“Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke (10), enveloping the people. This is a painful punishment (11). ‘Our Lord, remove from us the punishment; indeed, we are believers’ (12).”

Concerning His words, “Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke,” they differed regarding this smoke.

‘Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Kathir narrated to us from Sufyan, who narrated to us from Mansur and al-A‘mash, from Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, who said:

While a man was speaking among Kinda, he said, “On the Day of Resurrection, a smoke will come and seize the hearing and sight of the hypocrites, while it will affect the believer like a cold.” (1) We were alarmed, so I went to Ibn Mas‘ud, who had been reclining. He became angry and sat up, saying, “Whoever knows should speak, and whoever does not know should say, ‘Allah knows best.’ Part of knowledge is to say, concerning what one does not know, ‘I do not know.’ For Allah said to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: ‘Say: I do not ask you for it any payment, nor am I one of those who put on pretence’ (Sad 86).

“When Quraysh were slow to accept Islam, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, supplicated against them, saying, ‘O Allah, aid me against them with seven years like Joseph’s seven.’ A famine then struck them until they were devastated by it, and they ate carrion and bones. A man would see what was between the sky and the earth as though it were smoke. Abu Sufyan then came and said, ‘Muhammad, you came commanding that kinship ties be maintained, yet your people have perished; so pray to Allah for them.’ He then recited: ‘Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke,’ up to His words, ‘Indeed, you will return.’ Would the punishment of the Hereafter be removed from them once it came? Then they returned to their disbelief. That is His saying: ‘The Day We will seize with the greatest seizure’—meaning the day of Badr—and ‘the inevitable punishment,’ meaning the day of Badr. ‘Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated’ ... ‘but they, after their defeat, will overcome’ (al-Rum 3): the matter of the Romans has already passed.” (2)

Muhammad ibn Isma‘il also narrated it from Yahya, from Waki‘, from al-A‘mash, who said: They said, “Our Lord, remove from us the punishment; indeed, we are believers.” It was said to him, “If We remove it from them, they will return to their disbelief.” So he prayed to his Lord, and Allah removed it from them; but they returned, and Allah took vengeance upon them on the day of Badr. That is His saying: “Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke,” up to His words, “Indeed, We will take vengeance.” (3)

‘Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Yahya narrated to us; Waki‘ narrated to us from al-A‘mash, from Muslim, from Masruq, from ‘Abd Allah, who said: “Five things have already passed: the inevitable punishment, the Romans, the great seizure, the moon, and the smoke.” (4)

Others said that it is a smoke which will come before the Hour is established and has not yet come. It will enter the ears of the disbelievers and hypocrites until one’s head becomes like a roasted head, while it will affect the believer like a cold. The whole earth will be like a house in which a fire has been kindled. This was the view of Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn ‘Umar, and al-Hasan. (5)