Is Ibn Taymiyyah's Argument Of Astrology?

Yahya, who argues that astrologers’ services never dried up in establishments such as palaces, among the elites, souks, streets, and among the lowest social classes. Since, astrology had a social function within Mamlūk society, Ibn Taymiyyah had made a point to exclaim that prohibition of astrology is obligatory, as the distinction between truth and what is vain in astrology’s position in Islam is not made well. Consequently, Ibn Taymiyyah believes the intertwinement of truth (Islam) with empty promises (astrology) leads people astray from the righteous path, therefore Ibn Taymiyyah proclaims that the tradition and the consensus forbade astrology and that none of the occult sciences are licit. The third fatwa, similarly to the second, also

Ibn Taymiyyah considers the debate surrounding Islam’s tutelary planet, with the conventional opinion that Venus is the ruling and protective planet of Islam, which for Ibn Taymiyyah was deemed as ‘the clearest insanities’. The insanity for Ibn Taymiyyah was the affirmation that the star of the Muslims is dependent upon Venus, whilst the star of the Nazarenes (Christians) is dependent upon Jupiter, adding that Jupiter is the patron of sciences and religion, whilst Venus is of entertainment and pleasure. He argues further why the tutelary planet of the Nazarenes should not be considered as Jupiter, but rather Venus, and that Islam’s tutelary planet should be Jupiter as of Islam’s demand for rationality and the sciences according to Ibn Taymiyyah. Although, not specified in his discussion, one can also make deductions from the tone of his writing, that Ibn Taymiyyah did not wish for Muslims to be associated with the femininity and sensuality of Venus, but rather with the archetypal masculinity and rationality of Jupiter. In essence, Ibn Taymiyyah preferred Jupiter to be Islam’s tutelary planet rather than Venus. However, the entire debate seems paradoxical, as Ibn Taymiyyah engages in a debate which within Islamic teachings and tenets is futile and

Secondly, we can make inference that the owner was of high social status, most likely a Mamlūk amīr. On the outside walls of the basin is an inscriptional band in Kufic script which has a succession of blessings to the owner, in addition four oval pendants depicts figures such as dancers, musicians or a wine drinker. The words on the basin were intended to provide the anonymous Mamlūk amīr with good fortune and talismanic protection. The basin would have most likely been used for ablutions for religious purposes such as purifying oneself through washing, especially before prayer alongside a matching ewer. However, what makes this basin intriguing is when we consider the base of the basin, which is heavily depicted with astrological and zodiacal symbolism. The base of the basin depicts the sun being central which is then immediately surrounded by seven celestial planetary bodies and the twelve zodiac signs in the outer ring. The majority of the zodiac signs are not depicted with their respected Planetary Lords, except for Cancer and Leo who are paired with the Moon and Sun. As well as Virgo and Aquarius which are represented by human figures, are a vital part of the composition as Stefano Carboni would argue, as the zodiacal significance cannot be understood without them. The significance of this astrological depiction on