Chapter: The Smoke (Ad-Dukhan)

We were sitting in the company of Abdullah and he was lying on the bed that a person came and said: Abd Abd al-Rabmin, a story-teller at the gates of Kinda says that the verse (of the Qur'an) which deals with the" smoke" implies that which is about to come and it would hold the breath of the infidels and would inflict the believers with cold. Thereupon Abdullah got up and said in anger. O people, fear Allah and say only that which one knows amongst you and do not say which he does not know and he should simply say: Allah has the best knowledge for He has the best knowledge amongst all of you. It does not behove him to say that which he does not know. Allah has the best knowledge of it. Verily Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said to His Prophet (ﷺ) to state:" I do not ask from you any remuneration and I am not the one to put you in trouble," and when Allah's Mesqenger (ﷺ) saw people turning back (from religion) he said: O Allah, afflict thern with seven famines as was done in the case of Yusuf, so they were afflicted with famine by which they were forced to eat everything until they were obliged to eat the hides and the dead bodies because of hunger, and every one of them looked towards the sky and he found a smoke. And Abu Sufyan came and he said: Muhammad, you have come to command us to obey Allah and cement the ties of blood- relation whereas your people are undone; supplicate Allah for tlicm. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:" Wait for the day when there would be clear smoke from the sky which would envelop people and that would be grievous torivent" up to the words:" you are going to return to (evil)." (if this verse implied the torment of the next life) could the chastisement of the next (life) be averted (as the Qur'an states): On the day when We seize (them) with the most violent seizing; surely We shall exact retribution" (xliv. 16)? The seizing (in the hadith) implies that of the Day of Badr. And so far as the sign of smoke, seizing, inevitability and signs of Rome are concern- ed, they have become things of the past now.

I have left behind in the mosque a man who explains the Qur'an according to his personal discretion and he explained this verse:" So wait for the day when the Heaven brings a clear smoke." He says that a smoke would come to the people on the Day of Resurrection anl it will withhold breath and they would be inflicted with cold. 'Abdullah said: He who has knowledge should say something and he who has no knowledge should simply say: Allah is best aware. This reflects the understanding of a person that he should say about that which he does not know that it is Allah who knows best. The fact is that when the Quraish disobeyed Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) he supplicated Allah that they should be afflicted with famine and starvation as was done in case of Yusuf. And they were so much hard pressed that a person would ace the sky and he would see between him and the sky something like smoke and they were so much hard pressed that they began to cat the bones, and a person came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger. seek forgiveness for the tribe of Mudar for (its people) have been undone. The Messenger (ﷺ) said: For Mudar? You are overbold, but he supplicated Allah for them. It was upon this that this verse was revealed:" We shall remove the chastisement a little, but they will surely return to evil" (xliv. 15). lie (the narrator) said: There was a downpoor of rain upon them. When there was some relief for them they returned to the same position as they had been before, and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse:" So wait for the day when the heaven brings a clear smoke enveloping people. This is a grievous torment on the day when We seize them with the most violent seizing; surely, We shall exact retribution." And this (seizing) implied (Battle) of Badr.

(Enveloping) by the smoke, inevitable (punishment to the Meccans at Badr), (the victory of) Rome, (violent) seizing (of the Meccans at Badr) and (the splitting up of) the Moon.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters.

" We will, surely, make them taste the lesser punishment before the severer punishment (that haply they may return)" (xxxii. 21) imply the torments of the world. (victory of) Rome, seizing (of the Meccans), or smoke. And Shalba was in doubt about seizing or smoke.