"like the parable of the one who kindled a fire" indicated that its meaning is: "like the parable of a rainstorm", He omitted "the parable", and sufficed—by the indication of the preceding speech in His statement: "like the parable of the one who kindled a fire", showing that its meaning is: "or like the parable of a rainstorm"—from repeating the mention of "the parable", seeking brevity and conciseness.
The statement concerning the interpretation of the statement of Him—may His praise be exalted: {In it are darknesses, thunder, and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, in dread of death. And Allah encompasses the disbelievers. (19) The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Whenever it flashes for them, they walk in it; and when it darkens over them, they stand still.}
Abū Ja'far said: As for darknesses, it is a plural, its singular is darkness (ẓulma).
As for thunder, the people of knowledge differed concerning it:
So some of them said: It is an angel that drives the clouds.
419- Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us, he said: Shu'ba narrated to us, from al-Ḥakam, from Mujāhid, he said: Thunder is an angel that drives the clouds with his voice.
420- Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us, he said: Ibn Abī 'Adī narrated to us, from Shu'ba, from al-Ḥakam, from Mujāhid, the same.
421- Yaḥyā ibn Ṭalḥa al-Yarbū'ī narrated to us, he said: Fuḍayl ibn 'Iyāḍ narrated to us, from Layth, from Mujāhid, the same (1).
422- Ya'qūb ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us, he said: Hushaym narrated to us, he said: Ismā'īl ibn Sālim informed us, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, he said: Thunder is an angel among the angels who glorifies Allah (2).
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