Is there any report to suggest that the astrologers knew about the birth of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and warned Nimrood about him?
Question

                I had recently posted an article in a group discussion in facebook, which asks our brothers and sisters to discard the practice of believing in astrologers and horoscopes. I got to see that beautiful article from another brother and thought of sharing it with my fellow muslims.

One brother, had posted a reply to it, which he copied from a shia site, and which says, "" Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) was born in syria, at the time when Namrud was the king, who regarded himself as god, and the idolators living around him believed the same. A short while before Prophet Ibrahim was born, Namrud was told by his ``Astrologers`` that a child would soon be born, who would stand against him and tell the people to stop worshipping idols. This made namrud to examine all the newborn babies carefully to see any special signs on them, and so on.

The brother who posted the reply asks, how did the astrologers made right prediction about birth of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) ?

I do not agree with most contents of the article, as from what I have learned Ibrahim (A.S) was born in babylon in (iraq), and ariticle states he was born in syria etc. and I also do not believe in the system of shia as well.

I couldnt find the story about the astrologers who predicted about Ibrahim (A.S) and if it is true story or just a lie by shia innovators! Would like to get more light on the issue so that I can reply that brother in the perfect manner.
Praise be to Allah.
    
    Firstly: 

    The 
    scholars have divided knowledge of the stars into two categories: 

    1.Astronomy 

    this 
    refers to knowledge of the names of stars, when and where they rise and set, 
    and how they may be used for the purposes of measuring time and for 
    navigation, and other visible things which observation and experience have 
    proven what each star could be used for (working out directions, measuring 
    the passage of time and so on). 

    There 
    is nothing wrong with learning and teaching this type of knowledge, and 
    there is no evidence to suggest that it is forbidden or makrooh to study it. 
    In fact, in the Holy Qur’an there is evidence to suggest that it is 
    permissible and this knowledge is a blessing that Allah, may He be glorified 
    and exalted, has bestowed upon people, as Allah, may He be glorified and 
    exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “It is He Who has set the stars 
    for you, so that you may guide your course with their help through the 
    darkness of the land and the sea. We have (indeed) explained in detail Our 
    Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, Revelations, etc.) for 
    people who know”

    
    [al-An‘aam 6:97]

    “It is He Who made the sun a 
    shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out its (their) stages, 
    that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not 
    create this but in truth. He explains the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, 
    lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail for people who have knowledge”

    
    [Yoonus 10:5]. 

    2.Astrology

    this 
    refers to interpreting the locations and movements of the stars and the  
    (supposed) influence they have on worldly developments and events such as 
    death, birth, epidemics, disasters, attaining happiness and other matters 
    for which there is no rational, empirical basis for connecting these 
    developments to the movements of heavenly bodies. Rather this is mere 
    conjecture and speculation for which there is no proof or evidence. 

    This 
    is what the shar‘i evidence definitively forbids; it is haraam to learn it, 
    teach it or study it. 

    Shaykh 
    al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    The 
    craft of astrology which seeks to establish the influence and impact of 
    heavenly bodies, and to find out about future earthly events or developments 
    on the basis of celestial events, and to make a connection between celestial 
    movements and earthly influence, is a prohibited craft according to the 
    Qur’an and Sunnah, and the consensus of the ummah. In fact it is forbidden 
    by all the Messengers to their communities.

    Allah, 
    may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “and the magician will never be 
    successful, no matter whatever amount (of skill) he may attain”
    

    
    [Ta-Ha 20:69]

    “Have 
    you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe 
    in Jibt [sorcery] and Taghoot [evil]”

    
    [an-Nisa’ 4:51].

    ‘Umar 
    and others said that Jibt (sorcery) refers to magic or witchcraft. 

    Abu 
    Dawood narrated in his Sunan with a hasan isnaad from Qubaysah ibn 
    Mukhaariq that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: 
    “Augury (observing omens in birds etc.), superstition and geomancy come 
    under the heading of jibt (magic).” 

    If 
    geomancy, which is akin to astrology, comes under the heading of jibt 
    (magic), then how about astrology itself? That is because in geomancy they 
    refer to shapes on earth, because astrology is based on shapes in the 
    heavens.

    
     Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah and others narrated with a saheeh isnaad from 
    Ibn ‘Abbaas that he said: “Whoever learns astrology learns a branch of 
    magic; the more he learns (of the former) the more he learns (of the 
    latter).” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) 
    clearly stated that astrology comes under the same heading as magic. Allah, 
    may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “and the magician will never be 
    successful, no matter whatever amount (of skill) he may attain”
    

    
    [Ta-Ha 20:69].

    And 
    this is how it really is. From studying the situation of astrologers, we see 
    that they never prosper either in this world or in the hereafter. 

    Ahmad, 
    and Muslim in his Saheeh, narrated from Safiyyah bint ‘Ubayd, from 
    one of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), 
    from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: 
    “Whoever goes to a fortune teller and asks him about something, no prayer 
    will be accepted from him for forty days.” The astrologer is the same as the 
    fortune teller according to some of the scholars; according to others he 
    comes under the same category. If this is the case with regard to the one 
    who asks, then how about the one who is asked? 

