47/14. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3117 — Thunder, Angels, and Allah's Command
Regarding Surat Ar-Ra'd
Hadith About Thunder Being an Angel
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 3117
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 3117
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ، وَكَانَ، يَكُونُ فِي بَنِي عِجْلٍ عَنْ بُكَيْرِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ أَقْبَلَتْ يَهُودُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ أَخْبِرْنَا عَنِ الرَّعْدِ مَا هُوَ قَالَ " مَلَكٌ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ مُوَكَّلٌ بِالسَّحَابِ مَعَهُ مَخَارِيقُ مِنْ نَارٍ يَسُوقُ بِهَا السَّحَابَ حَيْثُ شَاءَ اللَّهُ " . فَقَالُوا فَمَا هَذَا الصَّوْتُ الَّذِي نَسْمَعُ قَالَ " زَجْرُهُ بِالسَّحَابِ إِذَا زَجَرَهُ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ إِلَى حَيْثُ أُمِرَ " . قَالُوا صَدَقْتَ فَأَخْبِرْنَا عَمَّا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ قَالَ " اشْتَكَى عِرْقَ النَّسَا فَلَمْ يَجِدْ شَيْئًا يُلاَئِمُهُ إِلاَّ لُحُومَ الإِبِلِ وَأَلْبَانَهَا فَلِذَلِكَ حَرَّمَهَا " . قَالُوا صَدَقْتَ . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Jews Came To The Prophet (ﷺ) And Said: 'O Abul-Qasim! Inform Us About The Thunder, What Is It?' He Said: 'An Angel Among The Angels, Who Is Responsible For The Clouds. He Has A Piece Of Fire Wherever That He Drives The Clouds Wherever Allah Wills.' They Said: 'Then What Is This Noise We Hear?' He Said: 'It Is Him, Striking The Clouds When He Drives Them On, Until It Goes Where It Is Ordered.' They Said: 'You Have Told The Truth.'They Said: 'Then Inform Us About What Isra'Il Made Unlawful For Himself.' He Said: 'He Suffered From Sciatica, And He Could Not Find Anything Agreeable Due To It (To Consume) Except For Camel Meat And Its Milk. So For That Reason He Made It Unlawful.' They Said: 'You Have Told The Truth.'
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3117In-book reference : Book 47, Hadith 169English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3117
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3117
This Hadith about thunder being an angel records questions asked by the Jews to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. They asked what thunder is, and he answered that it is an angel among the angels who is responsible for the clouds. He has a piece of fire and drives the clouds wherever Allah wills. They then asked about the sound, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said it is his striking or driving of the clouds until they go where they are ordered. They also asked what Isra'il made unlawful for himself, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said he suffered from sciatica and found nothing agreeable except camel meat and milk, so he made them unlawful. The Hadith is about unseen matters answered by revelation.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم answered the question about thunder as a matter of the unseen.
- The clouds move by Allah's will and command, as the narration states.
- The sound of thunder is explained in the Hadith as the angel driving the clouds.
- The Hadith also answers why Isra'il made camel meat and milk unlawful for himself.
