shooting stars in quran? 67:5 (please anyone explain)

Question

Assalamu Alaikum.

I just wish to ask one of my doubts. I have been pondering so long to get an answer to my doubt. Searched a lot but still couldn't get a satisfactory answer. Due to lack of answers, i came to know that I started losing my faith. I wish to share it here. Please answer or respond anything if you got this.

My question is regarding the verse from the Quran chapter 67 verse 5 where it says allah made the stars to be thrown at devils.

'And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with lamps and have made them thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.' [QURAN 67:5]

well first, its not a scientific view. and its not something a person who has knowledge about astronomy accepts. well to my knowledge, i know that this universe has got a grand design. even skeptical scientists wonder how such a grand design happened. (it make them wonder if God really made it.) everything correctly at its place. there is proportionality throughout the universe. and we even came to know that gravitational waves exist. so if our star (sun) were to disappear one day it would disrupt the design and we wont exist (because gravity). in such a case how could stars be thrown at the devils?

So i started to see scholarly interpretation of that verse. hence i came to know that most of the scholars said that word (مَصَابِيحَ) which literally meant lamp refers to shooting stars and not stars. the below are some of the links where scholars says that it refers to shooting stars

http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=324712

https://islamqa.info/en/243871

https://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?p=99813

What is the meaning of "bi masabiha" in surah 67:5

https://versebyversequranstudycircle.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/tafseer-surah-al-mulk-ayaat-1-5/

http://islamicnewblogaddress.blogspot.in/2016/12/interpretation-of-verse-stars-are.html

if the above verse really refers to shooting stars. then its something which could be logically and scientifically accepted based on some points.

-but if we were to look deeply on the meaning of the word (مَصَابِيحَ) by comparing with other verses we could come to the conclusion that it has to refer to stars and not shooting stars.

below is the explanation why (مَصَابِيحَ) has to refer stars.

"15.Do you not consider how Allah has created seven heavens in layers 16.And made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp ?" [Surah 71:15-16]

"And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing." [Surah 41:12]

"And constructed above you seven strong [heavens] And made [therein] a burning lamp" [Surah 78:12,13]

in both verses 71:16 and 78:13 (which are mentioned above) the word lamp is translated for Arabic word سِرَاجًا ,while the word lamp from verse 41:12 is translated for Arabic word مَصَابِيحَ .

So when we compare the ayaths we can see that all the three verses (mentioned above) starts by referring the seven heavens and then says about the stars created which are referred as lamps. so the lamp has to refer either star or some type or stage of a star.

next lets compare the verses 41:12 and 67:5

"And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing."[Surah 41:12]

"And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with lamps and have made them thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze."[Surah 67-5]

by comparing the above two verses we could understand that both verses mentioned lamps as adornment and made as protection by throwing at devils

from verse 41:12 (given above) we came to know that the Arabic word مَصَابِيحَ referred some sort of a star.hence the Arabic word مَصَابِيحَ from verse 67:5 also has to refer some sort of a star.

even when quran gives us a clear idea why it has to refer star, i couldn't understand how scholars could interpret it as shooting stars. scholars trying to interpret it as shooting star seems to me like they are just convincing people by lying.

so how could stars be thrown at devils?

i am not saying almighty cant make someone do it.we know that prophet Muhammad (saw) is said to have split the moon. but we know that its a miracle. but Allah gave order to angels to throw stars if devil comes. hence it becomes a property. there is difference between miracle and property. miracles never fits with the data but properties has to be logical with the data from our observable universe.

i did heard an explanation from the website answeringchristianity.com that, it could be pulsars and the radiations emitted from pulsars. and those those radiations are referred to be thrown at the devils. but i felt even a mistake in that explanation, there is no preposition 'from' in that verse. hence claiming radiation from pulsars seems to contradict, because the verse clearly says "lamps thrown at devils".

so my question is, is that a scientific error??

i heard some people saying that, wait patiently till u get the answer. some day scientist would prove that verse. but i get irritated to hear such comments because. if thats the case, then i wonder christians are waiting for the day when scientists will prove the world that earth is really flat.

waiting for your replies.

---

Note: sorry, the explanation which I mentioned above is wrong and is due to my lack of knowledge. But I wish not to remove it, so that people who may think the same way could get the point and understand the answers clearly.

