During my years of study in the Russian Federation I went through an experience that deserves to be told. “The astrologers lie, even when they happen to tell the truth.” Yes, I agree with you on that. But is the knowledge of the zodiac the kind of knowledge that predicts what will happen to you in the future? The answer: no. No science can predict what will happen to you in the future; the keys to the knowledge of the unseen are in the hands of the Creator alone, Mighty and Majestic. So what, then, is the knowledge of the zodiac, and what is its benefit?
I am a Muslim student studying among a non-Muslim people, 75 percent of whom believe in the zodiac and let it influence their private lives. After many situations in which the subject of the zodiac was raised, I decided to look into this strange subject, which most of the civilized peoples of the world believe in, while our Arab Muslim peoples refuse even to think about it, even though most of our magazines and newspapers set aside a space under the heading “Your Luck Today!” What a strange contradiction. What is written under “Your Luck Today” is triviality itself.
Let me explain my experience in life. Science does not contradict religion; we have minds, and with them we think and analyze. I began asking everyone I knew, or had known, about their date of birth or their sign. I began classifying them: this one is earth, this one is air, and this one… and so on; this one is a Taurus, this one is an Aquarius, and this one… and so on. I found a similarity among people of the same nature, and a remarkable similarity among people of the same sign. I grew more and more interested in the subject, and as the years went by I reached the point where I could guess the sign of a new friend! A wonderful development. I began to reflect on this universe: why were the planets created, when the Noble Quran contains many verses confirming that nothing was created in vain? Among them is verse 27 of Surah Sad, where He says:
And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them aimlessly.
Sad 27
And We did not create the heavens and the earth and that between them in play.
Ad-Dukhan 38
I cannot believe or imagine that the planet Mercury influences me because I was born under the sign of Gemini, but at the same time I do not know the true reason for the creation of the planet Mercury.
Social psychology classifies “astrology” among beliefs of an illusory nature, and some even describe it as false superstition, attributing this to the lack of firm foundations and logical proofs in this “science.” Yet some currents in social psychology do not take a radical, decisive position. Dr. Françoise Askevis, head of the social psychology department at the Sorbonne, distinguishes between superstitious beliefs and those that admit of scientific discussion, which she calls “pseudo-sciences,” the zodiac among them.
So if you truly are among those who describe the zodiac as superstition, all you need do is close this window you are reading from and shake your head in wonder. But if you are among the believers in this science (?), or simply curious, then welcome… and you are free to search for “yourself” in it, and in the end, “believe it or not.”
I do not exaggerate when I say that the course of your life will change merely by studying the twelve astrological signs, for it will set you on the first steps toward understanding people you have never had the chance to meet, bring you closer to strangers, and strengthen your relationships with your friends even more. Is that not delightful? Indeed, it is delightful for a person to come to know himself and others.
Dear reader
I do not want you to believe that the science of the zodiac can predict your future. Pay no attention to what is written or said under “Your Luck Today.” Read about your sign and learn what your nature is. Ask the friends you feel most at ease with about their signs. Ask about the signs of those people you did not feel comfortable with at first sight. Compare the results you arrive at. Did you find that those you felt at ease with are of your own nature?
This subject will benefit you in your personal life, at home and at work. You will know how to deal with your manager or your employee, you will better understand the nature of everyone around you, and you will become close to people who used to be strangers to you. I did not write this until I had benefited greatly from my experiences in my personal life. Since there is benefit in it, why should you not take advantage of it and profit from it? And the judgment, in the end, is yours.