All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; may Allaah exalt his mention, as well as his family and all his companions.

There are many signs and evidences proving the Oneness of Allaah and that He is The Creator. This fact is frequently mentioned and substantiated in the Qur’aan, and people accepted this as a fact. On the other hand, those who belied the messengers did not benefit from such signs or evidences.

Allaah revealed some verses to relieve the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and promise him that he would punish those who belied him, and denied the Oneness of Allaah. Allaah says:

بل هم في شك يلعبون * فارتقب يوم تأتى السماء بدخان مبين * يغشى الناس هذا عذاب أليم

which means: “But they (i.e. the disbelievers) are in doubt, amusing themselves. Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible Smoke. Covering the people; this is a painful torment.” [Ad-Dukhaan: 9-11].

Did the Smoke emerge already or is it a future sign?

Did the promise from Allaah to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, to send this smoke as a punishment to those who belied him happen during his lifetime, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, or did it not occur yet?

There are four opinions regarding this issue, two stating that it did happen already, and two believe that it did not and that it is a promise to be fulfilled. The opinions are the following:

1.  It was during the year of the conquest of Makkah.

2.  It happened before that when he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, supplicated against the infidels.

3.  It will be after people are resurrected after the occurrence of the Hour.

4.  It will be at the end of time as a sign preceding the Hour.

1.  Imaam Al-Aloosi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, stated that the opinion which states that it occurred after the conquest of Makkah, is reported to be one which Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him adopted. This opinion entails that the verse used the word Smoke figuratively to indicate the humility and fear that befell the infidels of Quraysh. However, the scholars refuted this opinion since dealing with the verses as being figurative and not literal requires proof, because in principle the texts of the Qur’aan are to be taken as literal. Additionally, no one provided the chain of narrators who narrated this narration on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him.

2.  The opinion of Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, is that this happened when the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam supplicated against the infidels. He, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “When the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saw how people shunned his call, he supplicated against them saying: “O Allaah make them suffer seven years of famine as the people of (Prophet) Yoosuf did”. Thereafter, they suffered drought and starvation until they started eating the flesh of dead animals, and one of them would look up to the sky and see as if smoke was there due to his severe hunger. Abu Sufyaan, may Allaah be pleased with him (who was a disbeliever then) came to him, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and said: `You came commanding people to obey Allaah and to maintain good relations with kinfolk, and your tribe are about to be destroyed, so supplicate Allaah to lift this off them` so he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam supplicated Allaah for them, and rain came and they went back to enjoying a nice life, and resumed resisting his call, so Allaah promised him to punish them with the Smoke” [End of quote].

Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Mujaahid, Abu Al-‘Aaliyah, Ibraaheem An-Nukh’ee, Adh-Dhahhaak, Ibn Jareer, and others, may Allaah have mercy upon them, adopted this same opinion, but this a strange opinion which no other companion adopted with regards to the Smoke” [End of quote].

3.  Imaam Al-Aloosi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, stated that the opinion that the Smoke will be a punishment for the disbelievers in Hell seems to be the predominant one, since this is the used method in the Qur’aan. It threatens the disbelievers and terrifies them from the punishment of the Hereafter. He said that this is proven in verse thirteen after that in which Allaah says:

أَنَّى لَهُمُ الذِّكْرَى وَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُبِينٌ

which means: “How will there be for them a reminder [at that time]? And there had come to them a clear Messenger.” [Ad-Dukhaan: 13]. This will be said to them on the Day of Judgment, and thus proving the Smoke to be in the Hereafter.

4.  There are many evidences proving this opinion, namely the Smoke being one of the signs preceding the Hour. This opinion states that it will not afflict the believer, but rather its effect on him will be as minor as a slight flu, but the disbeliever will swell up. Many of the companions have adopted this opinion, such as ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri and others, may Allaah be pleased with them. It is also the adopted opinion by Al-Hasan Al-Basri and many of the Salaf, may Allaah have mercy upon them. Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The apparent meaning of the text of the Qur’aan is a clear indication that this opinion is the sound and predominant one” [End of quote]. Moreover, this is substantiated by the following narration, Huthayfah Ibn Usayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: “Allaah’s Apostle sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam came out to us one day while we were discussing something and asked: “What are you discussing?” We replied: ‘We are discussing the Last Hour.’ Thereupon, he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The Last Hour will not arrive until ten (preceding) signs appear: The smoke, the Dajjaal (i.e. antichrist) …”” [Muslim]. Imaam An-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “This narration proves that the Smoke being one of the signs preceding the Hour as the predominant opinion” [End of quote]. Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that Allaah’s Apostle sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Hasten to do good deeds before any of these six things reach you: The rising of the sun from the west, the Dajjaal (i.e. antichrist), The Smoke, The Beast of the earth, your death or the Hour.” [Muslim].

These narrations leave no space for doubt that the Smoke did not happen and that it will, prior to the occurrence of The Hour. If, for the sake of argument, we would accept the opinion of Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, as being true, then this mandates there being two Smokes and not one in order not to reject his opinion, as stated by Imaams Ibn Jareer, Ibn Dihyah and An-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy upon them.

Finally, there is no clear indication as to when precisely the emergence of this Smoke will take place, except that the narrations indicate that it will take place after the appearance of the tribes of Gog and Magog and before the wind that will take the souls of all the believers.