Hadith #347

Arabic Text

English Translation

Muhammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Ma'mar narrated to us — and 'Abd al-Razzaq said: Ma'mar informed us, al-Zuhri informed us — from 'Ali ibn Husayn, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting with a group of his Companions" — 'Abd al-Razzaq said: from the Ansar — "when a great star was hurled and it illuminated. He said: 'What did you used to say about the likes of this during the Jahiliyyah?' They said: 'We used to say a great person has been born or a great person has died.'" I said to al-Zuhri: "Were stars hurled during the Jahiliyyah?" He said: "Yes, but they intensified when the Prophet ﷺ was sent." He said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "It is not hurled for anyone's death or life. Rather, when our Lord, blessed be His name, decrees a matter, the bearers of the Throne glorify Him, then those next to them glorify, then those next to them, until the glorification reaches this lowest heaven. Then the inhabitants of each heaven inquire of those above them, and those closest to the bearers of the Throne ask the bearers of the Throne: 'What did your Lord say?' They inform them, and the inhabitants of each heaven inform the next until the news reaches this heaven. The jinn snatch what they can hear and are pelted. Whatever they convey accurately is true, but they add to it and embellish." 'Abd al-Razzaq said: "The jinn snatch it and are pelted." Muhammad ibn Mus'ab narrated to us, al-Awza'i narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from 'Ali ibn Husayn, from Ibn 'Abbas: "Some men from the Ansar, Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, told me that they were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ one night when a star was hurled" — then he mentioned the hadith, except that he said: "When our Lord decrees a matter, the bearers of the Throne glorify Him, then those next to them, then those next to them, until the glorification reaches the lowest heaven. They say — those nearest to the bearers of the Throne say to the bearers of the Throne: 'What did your Lord say?' They say: 'The Truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.' They say such-and-such, and the inhabitants of the heavens inform one another until the news reaches the lowest heaven." He said: "The devils come and eavesdrop on the news, then they pass it to their allies and throw it to them. Whatever they convey accurately is true, but they add to it, fabricate, and subtract."