Allah tells us that He has adorned the lowest heaven with the heavenly bodies
for those among the people of the earth who look at it. The stars and planets in
the sky give light to the people of earth, as Allah says:
[وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا
السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ وَجَعَلْنَـهَا رُجُوماً لِّلشَّيَـطِينِ
وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابَ السَّعِيرِ ]
(And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made
such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the Shayatin, and have prepared for them
the torment of the blazing Fire.) (67:5),
[وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا
فِى السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّـهَا لِلنَّـظِرِينَ - وَحَفِظْنَـهَا مِن كُلِّ
شَيْطَـنٍ رَّجِيمٍ - إِلاَّ مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ
مُّبِينٌ ]
(And indeed, We have put the big stars in the heaven and We beautified it for
the beholders. And We have guarded it from every outcast Shaytan. Except him who
steals the hearing then he is pursued by a clear flaming fire.) (15:16-18). And
Allah says here:
[وَحِفْظاً]
(And to guard) meaning, to protect as it should be protected,
[مِّن كُلِّ
شَيْطَـنٍ مَّارِدٍ]
(against every rebellious Shaytan. ) means, every insolent and impudent
devil, when he wants to eavesdrop (on news in the heavens), a piercing fire
comes and burns him. Allah, may He be glorified, says:
[لاَّ يَسَّمَّعُونَ
إِلَى الْمَلإِ الاٌّعْلَى]
(They cannot listen to the higher group) meaning, they cannot reach the
higher group -- which refers to the heavens and the angels in them -- when they
speak of what has been revealed by Allah of His Laws and decrees. We have
already mentioned this when explaining the Hadiths quoted when we discussed the
Ayah,
[حَتَّى إِذَا
فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُواْ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُواْ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ
الْعَلِىُّ الْكَبِيرُ]
(when fear is banished from their hearts, they say: "What is it that your
Lord has said'' They say: "The truth. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.)
(34:23). Allah says:
[وَيَقْذِفُونَ]
(for they are pelted) meaning, they are hit,
[مِن كُلِّ
جَانِبٍ]
(from every side.) means, from all directions from which they try to reach
the heaven.
[دُحُوراً]
(Outcast,) means, they are rejected, and are repelled and prevented from
reaching it, and they are pelted.
[وَلَهُمْ عَذابٌ
وَاصِبٌ]
(and theirs is a constant torment.) means, in the Hereafter, they will have
an ongoing, everlasting and painful torment, as Allah says:
[وَأَعْتَدْنَا
لَهُمْ عَذَابَ السَّعِيرِ]
(and [We] have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire) (67:5).
[إِلاَّ مَنْ خَطِفَ
الْخَطْفَةَ]
(Except such as snatch away something by stealing,) means, except for the one
among the Shayatin who manages to get something, which is a word he has heard
from the heaven. Then he throws it down to the one who is beneath him, who in
turn throws it down to the one who is beneath him. Perhaps the flaming fire will
strike him before he is able to throw it down, or perhaps he will throw it -- by
the decree of Allah -- before the flaming fire strikes him and burns him. So the
other devil takes it to the soothsayer, as we have seen previously in the
Hadith. Allah says:
[إِلاَّ مَنْ خَطِفَ
الْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ ]
(Except such as snatch away something by stealing, and they are pursued by a
flaming fire of piercing brightness.) meaning, shining brightly. Ibn Jarir
recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Shayatin had
places where they sat in the heavens listening to what was being revealed by
Allah. The stars did not move and the Shayatin were not struck. When they heard
the revelation, they would come down to earth and to every word they would add
nine of their own. When the Messenger of Allah was sent, if a Shaytan wanted to
take his seat in the heavens, the flaming fire would come and would not miss
him; it would burn him every time. They complained about this to Iblis, may
Allah curse him, and he said, `Something must have happened.' He sent his troops
out and they found the Messenger of Allah standing in prayer between the two
mountains of Nakhlah.'' -- Waki` said, "This means in the valley of Nakhlah.''
-- "They went back to Iblis and told him about that, and he said, `This is what
has happened.'''
[فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ
أَهُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقاً أَم مَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـهُم مِّن طِينٍ
لاَّزِبٍ - بَلْ عَجِبْتَ وَيَسْخُرُونَ - وَإِذَا ذُكِّرُواْ لاَ يَذْكُرُونَ -
وَإِذَا رَأَوْاْ ءَايَةً يَسْتَسْخِرُونَ - وَقَالُواْ إِن هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ
مُّبِينٌ - أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَـماً أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ
- أَوَ ءَابَآؤُنَا الاٌّوَّلُونَ - قُلْ نَعَمْ وَأَنتُمْ دَخِرُونَ - فَإِنَّمَا
هِىَ زَجْرَةٌ وَحِدَةٌ فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنظُرُونَ ]
(11. Then ask them: "Are they harder to create, or those whom We have
created'' Verily, We created them of a sticky clay.) (12. Nay, you wondered
while they mock.) (13. And when they are reminded, they pay no attention.) (14.
And when they see an Ayah (a sign) from Allah, they mock at it.) (15. And they
say: "This is nothing but evident magic!'') (16. "When we are dead and have
become dust and bones, shall we verily be resurrected'') (17. "And also our
fathers of old'') (18. Say : "Yes, and you shall then be humiliated.'') (19. It
will be a single Zajrah, and behold, they will be staring!)