Answer 1

I think this is just a matter of you throwing yourself into confusion with non-sequitirs (ie, fallacious connections). The false connection is in this statement you made:

"So when we compare the ayaths we can see that all the three verses (mentioned above) starts by referring the seven heavens and then says about the stars created which are referred as lamps"

1. You acknowledged that verses 71:16 and 78:13 use the term سِرَاجًا and not مَصَابِيحَ but then you equate the two only because these verses with these words start with "seven heavens". That logically makes no sense.

Your logical argument: X has A. X has B.Therefore, A=B. FALSE !!!

(A and B could be two totally different things and still be part of X).

2. Then you added that the verses "says about the stars" but the literal Arabic word for stars wasn't mentioned in these verses. Words like Najmun or Kawkabun do not appear in these verses. The only thing that appears is the word "Sun" (which is a star) BUT the word used to describe it (سِرَاجًا ) is a totally different word than that used to describe the missiles thrown at the devils (مَصَابِيحَ). Again, no equivalence.

So you are just confusing yourself, dear brother. I see no equivalence.

Further, it's another error on your part to allege that a matter of the Unseen is a "scientific error" when the Unseen is beyond the scope of science. There's no way for science to even verify if the projectile of shooting stars are headed towards any devils, because science cannot even detect the devils themselves, OR Angels for that matter. These are part of the Unseen. The Unseen is taken on faith; it is not meant to be "verified". What can be verified is when Quran speaks on this physical word (the Seen), of which there are plentiful verses. Those are the verses which "science-goers" should be focused on.

FINALLY - To me, this is a scientific miracle. Because to the average person (especially a 7th century Arab with no formal education), a "shooting star" seems to just be a normal star from what the naked eye can see. That the Qur'an makes distinctions (different words for the different entities) shows a foreknowledge that they are not the same, that the shooting star is different from a star. SubhanAllah!

Answer 2

You are equating Scientific and Quranic terminology which is wrong. At the time and place of the revelation of the Quran: the planets, the plasma balls they revolve around, comets, moons, meteorites and stellar flares would all be categorized under "stars" and anything that was illuminated could be poetically be called a lamp, regardless of whether the source of the light was atomic fission\fusion, reflection, combustion or something else.

With that said, the stars (plasma balls and planets) are not thrown themselves and do not pursue the devils. What pursues the devils is a شهب (flame) as detailed in several other places in the Quran:

إِلَّا مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُّبِينٌ

Except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame.

^15:18

إِلَّا مَنْ خَطِفَ الْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ

Except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but they are pursued by a burning flame, piercing [in brightness].

^37:10

وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبًا

And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames.

^72:8

وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ ۖ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الْآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَابًا رَّصَدًا

And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.

^72:9

The Quran also says that the stars help us in navigation:

And it is He who placed for you the stars that you may be guided by them through the darknesses of the land and sea. We have detailed the signs for a people who know.

^6:97

And this would be for naught if they would be thrown about randomly to chase away the the devils.

Below I am quoting two classic tafsirs of 67:5 from Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir.

They were written circa 1200-1300 C.E so the question shouldn't arise of them twisting interpretations in light of modern scientific knowledge. They were also knowledgeable in Arabic, the style of the Quran, the rules of Tafsir and knowledge of Hadith and tradition, so their view should be more authoritative than us arguing linguistics.

Tafsir Qurtubi states that:

قوله تعالى: { وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ } جمع مصباح وهو السراج. وتُسَمَّى الكواكب مصابيح لإضاءتها. { وَجَعَلْنَاهَا رُجُوماً } أي جعلنا شُهُبَهَا؛ فحذف المضاف. دليلُه { إِلاَّ مَنْ خَطِفَ ٱلْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ } [الصافات:10] وعلى هذا فالمصابيح لا تزول ولا يرجم بها. وقيل: إن الضمير راجع إلى المصابيح على أن الرجم من أنفس الكواكب، ولا يسقط الكوكب نفسه إنما ينفصل منه شيء يرجم به من غير أن ينقص ضوءه ولا صورته. قاله أبو عليّ جواباً لمن قال: كيف تكون زينة وهي رجوم لا تبقى

The pronoun of جَعَلْنَاهَا applies to شُهُبَهَا which is a حذف المضاف and the evidence for this is Surah As-Saffat verse# 10 and the stars themselves do not cease or decline nor are they stoned with (وعلى هذا فالمصابيح لا تزول ولا يرجم بها). And if it applies to the stars, it applies to their نفس and means that the star itself doesn't move but a part of them separates and is stoned with and neither does its light dwindle nor does its shape change.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir states that:

وقوله تعالى { وَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا رُجُوماً لِّلشَّيَـٰطِينِ } عاد الضمير في قوله وجعلناها، على جنس المصابيح، لا على عينها لأنه لا يرمي بالكواكب التي في السماء، بل بشهب من دونها

The pronoun of جعلناها refers to the genus of مصابيح and not all of them, and the stars of the heavens are not all used to stone the devils but the شهب are.

