1. Lightning is radiant light.
Hafidh Ibn Kathir rahimahullah said:
“Allah states that He has full power over al-Barq (lighting), which is the bright radiant light that originates from within clouds”
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir surah R’ad]
2. Lightning is what Ra’d [the Angel known as Thunder] carries with him
Imam al-Qurtubi rahimahullah said:
فروي عن علي وابن مسعود وابن عباس رضوان الله عليهم : البرق مخراق حديد بيد الملك يسوق به السحاب . قلت : وهو الظاهر من حديث الترمذي
“It was reported from Ali, Ibn Mas’ud, and Ibn ‘Abbas radiallahu anhum that lightning is a piece of iron in the hand of an angel which he drives the clouds with. I (al-Qurtubi) say (that) this is what is apparent from the Hadith in Tirmidhi
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi]
The Hadith he is referring to is the following:
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
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 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.'”
[Saheeh Tirmidhi no. 3117]
3. Lightning is the smile of the clouds!
The Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam said:
إِنَّ اللهَ يُنْشِىءُ السَّحَابَ فَيَنْطِقُ أَحْسَنَ النُّطْقِ، وَيَضْحَكُ أَحْسَنَ الضَّحِك
Verily, Allah originates the clouds, and they speak in the most beautiful voice and laugh in the most beautiful manner.
[Saheeh Musnad of Imam al-Waad’iee no. 1526]
Hafidh Ibn Kathir rahimahullah said:
“It appears, and Allah has the best knowledge, that the cloud’s voice is in reference to thunder and its laughter is the lightning”
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir surah R’ad]
Subhanallah! Even the clouds laugh! I always was interested to know the meaning of this Hadith. And when I checked it, it was even more interesting.
4. Lightning is a source of fear and hope
Allah, the Exalted said:
هُوَ الَّذِى يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا
It is He who shows you the lightning, as a fear (for travelers) and as a hope (for those who wait for rain).
[13:12]
Imam al-Qurtubi rahimahullah said:
“He shows you lightning as fear for the travelers for they fear its harm from rain, severity, and thunder bolts…hope for the residents of rain coming after it and fertilization”
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi]
5. Lightning is not the same as thunderbolts. Thunderbolts are what hit the earth and people as a form as punishment.
Allah says:
He sends the thunderbolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills,
[13:13]
Hafidh Ibn Kathir rahimahullah said:
“He sends them as a punishment to punish whom He wills” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
An example of that punishment comes in the following Hadith:
أرسلَ رسولُ اللَّهِ رجلًا مِن أصحابِهِ إلى رأسِ المشرِكينَ يَدعوهُ إلى اللَّهِ تعالى فقالَ المشرِكُ هذا الَّذي تَدعوني إليهِ من ذَهَبٍ أو فضَّةٍ أو نُحاسٍ فتعاظمَ مقالتُهُ في صدرِ رَسولِ رسولِ اللَّهِ فرجعَ إلى رسولِ اللَّهِ فأخبرَهُ فقالَ ارجِع إليهِ . فرجعَ إليهِ بمثلِ ذلِكَ وأرسلَ اللَّهُ علَيهِ صاعقةً منَ السَّماءِ فأَهْلَكَتهُ ورسولُ رسولِ اللَّهِ في الطَّريقِ فقال لا يَدري فقالَ لهُ النَّبيُّ إنَّ اللَّهَ قد أَهْلَكَ صاحبَكَ بعدَكَ . ونزلَت علَى رسولِ اللَّهِ وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ
The Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam sent a man from the Companions to a man from the polytheists to call him to Allah. So the polytheist said ‘The one whom you call me to is He made of gold or silver or brass?’ So his speech was great in the chest of the messenger of the Messenger of Allah sallahu alayhi wa salam, so he returned to the Messenger of Allah and informed him. So he told him to go back. So he returned to him and the man said the same. So Allah sent a thunderbolt from the sky and it killed him. So the Messenger of the Messenger of Allah sallahu alayhi wa salam was in the street and he did not know. So the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam said to him, ‘your companion has been killed after you., Then Allah revealed to the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam:
He sends the thunderbolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills
[13:13]
[Reported by Ibn Abi ‘Asim and others. Graded Saheeh by al-Albani in Takhreej Kitab us-Sunnah no. 692]
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Some etiquettes when there is lightning and thunder
1. Read the following Dua to protect against the harm of lightning and thunder
Proof:
عن عبد الله بن عباس قال : كنا مع عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه في سفر فأصابنا رعد وبرق وبرد ، فقال لنا كعب : من قال حين يسمع الرعد : سبحان من يسبح الرعد بحمده والملائكة من خيفته ثلاثا عوفي مما يكون في ذلك الرعد ، قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما : فقلنا فعوفينا ، ثم لقيت عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه في بعض الطريق فإذا بردة أصابت أنفه فأثرت به فقلت : يا أمير المؤمنين ما هذا ؟ فقال : بردة أصابت أنفي فأثرت بي ، فقلت : إن كعبا حين سمع الرعد قال لنا : من قال حين يسمع الرعد : سبحان من يسبح الرعد بحمده والملائكة من خيفته عوفي مما يكون في ذلك الرعد ، فقلنا فعوفينا ، فقال عمر رضي الله عنه : فهلا أعلمتمونا حتى نقوله
Abdullah Ibn Abbas radiallahu anahumma said: “We were with Umar ibn al-Khattab radiallahu anhu on a travel and thunder, lightning, and cold afflicted us. So Ka’ab said to us, “Whoever says when he hears thunder
سبحان من يسبح الرعد بحمده والملائكة من خيفته
‘Subhanallah from Ar-Ra’d(thunder) glorifies and praises Him, and so do the angels because of His Awe,’
three times, he will be protected from what is in that thunder.” So Ibn Abbas radiallahu anahumma said, ‘so we said it and we were protected. Then I met Umar ibn al-Khattab radiallahu anhumma in some of the streets and the cold afflicted his nose and affected it. So I said, ‘Oh Commander of the Believers, what is this?’ He said, ‘the cold affected my nose.’ So I said, Ka’ab said ‘whoever says when there is thunder:
سبحان من يسبح الرعد بحمده والملائكة من خيفته
Subhanallah from Ar-Ra’d(thunder) glorifies and praises Him, and so do the angels because of His Awe,
will be protected from what is in that thunder.” So we said it and we were protected. So Umar radiallahu anhu said, ‘Why did he not teach us so that we can say it?”
[Reported by Ibn Abi Dunya in Kitab Matr, Ra’d, wa Barq no. 104 and graded Hasan by Hafidh Ibn Hajr as mentioned by Ibn ‘Allan in Futuhaat ar-Rabaaniyyah (4/286)]
2. Keeping Silent when Thunder is Heard
Proof:
عن عبدِ اللهِ بنِ الزُّبَيرِ أنَّه كان إذا سمِعَ الرَّعدَ تركَ الحديثَ وقال : سبحان الَّذي { يُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ } [ الرعد : 13 ] ثمَّ يقولُ : إنَّ هذا لوعيدٌ شديدٌ لأهلِ الأرضِ
Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr would stop speaking when he heard thunder and say,
“Glory be to Allah whom the thunder glorifies with His praise and the angels from the fear of Him.
[13:13 in the Quran]
Then he would say, “This is a severe warning to the people of the earth.”
[Saheeh Adab Mufrad no. 556]
And Allah Knows Best
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
