Most-asked question
Are horoscopes, star signs and palm reading permissible?
44 fatawa in the archive answer questions on this, from 5 South African Darul Iftas (Mufti Online, AskImam, Jamiat KZN, Azaadville, Ibn Masood). Below, each Darul Ifta’s answer is quoted word for word from the opening of one of its fatawa.
Based on the fatawa linked below. Please read the sources and double-check with a Darul Ifta for your situation.
Consult a mufti for your situation. Fatawa SA is a read-only archive and issues no rulings of its own.
What the Darul Iftas say
“1) It is prohibited to go to a fortune teller. Consider the following Ahadith Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said “Whoever engages in sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman, or a woman in her anus, consults a soothsayer, then he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.” (Tirmidhi Hadith 135)”
“It is not permissible to consult a fortune teller or a magician. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, ‘The Salaah of one who visits a fortune-teller will not be accepted for forty days.’ [Muslim]. The same ruling is applicable for a magician.”
“1) It is prohibited to go to a fortune teller. Consider the following Ahadith Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said "Whoever engages in sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman, or a woman in her anus, consults a soothsayer, then he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad." (Tirmidhi Hadith 135)”
“Astrology is nothing more than speculation and guess work. When a person experiments in this science he begins to believe in falsehood and speculation. Therefore the hadeeth has strongly prohibited this. Make taubah sincerely and don't ever go close to this. And may He accept your taubah and namaaz.”
Quotes are the opening words of each answer as published; the full answer, its conditions and references are on the fatwa page. Answers depend on the exact details of each question.
Read the fatawa
- Following Star Signs Jamiat KZN · 19 Feb 2026
- Following Star Signs Azaadville · 20 Jan 2026
- Visiting Fortune tellers Ibn Masood · 3 May 2024
- Speaking to a fortune teller AskImam · 21 Jan 2021
- Reading about traits of a person based on astrology Mufti Online · 26 Oct 2020
- Horoscopes Jamiat KZN · 19 Jul 2022
- Are my prayers valid if I go to an astrologer without believing in it? AskImam · 27 Aug 2019
- Difference between prediction and fortune telling Mufti Online · 31 Jul 2018
- A Muslim going to a Fortune Teller Jamiat KZN · 31 Mar 2017
- is numerology(ilm ul aadad or ilm e jaffar) allowed in islam? AskImam · 9 Feb 2019
- Fortune telling Mufti Online · 24 Oct 2017
- A Muslim going to a Fortune Teller AskImam · 30 Mar 2017
- Horoscope Mufti Online · 28 Dec 2013
- Numerology and Abjad Numerals AskImam · 11 Oct 2015
- Checking my Horoscope Mufti Online · 23 Mar 2013
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