Major Signs before the Day of Judgement(7.The Smoke)

Major Signs before the Day of Judgement(7.The Smoke)

Allah says, ''So thou wait for the day when the heaven shall bring a smoke manifest surrounding the people this is a painful Chastisement.''( Surah-Dhukan)

Wasila-Bb-l-Asqa reported, ''I heard the Prophet saying, ''The final hour will not come until you see ten signs. '' (one of the ten mentioned was the smoke) (Muslim)

It is clearly evident from the above verse and Ahadith that the smoke is a major sign of Qiyamah. It will rise and cover the whole world. The smoke will affect both the believers and non-belivers alike remaining for a period of 40 days and night. The believers will be affected a little as if suffering from cold while the smoke will enter the brains of the non-belivers and make them unconscious1. 

Footnote:1) Hudaifa-b-al-Yaman/Tabari. 

 

Ibne Masood's Opinion

Ibne Masood's (RA) opinion regarding the verse in which the smoke has been mentioned is that he strongly claims that this is not the smoke which is described as one of the signs of Qiyamah. On the other hand the Holy Prophet Peace and blessings be upon him being disgusted with the vexation and rebellion of the Quraish had invoked a famine of 7 years for them like that which was set upon the Egyptians in the days of Prophet Yusuf Peace be upon him and as such the famine befell them to the starvation of the Makkans, who were so much constrained that they were forced to eat off corpses, hides and skins of animals.

In short, the people of Makkah began to starve. As a rule in intense hunger and ceaseless drought, a kind of smoke is seen in the space between the heaven and the Earth, and also the dust, which rises into the sky from the Earth especially on long rainless days, looks like a smoke to the naked eyes. That thing is here described as a smoke. (Bukhari) 

Ibne Masood reported, "Five things have passed, the smoke, the defeat of the Romans, the splitting of the moon, the defeat of the infidels in the Battle of Badr and the punishment." (Bukhari)

 

Firstly it should be noted that Ibne Kathir writes that from amongst the Sahaba Ibne Masood is the only one that holds this view. The majority of Ulama in the light of the above and many other Ahadith are of the opinion that the smoke referred to in the verse is the same which is to precede Qiyamah. This has also been related as being the opinion of Ibne Abbas and Hadrat Ali. (Ibne Kathir)

Ali (RA) said, "The verse of Dukhan has not taken place" (Ibne Abe Hatim)

Ibne Abbas, Ibne Umar, Hasan, and others said, ''The smoke referred to in the verses is the smoke before Qiyamah which will enter in the ears of the Kuffar and the hypocrites and will affect the Muslims like a cold. The whole world will be like a house on fire. It has not happened. It is to happen.'' (Lawami-ul-Anwaar)

 

Abdullah-b-Abu-Mulaika narrated that I went one morning to Ibne Abbas. He said, ''I didn't sleep all night. ''I asked, ''Why?'' He replied, ''They informed me that a star with a tail appeared. I feared that the smoke may follow and thus I didn't sleep till it was morning.'' (Tabari / Ibne Kathir) 

It is clear from the above narration, which is authentic, as Ibne Kathir has mentioned that Ibne Abbas was of the opinion that the smoke is from among

 the awaited signs. (Ibne Kathir)

Secondly Ibne Kathir writes that Ibne Masood doesn't relate what he has said back to the Prophet Peace and blessings be upon him while the opinion that the smoke is from among the awaited signs is related back to the Prophet Peace and blessings be upon him and so the principal of the Hadith is quite clear, ''That which is related back to the Prophet Peace and blessings be upon him is given priority over that which is not.'' (An-Nihaya)