—by Ibn Masʿūd, who refuted him. Rather, the Smoke will appear before the Day of Resurrection, just as the other portents will appear: the Beast, the Antichrist, and Gog and Magog. This is borne out by the ḥadīths related from Abū Sarīḥah, Abū Hurayrah, and other Companions, in which the matter is stated explicitly.

As for the Fire that will precede the Hour, the sound reports state that

“It will emerge from the depths of ʿAdan, driving the people toward the place of gathering. It will pass the night where they pass the night, rest at noon where they rest, and it will devour anyone who falls behind.” ⦗1⦘

Concerning the thunderbolts that will strike when the Hour is near
Imām Aḥmad relates—Muḥammad ibn Muṣʿab told us, ʿUmārah told us, from Abū Naḍrah, from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Thunderbolts will increase as the Hour approaches, until a man will come to a group and ask, ‘Who among you was struck by lightning this morning?’ and they will answer, ‘So-and-so and so-and-so were struck.’” ⦗2⦘

Imām Aḥmad also reports—Abū al-Mughīrah narrated to us, Arṭāh—meaning Ibn al-Mundhir—narrated: I heard Ḍamrah ibn Ḥabīb, who heard Salamah ibn Nufayl al-Sakūnī, say:

We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when someone asked, “Messenger of Allah, have you been given any food from heaven?” He replied, “Yes.” The man asked, “What was it?” He said, “A sakhīnah ⦗3⦘.”

The man asked, “Was there any of it left over for you?” He said, “Yes.”

The man asked, “What became of it?” He replied,

“It was taken back up, and it has been revealed to me that I will soon be taken away and will not remain among you for long, and you will not remain after me except a little while. You will stay on until you ask, ‘When will it be?’ Then you will come as scattered bands, each destroying the other. Immediately before the Hour there will be a severe mortality, and after it there will be years of earthquakes.” ⦗4⦘

Concerning the heavy rain that will fall before the Day of Resurrection
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Bazzār records in his Musnad: Isḥāq told us, Khālid told us, from Suhayl, from his father, from Abū Hurayrah, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared:

“The Hour will not be established until the sky pours down a rain from which no brick-built house will remain protected; only tents of haircloth will afford any shelter.” ⦗5⦘