حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنْ عَطَائٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَعْلَی عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَی الْمِنْبَرِ وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِکُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّکَ وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ مَثَلًا لِلْآخِرِينَ عِظَةً لِمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ مُقْرِنِينَ ضَابِطِينَ يُقَالُ فُلَانٌ مُقْرِنٌ لِفُلَانٍ ضَابِطٌ لَهُ وَالْأَکْوَابُ الْأَبَارِيقُ الَّتِي لَا خَرَاطِيمَ لَهَا أَوَّلُ الْعَابِدِينَ أَيْ مَا کَانَ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْآنِفِينَ وَهُمَا لُغَتَانِ رَجُلٌ عَابِدٌ وَعَبِدٌ وَقَرَأَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ وَيُقَالُ أَوَّلُ الْعَابِدِينَ الْجَاحِدِينَ مِنْ عَبِدَ يَعْبَدُ وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ فِي أُمِّ الْکِتَابِ جُمْلَةِ الْکِتَابِ أَصْلِ الْکِتَابِأَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنْکُمْ الذِّکْرَ صَفْحًا أَنْ کُنْتُمْ قَوْمًا مُسْرِفِينَ مُشْرِکِينَ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ رُفِعَ حَيْثُ رَدَّهُ أَوَائِلُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ لَهَلَکُوا فَأَهْلَکْنَا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشًا وَمَضَی مَثَلُ الْأَوَّلِينَ عُقُوبَةُ الْأَوَّلِينَ جُزْئًا عِدْلًا
صحیح بخاری · Hadith 4821
Narrated `Abdullah: 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 painfull of torment.' (44.10-11) Then someone (Abu Sufyan) came to Allah's Messenger and said, "O Allah's Messenger ! Invoke Allah to send rain for the tribes of Mudar for they are on the verge of destruction." On that the Prophet 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."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020