Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting with some of his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all), when suddenly a large star shot across and became bright. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When this used to happen in the time of ignorance, what would you say?" The people replied, "We used to say that either a great man has been born or a great man has died." (The narrator says: I asked Imam Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him): Were stars also shot in the time of ignorance? He said: Yes! But after the Prophet's (peace be upon him) mission, it became more severe.) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The shooting of stars does not happen because of anyone's death or life. The real matter is that when our Lord decides upon a matter, the angels who carry the Throne begin to glorify Him. Hearing their glorification, those of the nearest heaven also begin to glorify, and so on, until this reaches the heaven of the world. Then the angels of this heaven—who are close to the bearers of the Throne—ask them: 'What has your Lord said?' They inform them, and thus each heaven's angels inform those of the next, until this news reaches the angels of the lowest heaven. From there, the jinn snatch one or two words, and upon them these stars are thrown. Now, whatever they convey correctly, that proves true, but most of the time they add something from themselves."