Many scholars are of the opinion that the smoke is one of the awaited signs that have not come yet, and it will happen close to the Day of Judgement. This was the view of Ali ibn Abi Talib RA, Ibn Abbas RA and Abu Saeed al-Khudri RA.
Another of the major signs of the Hour will be the appearance of the smoke. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke, covering the people, this is a painful torment.” [al-Dhukhaan 44:10-11]. A definition of the smoke was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas, who explained that it is one of the Signs of the Day of Judgement, as was narrated by Ibn Jareer and Ibn Abi Haatim from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Maleekah, who said: “I went to Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) one day, and he said: ‘I did not sleep at all last night.’ I asked him, ‘Why not?’ He said, ‘They said that a star with a tail (a comet) had appeared, and I was afraid that the smoke had started, so I could not sleep at all.”
Imaam Ibn Katheer commented: “This is a saheeh isnaad, going back to Ibn ‘Abbaas, the scholar of the ummah and the interpreter of the Qur’aan. This is also the opinion of all the Sahaabah and Taabi’een who agreed with him, in addition, there are many ahaadeeth going back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – saheeh, hasan and others – which state the same thing. This is convincing evidence that the smoke will be one of the expected signs, as is also clear from the text of the Qur’aan.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 7/235).
Among the ahaadeeth that describe the appearance of the smoke as one of the signs of the Hour is the following:
- Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before six things appear: the Dajjaal, the smoke” (Reported by Muslim, 18/87)
