المعنى الاصطلاحي

Seeking rain from or attributing rainfall to the stars deducing it from their setting and rising.

الشرح المختصر

"Istisqaa bi-l-anwaa" (seeking rain from stars) means seeking rain from or attributing rainfall to moon phases, which is included in astrology, which also includes observing the movements of planets, their rotation, their rising and setting, and their joining and separating, believing that every star has certain effects with every movement that it makes on its own, and other effects when joining other stars, such as affecting the rise and fall of prices, the blowing of winds and their stillness, and the occurrence of accidents. They may even attribute such things to them in an absolute manner. "Istisqaa bi-l-anwaa" is of two types: 1. To believe that the one who causes the rainfall is the star; which is clear disbelief, because there is no creator except Allah, the Almighty. 2. To attribute the rainfall to the star while believing that Allah alone is the One Who makes it happen. However, He made that star to appear when it rains. The correct opinion is that it is also forbidden, because it is from the unapparent polytheism. However, if one says, "We received rain during the appearance of such-and-such star," it is permissible, because it means: we received the rain during that time, without attributing the rainfall to the stars, neither individually, nor by being a cause of it.