65/44.2. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4821 — Quraish Famine and the Smoke
"Covering the people, this is a painful torment." (V.44:11)
Hadith About Quraish Famine and the Smoke in Surah Ad-Dukhan
Sahih Bukhari : 4821
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4821
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا كَانَ هَذَا لأَنَّ قُرَيْشًا لَمَّا اسْتَعْصَوْا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَعَا عَلَيْهِمْ بِسِنِينَ كَسِنِي يُوسُفَ، فَأَصَابَهُمْ قَحْطٌ وَجَهْدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلُوا الْعِظَامَ، فَجَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَيَرَى مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا كَهَيْئَةِ الدُّخَانِ مِنَ الْجَهْدِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُبِينٍ * يَغْشَى النَّاسَ هَذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} قَالَ فَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اسْتَسْقِ اللَّهَ لِمُضَرَ، فَإِنَّهَا قَدْ هَلَكَتْ. قَالَ " لِمُضَرَ إِنَّكَ لَجَرِيءٌ ". فَاسْتَسْقَى فَسُقُوا. فَنَزَلَتْ {إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ} فَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْهُمُ الرَّفَاهِيَةُ عَادُوا إِلَى حَالِهِمْ حِينَ أَصَابَتْهُمُ الرَّفَاهِيَةُ. فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ {يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَى إِنَّا مُنْتَقِمُونَ} قَالَ يَعْنِي يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ.
`Abdullah Narrated from:
It (i.e., the imagined smoke) was because, when the Quraish refused to obey the Prophet, he asked Allah to afflict them with years of famine similar to those of (Prophet) Joseph. So they were stricken with famine and fatigue, so much so that they ate even bones. A man would look towards the sky and imagine seeing something like smoke between him and the sky because of extreme fatigue. So Allah revealed:--'Then watch you for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible, covering the people; this is a painful of torment.' (44.10-11)Then someone (Abu Sufyan) came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Invoke Allah to send rain for the tribes of Mudar for they are on the verge of destruction." On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said (astonishingly) "Shall I invoke Allah) for the tribes of Mudar? Verily, you are a brave man!" But the Prophet prayed for rain and it rained for them. Then the Verse was revealed.'But truly you will return (to disbelief).' (44.15)(When the famine was over and) they restored prosperity and welfare, they reverted to their ways (of heathenism) whereupon Allah revealed:'On the Day when We shall seize you with a Mighty Grasp. We will indeed (then) exact retribution.' (44.16)The narrator said, "That was the day of the Battle of Badr."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4821In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 343USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 346
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4821
This hadith about the Quraish famine explains the smoke mentioned in the narration as something people imagined seeing because of severe hunger and fatigue. Abdullah says that Quraish refused to obey the Prophet, so the Prophet asked Allah to afflict them with years like the years of Prophet Joseph. Their hardship became so severe that they ate bones. When Abu Sufyan came asking the Prophet to pray for rain for Mudar, the Prophet prayed, and rain came. The hadith then says that when ease returned, they returned to their old way, and the mighty grasp was the Day of Badr. Readers searching for hadith about smoke in Islam, famine of Quraish, or Surah Dukhan hadith will find the core message here: hardship, relief, and return to wrongdoing are all mentioned in the text.
What we learn from this hadith
- Severe hardship can become a reminder when people turn away from truth.
- The Prophet prayed for rain even after Quraish had opposed him.
- Relief after hardship should not lead a person back to wrong actions.
- Abdullah identified the mighty grasp in this narration as the Day of Badr.
