A man from among the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, one of the Ansar, informed me that while they were sitting one night with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a shooting star streaked across the sky and lit up the night.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked them, "What did you used to say about this in the days of ignorance, when a star like this was shot across the sky?"They replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best. We used to say, 'Tonight a great man has been born, and a great man has died.'"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "These stars are not shot 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 the inhabitants of the heaven next to them glorify Him, until the glorification reaches the inhabitants of this lowest heaven. Then those who are next to the bearers of the Throne ask the bearers of the Throne, 'What did your Lord say?' and they tell them what He said. The inhabitants of the heavens then pass the news from one to another, until the news reaches this lowest heaven. The jinn snatch a portion of what they hear and cast it down to their allies, and they are pelted with these stars. Whatever they bring as it truly is, that part is true, but they distort it and add to it."
أخبرني رجل من أصحاب النبي ﷺ من الأنصار، أنهم بينما هم جلوس ليلة مع رسول الله ﷺ رمي بنجم فاستنار، فقال لهم رسول الله ﷺ: ماذا كنتم تقولون في الجاهلية إذا رمي بمثل هذا؟ قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم، كنا نقول: ولد الليلة رجل عظيم، ومات رجل عظيم. فقال رسول الله ﷺ: فإنها لا ترمى بها لموت أحد ولا لحياته، ولكن ربنا تبارك وتعالى اسمه إذا قضى أمرا سبح حملة العرش، ثم سبح أهل السماء الذين يلونهم، حتى يبلغ التسبيح أهل هذه السماء الدنيا. ثم قال الذين يلون حملة العرش لحملة العرش: ماذا قال ربكم فيخبرونهم ماذا قال. قال: فيستخبر بعض أهل السماوات بعضا، حتى يبلغ الخبر هذه السماء الدنيا فتخطف الجن السمع فيقذفون إلى أوليائهم. ويرمون به. فما جاؤوا به على وجهه فهو حق، ولكنهم يقرفون فيه ويزيدون.
Muslim narrated it in "Al-Salam" (2229) through several routes from Yaqub bin Ibrahim bin Saad, who said, our father narrated to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, who said, Ali bin Husayn narrated to me, that Abdullah bin Abbas said (then he mentioned it).His saying, "yaqrifun," means they mix falsehood into it, and it carries the same meaning as "yaqdhifun" (they cast accusations).