Answer 3

There is proportionality throughout the universe. and we even came to know that gravitational waves exist. so if our star (sun) were to disappear one day it would disrupt the design and we wont exist (because gravity). in such a case how could stars be thrown at the devils?

Are you saying that the verse means that the sun is actually thrown at the devils? If so, then you are wrong. The word used here is masabih which is the plural of misbah so it cant mean the sun.

Even when quran gives us a clear idea why it has to refer star, i couldnt understand how scholars could interpretate it as shooting stars. scholars trying to interpret it as shooting star seems to me like they are just convincing people by lying.

so how could stars be thrown at devils?

Scholars who interpreted it as a shooting star are not convincing people by lying, they just know Arabic and you dont.

Ibn Kathir says :

The pronoun `them' in His statement, "and We have made them'' is the same type of statement as the stars being referred to as lamps. This does not mean that they are actually missiles, because the stars in the sky are not thrown. Rather, it is the meteors beneath them that are thrown and they are taken from the stars.

Here are some verses describing how it is done:

In Surah Al-Hijr verse 18:

Except one who steals a hearing and is pursued by a clear burning flame.

In Surah As-Saffat verse 10:

Except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but they are pursued by a burning flame, piercing [in brightness].

And the best one in Surah Al-Jinn verse 8-9:

And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him.

A hadith :

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When Allah has ordained some affair in the Heaven, the angels beat with their wings in obedience to His statement, which sounds like a chain dragged over a rock." (`Ali and other sub-narrators said, "The sound reaches them.") "Until when fear is banished from their (angels) hearts, they (angels) say, 'What was it that your Lord said? They say, 'The truth; And He is the Most High, the Most Great.' (34.23) Then those who gain a hearing by stealing (i.e. devils) will hear Allah's Statement:-- 'Those who gain a hearing by stealing, (stand one over the other like this). (Sufyan, to illustrate this, spread the fingers of his right hand and placed them one over the other horizontally.) A flame may overtake and burn the eavesdropper before conveying the news to the one below him; or it may not overtake him till he has conveyed it to the one below him, who in his turn, conveys it to the one below him, and so on till they convey the news to the earth. (Or probably Sufyan said, "Till the news reaches the earth.") Then the news is inspired to a sorcerer who would add a hundred lies to it. His prophecy will prove true (as far as the heavenly news is concerned). The people will say. 'Didn't he tell us that on such-and-such a day, such-and-such a thing will happen? We have found that is true because of the true news heard from heaven."

So by now I hope it is clear that a burning flame/shooting star (resulting from the planets and comets) is what is thrown at the devils.

And Allah knows best!

Answer 4

Actually, stars or contents thereof being thrown at devils makes more sense than meteors being thrown at devils.

From the Islamic perspective a devil can be any being, information, data, event, etc which casts doubt in the uma or mumin's mind or heart about the existence, oneness, mercy, beneficence, etc of Allah.

Recent data from experiments at the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) have revealed that the universe should not exist. The LHC is the largest and most expensive science project in history on earth. By accelerating protons and anti-protons to enormous energies and then smashing them into each other, they collect data to try and piece together what happened at the first few microseconds of the big bang. As you already know, the Quran mentions the big bang at 21:30.

This devilish recent data from the LHC shows that matter Anti-Matter symmetry would have been preserved as the Higgs field first came into existence. This would have happened in the first few microseconds of the big bang. Since matter and Anti-Matter came into being in exactly equal amounts, they would have annihilated each other a short time later leaving no mass to form the universe. The Quran tells us in numerous ayas that matter and anti-matter and other things are created in opposite pairs; male-female, dark-light, heat-cold, positive-negative, up-down, hayir (good)- sher (bad), and much more.

So the experimental data, as a devil, is telling us that the universe should not exist. What is coming out of stars that is thrown at this devil? This devil that tells us the universe should not exist.

Alot of things are thrown out of stars but if we are referring to normal stars like our sun and not exotic stuff like supernovas, black holes, neutron stars, etc. We can categorize them into 3

Cosmic ray particles

Photons (electromagnetic radiation)

Neutrinos

Neutrinos are thrown out of stars in huge proportions. 60 billion solar neutrinos pass through an area the size of our thumb (1 cm 2) every second. Unlike photons which are stopped by mass, neutrinos go right through everything since they do not interact with matter except some forms of weak nuclear force reactions.

