—all of them angels. When the bearers of revelation descended among them they would ask, “What has your Lord said?” They would call back, “Your Lord has said: ‘The Truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great’ ” (Sabaʾ 34:23).

He continued: When the message reached the lowest heaven they would proclaim, “On earth there will be such-and-such deaths, such-and-such births, such-and-such drought, and such-and-such abundance; and this is what He intends to carry out and originate—blessed and exalted is He.” The jinn would then descend and convey to their human allies whatever was to happen on earth.

While matters stood that way, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was sent. The devils were driven away and pelted with shooting stars, so they were barred; anyone who tried to ascend was burned. The people of earth panicked at what they saw happening in the heavens, for nothing like it had occurred before.

They exclaimed, “The dwellers of heaven have perished!” The people of Ṭāʾif were the first to panic: a man would go to his camels and slaughter a camel every day for their idols; a shepherd would slaughter a sheep each day; the owner of cattle would slaughter a cow each day.

Then one man said to them, “Woe to you! Do not destroy your wealth, for your landmarks are…"