Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (24/264)

and his uvula and throat. Yet he may at the same time be glorifying the Lord, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.

Thunder, then, is a sound that drives the clouds along. Likewise, lightning has been described as the gleam of water or the flash of fire. Its being the flash of fire or the gleam of water does not preclude the flashing object from being a whip in the angel’s hand. For the fire flashing in the angel’s hand is like a whip, like that of one who drives the rain along. The angel drives the clouds along just as a driver urges his mounts onward.

Earthquakes are among the signs by which Allah strikes fear into His servants, just as He does through eclipses and other signs. Events have causes and wise purposes; their being signs by which Allah strikes fear into His servants is one such wise purpose.

As for their causes, one is the compression of vapour within the earth, just as air and water are compressed in a confined space. When compressed, it seeks an outlet, splitting and shaking the nearby earth.

As for some people’s claim that a bull moves its head and thereby moves the earth, this is ignorance, even if it has been reported from some people. Its falsehood is evident: if that were so, the whole earth would shake, whereas that is not the case. And Allah knows best.

وَلَهَاتُهُ وَحَلْقُهُ. وَهُوَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ يَكُونُ مُسَبِّحًا لِلرَّبِّ. وَآمِرًا بِمَعْرُوفِ وَنَاهِيًا عَنْ مُنْكَرٍ. فَالرَّعْدُ إذًا صَوْتٌ يَزْجُرُ السَّحَابَ وَكَذَلِكَ الْبَرْقُ قَدْ قِيلَ: لَمَعَانُ الْمَاءِ أَوْ لَمَعَانُ النَّارِ وَكَوْنُهُ لَمَعَانَ النَّارِ أَوْ الْمَاءِ لَا يُنَافِي أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّامِعُ مِخْرَاقًا بِيَدِ الْمَلَكِ فَإِنَّ النَّارَ الَّتِي تَلْمَعُ بِيَدِ الْمَلَكِ كَالْمِخْرَاقِ مِثْلَ مُزْجِي الْمَطَرِ. وَالْمَلَكُ يُزْجِي السَّحَابَ كَمَا يُزْجِي السَّائِقُ لِلْمَطِيِّ. وَالزَّلَازِلُ مِنْ الْآيَاتِ الَّتِي يُخَوِّفُ اللَّهُ بِهَا عِبَادَهُ كَمَا يُخَوِّفُهُمْ بِالْكُسُوفِ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنْ الْآيَاتِ وَالْحَوَادِثُ لَهَا أَسْبَابٌ وَحِكَمٌ فَكَوْنُهَا آيَةً يُخَوِّفُ اللَّهُ بِهَا عِبَادَهُ هِيَ مِنْ حِكْمَةِ ذَلِكَ. وَأَمَّا أَسْبَابُهُ: فَمِنْ أَسْبَابِهِ انْضِغَاطُ الْبُخَارِ فِي جَوْفِ الْأَرْضِ كَمَا يَنْضَغِطُ الرِّيحُ وَالْمَاءُ فِي الْمَكَانِ الضَّيِّقِ فَإِذَا انْضَغَطَ طَلَبَ مَخْرَجًا فَيَشُقُّ وَيُزَلْزِلُ مَا قَرُبَ مِنْهُ مِنْ الْأَرْضِ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُ بَعْضِ النَّاسِ: إنَّ الثَّوْرَ يُحَرِّكُ رَأْسَهُ فَيُحَرِّكُ الْأَرْضَ فَهَذَا جَهْلٌ وَإِنْ نُقِلَ عَنْ بَعْضِ النَّاسِ وَبُطْلَانَهُ ظَاهِرٌ فَإِنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ لَكَانَتْ الْأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا تُزَلْزَلُ وَلَيْسَ الْأَمْرُ كَذَلِكَ وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.