How should we understand the devils’ being shot by stars in verse 5 of the chapter of al-Mulk?
Dear Brother / Sister,
“And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.” (al-Mulk, 67/5)
Shihab (Shooting Star, Falling Meteorite):
In the verse above, God Almighty uses the phrase “rujuman lish-shayatin (stones/missiles) for the devils)” while mentioning stars and meteorites, meaning rockets thrown against jinn and devils. He uses the words “shihab” and “shuhub” in verse 18 of the chapter of al-Hijr, verse 10 of as-Saaffat and verses 8 and 9 of al-Jinn. We can detect some of the events taking place in space through observations in observatories and evaluate them in terms of astrophysics. However, we do not know the wisdom behind those events because our knowledge regarding the issue is based on experiments and observation. However, it is a fact that the angels in charge of each event organize the events as they have been programmed beforehand.
We can detect only the following about meteorites: there are celestial bodies located in the solar system and systems very close to it, and most of them move on certain, that is, calculated orbits. However, innumerable similar events occur in other systems. God Almighty gives information about those meteorites in the verse in question and explains one of the reasons.
As it is known, unbelieving jinn and all devils were created from rays. They have the ability to ascend to the skies. Innumerable angels are in constant communication in the chain of command based on the divine command. The devil and unbelieving jinn want to hear the news descended in that mysterious realm. However, it was forbidden to them. When they start to rise, meteorites called “shihab” are thrown at them like rockets or nuclear-tipped missiles, causing them to return.
Although the inside of the event is not known in terms of astrophysics, it is necessary to believe in this event by looking at the perfectly functioning order of the universe.
Meteorites do not have their own rays. Those entering the Earth's gravitational field become incandescent due to friction in the atmosphere; some of them break into dust while others fall onto the earth.
When the issue is considered in terms of astrophysics (that is, the branch of science in which the science of physics is applied to astronomy), astronomy and astronomical distances, the size of the universe and the limitlessness of divine power can be understood much more easily.
When only the galaxy called the Milky Way is considered, it is seen that at least a hundred million stars constitute it. The sun is just one of those stars. Undoubtedly, there are many other galaxies in outer space. Some of them are so far away that their light can reach us only in hundreds of millions of years, which is another proof of the unimaginable size of the universe.
According to astronomical calculations, Sirius, the brightest star, is eight light years, that is, 75,684,400,000,000 km., away from the world.
Today, there are four main methods of obtaining information about the stars. Spectra analysis, Doppler effect, photometer and photography.
The verse in question points out that research should be done with necessary methods and it wants to activate the human mind. (see Celal Yıldırım, İlmin Işığında Asrın Kur’an Tefsiri, Anadolu Yayınları: 12/6292-6293.)
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Questions on Islam
- "And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire." (al-Mulk, 67/5) Will you explain this verse?
- Is there any drawback to looking at a shooting star? What does a shooting star and a rising star mean; are they related to the birth or death of people? What might be the hidden facts behind them?
- The Addendum to the Fourteenth Word: The Earthquake; its causes and results as a Divine Determining. The Wisdoms in Disasters. The laws of nature and Divine will.
- The Fifteenth Word: The living beings, angels, the Jinn and devils in space.
- Second Point: The superiority in the Qur'an's meaning.
- Is there a verse or a hadith about jinn listening to the talks of the angels and informing soothsayers about them?
- Surah 67. Al-Mulk (The Sovereignty, Control)
- Seventh Step: Three meanings for the stoning of devils.
- If the sky is a well-guarded canopy, why are living beings harmed by meteorites?
- Fifth Step: The stoning of evils by angels.

