Chapter: Al-Qasama in the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance
Sufyan
Narrated Sufyan:'Ubaidullah said: "I heard Ibn `Abbas saying, "Following are some traits of the people of the pre- Islamic period of ignorance (i) to defame the ancestry of other families, (ii) and to wail over the dead." 'Ubaidullah forgot the third trait. Sufyan said, "They say it (i.e. the third trait) was to believe that rain was caused by the influence of stars (i.e. if a special star appears it will rain).
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 3850
In-book reference
Book 63, Hadith 75
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 5, Book 58, Hadith 189
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، سَمِعَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ خِلاَلٌ مِنْ خِلاَلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الطَّعْنُ فِي الأَنْسَابِ وَالنِّيَاحَةُ، وَنَسِيَ الثَّالِثَةَ، قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهَا الاِسْتِسْقَاءُ بِالأَنْوَاءِ.