English translation
[7066] 39 - (2798) It was narrated that Masrûq said: “We were sitting with ‘Abdullâh and he was lying down among us, when a man came to him and said: ‘O Abû ‘Abdur-Rahmân, there is a storyteller by the gates of Kindah who is telling stories. He claims that the sign of Ad-Dukhân (the smoke) is about to appear, and it will take the souls of the disbelievers, and it will afflict the believers with something like a cold.' "'Abdullâh sat up angrily and said: 'O people, fear Allâh! Whoever among you knows something, let him say what he knows, and whoever does not know, let him say: "Allâh knows best," for it is more knowledgeable for one of you to say, when he does not know, "Allâh knows best." Allâh, Glorified and Exalted is He, said to His Prophet ﷺ: "Say: No wage do I ask of you for this (the Qur'ân), nor am I one of the Mutakallifin (those who pretend and fabricate things which do not exist)."[1] When the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ saw the people ignoring him, he said: "O Allâh, seven like the seven (years of famine) of Yûsuf." Then they were afflicted with a famine which forced them to eat anything, even animal skins and dead meat, because of hunger. One of them would look at the sky and see something like smoke. Then Abû Sufyân came to him and said: "O Muḥammad, you have come enjoining us to obey Allâh and uphold ties of kinship. Your people are dying; pray to Allâh for them.” Allâh, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: “Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke. Covering the people, this is a painful torment.”[1] up to His saying: “Verily, you will revert (to disbelief)” “He said: ‘Can the punishment of the Hereafter be averted? “On the Day when We shall seize you with the greatest seizure (punishment). Verily, We will exact retribution.”[2] The “greatest seizure” was the Day of Badr, so the sign of the smoke has come to pass, as have the greatest seizure, Al-Lizâm (the inevitable punishment) and the Verses of Ar-Rûm.”[3]