The Holy Sin and the Parade of the Planets

Dear Sir Sadequain,

You have been in my thoughts since last month's extraordinary 'planetary parade' when on February 28, seven planets aligned in the night sky. Five of them - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn -— were to be visible to the naked eye. Again, on March 29 and 30, respectively, the first solar eclipse of the year in Pakistan and the moon sighting exercise for Eid-ul Fitr turned our heads towards the sky.

This inspired me to write to you today sharing the social media obsession with this rare planetary alignment and the monthly lunar cycle. The rotation of the moon and other planets provides a natural rhythm and framework for understanding time, nature and human behaviours. Your preoccupation with capturing similar celestial movements in various calligraphic abstractions and murals served as the visual database of such events for many of us.

One example is the Frere Hall ceiling which revolves around the theme of arz-o samawaat. The second panel of the mural features a clock symbolising time. As time moves, man learns about the world around him. With disproportionately large hands he reaches out to different planets, stars and balls of fire and light, sifting for an understanding of the unknown.

Our fascination with watching the skies and observing celestial bodies is not new. The study of astrology and astronomy dates back to Mesopotamian civilisation, where stepped pyramids reportedly functioned as astro-labs.

The Egyptians closely monitored the moon's cycles to coordinate agricultural tasks, festivals and large-scale architectural projects with precision. They had a deep understanding of the cosmos and the afterlife. The Chinese used a lunisolar calendar, combining lunar and solar cycles to track time. The Greeks associated goddesses Selene and Luna with different phases of the moon.

Aristotle's writings also mention these phases and eclipses. Later, scholars in Baghdad and other Middle Eastern cities updated ancient Greek, Iranian and Indian knowledge on astronomy. They translated Sanskrit, Pahlavi and Greek texts into Arabic, incorporating Arab Bedouin traditions and refining methods for calculating celestial movements. Islamic requirements, such as determining prayer times and fasting schedules, drove innovations in scientific instruments, observation techniques and calendrical systems.

The Medieval period saw significant advancements in astronomy, fueled by the fusion of diverse cultural and scientific influences. Discarding Aristotle's geocentric model that placed Earth at the centre and advancing on Ptolemy's mathematical approach of prioritising observational accuracy, Al Sufi (903-986) and Al-Beruni (973-1038) compiled their knowledge in Book of the Images of the Fixed Stars and Al-Qanun al-Mas'udi.

However, this fascination soon turned into an obsession, with astrologers offering their services in Baghdad's bazaars, where people could pay for horoscope readings and predictions. Royal courts began employing fortune tellers, which hindered the smooth flow of political and diplomatic events, such as announcing heirs or launching military campaigns.

After calculating celestial signs, astrologers interpreted their meanings, drawing from a vast astrological literature. This literature, including manuals and treatises, linked zodiac signs to personality traits and influenced artistic depictions. It is when considering astrology, a branch of astronomy that may determine human events, was realised a 'sin' and against Islamic tenets, as only God can designate doom or destiny. But then the Quran states, "What lies between the sky and the earth belongs to Him." Thus, the creation and rotation of celestial bodies are subject to His creative commands.

Using the words fikr and amal on the Frere Hall ceiling, you are suggesting critical thinking and its application as the utmost requirement in pursuit of Truth and Reality. Your message aligns with your previous lessons in Treasures of Time, Saga of Labour and illustrations of Iqbal's verses, where the philosopher-poet portrays qalandar as an examiner of the mah-o anjum (moon and stars). Mind you, a similar quest for knowledge led Socrates to sip the poison, you got away with the title of Holy Sinner.

Bano

April, 25