Anti-matter can be created by neutrinos. In fact this reaction is the only time anti-matter is not created in pair with matter, as is the case when an electron positron pair are created when a gamma ray photon of sufficient energy brazes an atom.

Ettore Majorana theorized that the neutrino can form it's own anti-particle. Scientists in Spain are trying to observe neutrinoless double beta decay of Xenon atoms which would prove that neutrinos indeed form their own anti-particles or anti-neutrinos.

If they succeed, then we would know why matter-antimatter symmetry was not necessarily preserved during the big-bang or otherwise.

So the neutrino would then be what the aya in mention is referring to that is being thrown at these devils. These devils would otherwise confuse mankind about Allah and his creation.

Answer 5

Walaikum Salam,

Brother u have already given the answer yourself when u say that it talks about pulsars.

Some translators translates it as follows:

"And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze."

If u translate the word مَصَابِيحَ u won't find it in the dictionary as star of sun. U will only find it as lamps. And this question is also asked by non-Muslims and they give the reply themselves. I took the literal meaning from them. And it follows: And certainly We have beautified the heaven (ٱلسَّمَآءَ, as-samaa'a) nearest (ٱلدُّنْيَا, ad-dunyaa) with lamps (بِمَصَٰبِيحَ, bi-masaabeeh) and We have made them (as) missiles (رُجُومًا, rujooman) for the devils, and We have prepared for them Blaze.[3]

Now literal translation from non Muslim who are trying to prove the Quran wrong are saying, "we have made them 'as' missiles for the devils."

Now lamp can mean star or sun. It can also mean pulsar as u probably know what they are. And pulsars do omit radiation beam that can be counted as missiles. So Quran says made lamps adornment and missile. So the Quran is 100% right.

What they say as a mistake is actually a miracle. Pay attention Quran talking about a star type thing that can throw missile. How can this not come from something super natural?

Things that are happening in the world, it is normal to question ur faith. But may Allah help and protect u. Ameen

Answer 6

Bissmillah al Rahman al Raheem... To answer your question I'll use the word "deen" in the Quran. Typically translated as " religion" , but also has many meanings.

1. ‘Deen’ as a Law of an Authority

The term ‘Deen’ has been used in the Quran in the phrase ‘deen-il-malik’ (دینِ المَلِکِ), which means ‘King’s Law’ [2].

مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِي دِينِ الْمَلِكِ

2. ‘Deen’ as Obedience to (the Law of) an Authority

The Arabic phrase دَانَ لَہُ  means ‘He was, or became, obedient to him’[3]. When the preposition ‘la’ or laam’ ل is used with the word Deen, it mostly refers to ‘obedience’ to (the law of) an authority. It has been described at various places in the Quran that the ultimate obedience is only to Allah[4] الدِّینُ لِلّہ   or لَہُ الدِّین . The Quran says that Allah alone deserves the sincere and pure (خالص) obedience[5].

3. ‘Deen’ as Requital (according to a Law)

The Quran has used the nominative plural passive participle form ‘madeenun’ (مدینون) of the root of the word ‘Deen’ to refer to ‘requital’ or ‘reward & punishment’. 

أَإِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَإِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ

[

4. ‘Deen’ as a Way of Life

The term ‘Deen’ has also been used in the Quran to refer to a way of life (according to some customs & traditions or according to a law). 

لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ

5. ‘Deen’ as reckoning, counting or calculation

The term ‘Deen’ may also refer to reckoning, counting or calculation (according to the Divine Law)۔

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ

6. ‘Deen’ as a Complete Code of Life or System of GovernanceThe Quran says that the (true) way of life or system of governance (Ad-Deen) [7] in the sight of Allah is Al-Islam (i.e. Submission to His Laws).  

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ

Also the word "Rubb"..typically translated as " Lord" has a much deeper meaning in the Arabic.

Answer 7

Assalam o ALaikum... Brother, There's a phenomena called CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) go check that out, the video about CME is available on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWjtYSRlOUI) and Nasa's website. When Quran says " And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with lamps and have made them thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.' [QURAN 67:5] It is not referring to PULSARS but Coronal Mass Ejections. And you can see in the video (link above) that part of star's material(Plasma) is thrown like a bullet from a rifle. For more explanation watch this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW8Rsil0lqk

Regards