The Prophet’s Supplication That Quraysh Be Struck with a Drought

Al-Aʿmash related from Abū Ḍaḥḥā, from Masrūq, who said: While a man was addressing the people in the mosque he quoted the verse, “On the Day when the sky will bring forth a clear smoke” (Q 44:10), and went on to say, “That smoke will appear on the Day of Resurrection: it will seize the ears and eyes of the hypocrites, whereas for the believers it will be no more than a mild head-cold.”

We therefore rose and went in to ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd and informed him of what had been said. He replied, “People, whoever among you possesses knowledge should speak according to it, and whoever does not know should say, ‘Allah knows best.’ Part of knowledge is that when the scholar is ignorant of something he says, ‘Allah knows best.’ Allah said to His Messenger: ‘Say, I ask of you no wage for this, nor am I one of those who invent’ (Q 38:86).

“Now I shall tell you about the smoke. When Quraysh defied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and delayed embracing Islam, he said, ‘O Allah, help me against them with seven years (of drought) like the seven of Joseph.’ A famine befell them that consumed everything, until they ate carrion and the dead. One of them would look toward the sky and, from sheer hunger, see something that looked like smoke. Then they pleaded and the punishment was lifted from them—just as they said, ‘Our Lord, remove the torment from us; indeed we are believers’ (Q 44:12).

“ʿAbd Allāh then recited, ‘We shall indeed remove the punishment for a little while; but surely you will revert’ (Q 44:15), and added: ‘They did revert and disbelieve, so they were postponed until the Day of Badr: “The Day We strike with the greatest blow” (Q 44:16).’ ʿAbd Allāh said, ‘That was the Day of Badr, when He took vengeance on them.’ This report is agreed upon.

ʿAlī ibn Thābit al-Dahhān—d. 219 AH—said: We were informed by Asbāṭ ibn Naṣr, from Manṣūr, from Abū Ḍaḥḥā, from Masrūq, from