    He 
    also narrated in his Saheeh that Mu‘aawiyah ibn al-Hakam as-Sulami 
    said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, there are some men among us who go to 
    soothsayers. He said: “Do not go to them.” 

    The 
    Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade going to 
    soothsayers, and astrologers are the same as soothsayers according to 
    al-Khattaabi and other scholars, and this was also narrated from the Arabs. 
    According to others, they come under the same category as soothsayers and 
    are worse than them. 

    More 
    than one of the scholars has narrated that there is consensus on the 
    prohibition of astrology, such as al-Baghawi, al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad and others. 

    In 
    as-Saheehayn it is narrated from Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani that he 
    said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led 
    us in praying Fajr at al-Hudaybiyah, after it had rained at night. When he 
    finished, he turned to the people and said: “Do you know what your Lord 
    said?” They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “He said: 
    ‘This morning some of My slaves believe in Me and some disbelieve. As for 
    the one who said, we got rain by the bounty and mercy of Allah, he is a 
    believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars. But as for the one who said, 
    We got rain by virtue of such and such a star, he is a disbeliever in Me and 
    a believer in the stars.’” 

    
    Leading astrologers of the earlier and later generations have admitted that 
    in the case of the believers who worship Allah and turn to Him in 
    supplication, Allah removed from them – by virtue of the blessing of their 
    worship, supplication and trust in Allah – that which the astrologers said 
    on the basis of their astrological calculations would inevitably befall 
    them. They have also admitted that those who worship Allah, call upon Him 
    and put their trust in Him will be given reward in this world and in the 
    hereafter that no astrological power could ever bring them. 
Who has made the best of this world and the Hereafter in 
    following the Messengers, and has made the best nation those who enjoin what 
    is good and forbid what is evil. 
    
    End 
    quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 35/192-196 

    
    Secondly: 

    
    However, we do not deny that some of what the astrologer says about future 
    events may sometimes be correct and may sometimes happen as he foretold; but 
    that does not mean that the path he is following is valid. Rather what he 
    happens to get right is baseless and comes about by pure coincidence. What 
    he gets right is very little in comparison to the lies that accompany it. 

    Do you 
    not see that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has told 
    us that the jinn who eavesdrop (on the angels) may hear something of what 
    the angels talk about of future events, and the jinni may send down what he 
    has heard to the soothsayer on earth, or the jinni may be burned before he 
    can do that? Yet despite that, soothsaying is a major sin, because it deals 
    with matters of the unseen without any shar‘i basis. 

    It was 
    narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the 
    Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that she heard the 
    Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: 

    “The 
    angels come down in the clouds and discuss matters that have been decreed in 
    heaven, and the devils may eavesdrop and hear it, then they convey it to the 
    soothsayers, and they tell along with it one hundred lies that they have 
    fabricated by themselves.”

    
    Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 3210 

    Hence 
    al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    Allah 
    may create in this type – meaning the astrologers – some kind of power, but 
    their lies are what predominates. End quote. 

    Quoted 
    from Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim, 14/223 

    Shaykh 
    Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    It may 
    so happen that the divine decree is in accordance with a person’s need, so 
    the poor man thinks that it is because of this astrologer, or because of 
    this soothsayer, that this thing happened. Or it may be that a person 
    prescribes a regular remedy other than what the astrologer claims, and that 
    the person who prescribes it knows that it is good for this sickness, but 
    the sick person thinks that healing comes about only because of the 
    astrologers looking at the stars, and so on. The point is that if healing 
    occurs sometimes after going to soothsayers or astrologers or geomancers and 
    their ilk, that does not prove that their way is sound. The mushrikeen 
    themselves – who worship idols – may come to an idol and ask of it, then 
    what they wanted happens by Allah’s leave, as a coincidence and for reasons 
    known to Allah in His wisdom, or it may come about by means of the devils, 
    and thus becomes a trial and test. But it does not come from the idol, 
    because the idol did not do anything, and the jinni who is with him did not 
    do anything. Rather the divine decree may dictate that this sickness should 
    go away or this calamity should be alleviated after this poor man went to 
    the idol and asked of it or offered a sacrifice to it. Thus that comes about 
    as a test and trial in itself, without that being the result of any action 
    on the part of the magician, the idol, the jinn and so on. This made the 
    mushrikeen even more attached to their idols, and thus they worshipped them 
    instead of Allah. 

    The 
    wise person should never be deceived by what happens at the hands of these 
    astrologers, soothsayers, fortune tellers or magicians; rather he must keep 
    away from them and not believe in them. 

    End 
    quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 8/89-90 

    
    Thirdly: 

    Once 
    the above is clearly understood, there will be no confusion from a 
    scientific or shar‘i point of view about the story of the astrologers at the 
    time of Nimrood and Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), if the story is even 
    sound in the first place. It is not unlikely that the words of the 
    astrologers may have turned out to be correct, although lies are more 
    prevalent in their case and the type of knowledge they have is corrupt. 

    Yet we 
    should point out that the story is not proven with any saheeh isnaad; rather 
    it was narrated by some of the historians as just a story with no real 
    proof. 

    See:
    al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, 1/200 

    And 
    Allah knows best.