1. Mythological Etiology:
The text describes thunder as a conscious entity that "exalts" God. Polemically, this replaces the mechanical reality of atmospheric electricity and shockwaves with mythological etiology, attributing spiritual consciousness to a physical acoustic phenomenon.
2. Preserved Animistic Folklore:
Classical commentaries (Tirmidhi 3117) clarify the text by defining thunder as an angel driving clouds with a fiery whip. The text absorbs and canonizes ancient, unscientific animistic folklore rather than reflecting accurate meteorological facts.
3. Pre-Scientific Realism:
By treating lightning and thunderbolts as direct, individualized divine strikes rather than predictable physical laws, the text isolates itself from modern science. It aligns perfectly with 7th-century storm-god narratives instead of divine omniscience.
The Quran Verse
Surah 13:13:
And the thunder exalts with praise of Him—and the angels from fear of Him—and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills...
In this verse, thunder is not described as a purely physical acoustic effect of lightning (atmospheric electricity); it is described as a conscious being or an event that "exalts" God.
The Hadith Connection:
To clarify this verse, many classical commentators point to the Hadith (Tirmidhi 3117) where Muhammad identifies thunder as the voice of an angel driving the clouds with a whip of fire.
For the modern critic, this is a clear case of "mythological etiology"—attributing personality and divine intent to a mechanical process of physics. It aligns more with ancient storm-god narratives than with modern meteorological reality.