A man from among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, from the Ansar, reported 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 in the Days of Ignorance when something like this was hurled?"They replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best. We used to say, 'Tonight a great man has been born, or a great man has died.'"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "These stars are not hurled for anyone's death or birth. Rather, when our Lord, blessed be His name, decrees a matter, the bearers of the Throne glorify Him. Then the inhabitants of the heaven nearest 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 inform them of what He said. Then the inhabitants of the heavens pass the news to one another, until the report reaches this lowest heaven. The jinn snatch what they can hear and cast it down to their allies, and they are pelted with these stars. Whatever they bring back accurately 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 يرمى 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 the Book of Salaam (2229) through several routes from Yaqub bin Ibrahim bin Saad, who said, my father narrated to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, Ali bin Husayn narrated to me, that Abdullah bin Abbas said (and he mentioned it). His statement "yaqrifuna" means "they lie."