No one...better than me in astronomy

549. Ahmad Bin Muhammad, And Ali Bin Muhammad, together from Ali Bin Al-Hassan Al-Taymi, from Muhammad Bin Al-Khataab Al-Wasity, from Yunus Bin Abdul Rahman, from Ahmad Bin Umar Al-Halby, from hammad Al-Azdy, from Hisham Al-Khaffaf who said: Abu Abdullah عليه الصلاة والسلام said to me: ‘How is your insight into the stars (astrology)?’ I said, ‘There is no one left in Iraq with more insight into the stars than I’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said; ‘How is the rotation of the ‘الْفَلَكِ’ universe in accordance to you?’ So I took off my cap from my head and rotated it. (Imam عليه الصلاة والسلام said) ‘If the matter was as you are saying it to be, so what do you make of Al-Na’ash, and Al-Jaday, and Al-Faqadayn? They are not being seen to rotate in a day from the time in the direction?’ I said, ‘By Allah عز وجل, this is something that I do not understand, not had I heard anyone from the people of the calculation mention it’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said to me: ‘What is the proportion of light of Al-Sukayna from Al-Zuhra Venus)?’ I said, ‘By Allah عز وجل, this is a star which I have not heard of, nor have I heard anyone from the people mentioning it’. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said; ‘Glory be to Allah عز وجل! So you have dropped (ignored) a whole star, so what is your calculation based upon?’ Then (Imam عليه الصلاة والسلام) said: ‘So what is the proportion of illumination of Al-Zuhra (Venus) from the moon is?’ I said, ‘This is a thing which no one knows except Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said; ‘So what is the proportion of the moon from the sun in its illumination?’ I said, ‘I do not know this’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said; ‘You speak the truth’. Then said: ‘So what about the two armies which meet each other in accordance to this calculation, and in accordance to that calculation, and the calculator of this one calculated victory for this army, and the calculator of that one calculated victory for that army, then the two of them met, so one of them defeats the other, so now where would be the bad luck?’ I said, ‘By Allah عز وجل, I do not know that’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘You speak the truth. The origin of the calculation is true, but no one knows that except the one who knows the birth of creatures, all of them’.