عَن أبي هُرَيْرَة أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ الْأَمْرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ضَرَبَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا خُضْعَانًا لِقَوْلِهِ كَأَنَّهُ سِلْسِلَةٌ عَلَى صَفْوَانٍ فَإِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا: مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟ قَالُوا: لِلَّذِي قَالَ الْحَقَّ وهوَ العليُّ الكبيرُ فَسَمعَهَا مُسترِقوا السَّمعِ ومُسترقوا السَّمْعِ هَكَذَا بَعْضُهُ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ «وَوَصَفَ سُفْيَانُ بِكَفِّهِ فَحَرَّفَهَا وَبَدَّدَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ» فَيَسْمَعُ الْكَلِمَةَ فَيُلْقِيهَا إِلَى مَنْ تَحْتَهُ ثُمَّ يُلْقِيهَا الْآخَرُ إِلَى مَنْ تَحْتَهُ حَتَّى يُلْقِيَهَا عَلَى لِسَانِ السَّاحِرِ أَوِ الْكَاهِنِ. فَرُبَّمَا أَدْرَكَ الشِّهَابُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُلْقِيَهَا وَرُبَّمَا أَلْقَاهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَهُ فكذب مَعَهَا مِائَةَ كَذْبَةٍ فَيُقَالُ: أَلَيْسَ قَدْ قَالَ لَنَا يَوْمَ كَذَا وَكَذَا: كَذَا وَكَذَا؟ فَيَصْدُقُ بِتِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةِ الَّتِي سُمِعَتْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ ". رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

“When God decrees a matter in heaven the angels move their wings in submission to His word which is like a chain on a smooth stone. Then when their hearts are delivered from fear they say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ and receive the reply, ‘That which He said is the truth and He is the Most High and the Most Great.’ Then those who listen by stealth hear it, and they are thus, some above others (Sufyan* illustrating it with the palm of his hand, turning it and separating the fingers). Then one hears the word and passes it on to the one who is below him and the other passes it on to the one who is below him, and so on till one passes it on the tongue of the magician or the kahin. Often a flame catches him before he passes it on,** but often he passes it on before it catches him, and he tells a hundred lies along with it. People ask whether he did not say such and such on such and such a day, and he is believed because of that word which was heard from heaven." Bukhari transmitted it. * i.e, Sufyan b. ‘Uyaina through whom the tradition was transmitted. ** Cf. Qur’an, 15: 18