The Sound Of Thunder

Question: Is thunder the sound of Mālik, gatekeeper of Hellfire? Sheikh Abdulhameed Az-Zu'kari: "No. Who said this? There is no authentic or weak narration to support this claim. Rather, it comes in a hadith (1) which some of the scholars grade (hasan), and it is found in الصحيح المسند في أسباب النزول belonging to our Sheikh Muqbil rahimahullah, stating that thunder is the sound of the angel when he drives the clouds." ___ (1) عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رضي الله عنهما قَالَ أَقْبَلَتْ يَهُودُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ أَخْبِرْنَا عَنِ الرَّعْدِ مَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ: ‏((مَلَكٌ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ مُوَكَّلٌ بِالسَّحَابِ مَعَهُ مَخَارِيقُ مِنْ نَارٍ يَسُوقُ بِهَا السَّحَابَ حَيْثُ شَاءَ اللهُ)).‏ فَقَالُوا فَمَا هَذَا الصَّوْتُ الَّذِي نَسْمَعُ؟ قَالَ: ((زَجْرُهُ بِالسَّحَابِ إِذَا زَجَرَهُ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ إِلَى حَيْثُ أُمِرَ)).‏ قَالُوا صَدَقْتَ... Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: "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 with which 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.' [Jami` at-Tirmidhi, 3117] Hasan (Darussalam)