How did the Qur’an interpret the phenomenon of shooting stars? And are they missiles for the devils who eavesdrop in the heavens?
In the Quran, meteoroids (shihāb) are projectiles of fire separate from stars, launched by God's power to stone devils who attempt to eavesdrop from the heavens, thereby protecting the heavens from them. The meteoroid may strike the devil before or after the word is uttered. The religious meaning of meteoroids aligns with modern astronomical phenomena, which indicate that they are stony bodies that glow upon entering the atmosphere, appearing in the lowest heaven (the ionosphere), which has been adorned with lamps. This stoning is continuous and perpetual because the protection of the heavens is perpetual, and astronomy has discovered the existence of continuous projectiles in the lowest heaven. The meteoroid is only aflame when it descends, which aligns with the Quran's description of it as "thāqib," meaning luminous and intensely bright.
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Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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