WHEN A DEADLY SMOKE COVERS YOUR SKY

 Those who want to make sure of the truth that was sent through the prophet, can easily remove their doubt, by a little study and some contemplation upon the matters. But when people want to play with truth, they will plunge in their doubt:-

      ``They would rather amuse themselves in doubt!''

      Although Quraish are the object of critics here, the verses are applicable to Man generally, and in all ages. At first the heathens in Mecca ridiculed the Messenger of God, and his Message and mission, and expressed their doubt about it. When they found the prophet more serious in his ideas than they could expect, they began their persecution.

      In the next verse the prophet has been addressed:-

      ``Wait and look for the Day when the sky will be covered with an obvious smoke.''

WHAT IS THE SMOKE?

      The smoke refers to the incident when the prophet cursed the idolaters of Mecca, and they were afflicted with a severe famine in which, when the heathens were miserly looking at the sky, they only saw mist or smoke before their eyes! This famine lasted a few years. It was so severe and hard that people were starving, and they began to eat carrion and congealed blood!

      Usually during a stern famine where there is no rain at all to wash and clean the air; dusts, smoke, and other fine particles, such as dry pulverized minute parts of matter, will raise up and fill the air over head, waiting there for a shower of rain to wash them down. This layer of fine particles, will appear in the eye as smoke or mist, or some sort of a gas like that.

      On the other hand in Quränic Verses, elsewhere in the Book, mention is made of a very dense and fearful smoke that will appear and cover the sky in Resurrection Day.

      In Islamic traditions more than 10 signs and symptoms have been foretold that are the proofs for the approach of Resurrection Day, one of which is the said thick, dense smoke that will cover the sky then.