The surah details an ancient, mythological explanation for astronomical phenomena, claiming that shooting stars are literal weapons used by God to keep spirits from eavesdropping on heavenly conversations.
Surah 72:8-9:
And we [the jinn] have sought to reach the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames [flaming meteors]. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame waiting for him in ambush."
The Scientific Error:
The text views meteors (shihab) as reactive security projectiles launched in real-time to strike down invisible entities attempting to sneak into the lower sky.
Modern astronomy has long established that meteors are simply rocks, ice, or dust particles entering Earth's atmosphere at high speeds and burning up due to friction. They are regular, predictable physical occurrences resulting from planetary gravity and space debris, not custom-made celestial missiles manufactured on the spot to hunt invisible spirits.