousness. It represents the beginning and essence of creation, symbolized by the dot inside the circle. The Moon is related to the ego, instinct, mother, subconscious, and memory. The Moon governs the subconscious. The symbol of the moon is the crescent, like a satellite receiver. The changing phases of the moon are interpreted as our emotions not remaining constant, as we experience different emotions every day. For this reason, in astrology, the moon represents emotions and the subconscious.

The Prophet (pbuh) said the following about those who speak according to the stars: Anyone who says that rain fell thanks to the mercy of such-and-such a star has denied what was revealed to Muhammad.

If you think these superstitions [607]exist only in societies far from Islam, let us give an example of that as well. Especially today, when you examine the knowledge of people who present superstitions as religious beliefs, you will immediately witness statements that are also related to paganism. Seyyid Süleyman El-Hüseynî, in his book Kenz’ül-Havas, says the following about the times of the day on Sunday:

Hour 1: It is the hour of the sun. At this hour, it is appropriate to read and write prayers to be accepted for love and friendship and to be able to enter the presence of kings and rulers. It is appropriate to wear new clothes.

Hour 2: This is an ill-fated hour belonging to ZÜHRE (Venus). Nothing should be done at this hour.

Hour 3: This is the hour of UTARİT. It is good to set out on a journey at this hour. It is also the hour for reading and writing to attract people’s hearts and minds and to do similar tasks.

4 o’clock: This is the hour of the Moon. It is not good to buy or sell anything at this time. It is useless.

5 o’clock: This hour belongs to ZUHAL (Saturn). It is a suitable hour for causing discord and strife, breaking up relationships, and creating enmity.

6 o’clock: This hour is attributed to MÜŞTERİ (Jupiter). This hour is suitable for making requests to kings, rulers, and state officials.

7 o’clock: This hour belongs to MERİH (Mars) and is therefore unlucky. Nothing should be done at this time.

Hour 8: This hour belongs to the Sun. It is suitable for working to fulfill all kinds of needs at this time.

9 o’clock: Belongs to Venus and is a suitable hour for reading and writing prayers to attract people’s hearts and minds.

10 o’clock: This hour is attributed to UTARİT. It is suitable for all good and righteous things.

11 o’clock: A beautiful hour belonging to the Moon, making it suitable for drawing talismans and related shapes and writing amulets.

12 o’clock: Since this is the hour of ZUHAL (Saturn), it brings the greatest misfortune. As this moment serves no purpose other than causing harm, one should avoid doing any work at that hour. [608]

[600]  The Great History of Islam from Birth to the Present Day, Volume 1, p. 175

[601]  Ali Çelik, Islam in the Age of Happiness in All Its Aspects, Volume 4, pp. 25–26

[602]  Surah An-Naml, Verses 22–24

[603]  Surah An-Naml, Verse 25

[604]  Surah Fussilat, Verse 37

[605]  Surah An-Najm, Verse 49

[606]  Bukhari, Adhan, 156; Muslim, Iman, 152

[607]  Superstition

[608]  M. Şemseddin Günaltay, From Superstition to Truth, p. 313