Narrated Masruq:We came upon `Abdullah bin Mas`ud and he said "O people! If somebody knows something, he can say it, but if he does not know it, he should say, "Allah knows better,' for it is a sign of having knowledge to say about something which one does not know, 'Allah knows better.' Allah said to His Prophet: 'Say (O Muhammad ! ) No wage do I ask of You for this (Qur'an) nor am I one of the pretenders (a person who pretends things which do not exist).' (38.86) Now I will tell you about Ad- Dukhan (the smoke), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invited the Quraish to embrace Islam, but they delayed their response. So he said, "O Allah! Help me against them by sending on them seven years of famine similar to the seven years of famine of Joseph." So the famine year overtook them and everything was destroyed till they ate dead animals and skins. People started imagining to see smoke between them and the sky because of severe hunger. Allah said: 'Then watch you for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible, covering the people. . . This is painful torment.' (44.10-11) (So they invoked Allah) "Our Lord! Remove the punishment from us really we are believers." How can there be an (effectual) reminder for them when an Apostle, explaining things clearly, has already come to them? Then they had turned away from him and said: 'One taught (by a human being), a madman?' 'We shall indeed remove punishment for a while, but truly, you will revert (to disbelief).' (44.12-15) Will the punishment be removed on the Day of Resurrection?" `Abdullah added, "The punishment was removed from them for a while but they reverted to disbelief, so Allah destroyed them on the Day of Badr. Allah said: 'The day We shall seize you with a mighty grasp. We will indeed (then) exact retribution." (44.16)
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 4809
In-book reference
Book 65, Hadith 331
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 333
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
It is related that Masruq said, "We visited 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and he said, 'O people! If someone knows something, he should say it, but if he does not know it, he should say, "Allah knows best." Part of knowledge is that when someone does not know something, he should say about it, "Allah knows best." Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, said to His Prophet, "Say: 'I do not ask you for any wage for it, nor am I a man of false pretentions.' (38:86)" I will tell you about the Smoke. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called Quraysh to Islam and they were slow in responding. He said, "O Allah, seven years like the years of Yusuf!" They suffered a drought which destroyed everything so that they were eating carrion and skins. It reached the point that a man would see a smoke between him and the sky because of their hunger. Allah Almighty says, "So be on the watch for a day when heaven brings forth a distinctive smoke,which enshrouds mankind. 'This is a painful punishment!' (So they prayed,) 'Our Lord, remove the punishment from us. We are really believers.' How can they expect a Reminder when a clear Messenger has already come to them. Then they turned away from him and said, 'An instructed madman!' We remove the punishment a little, and you revert!" (44:10-15) Will the punishment be removed on the Day of Rising?' Then he said, 'The punishment was removed from them and then they reverted to their disbelief, and so Allah seized them on the Day of Badr. Allah Almighty says, "On the day We launch the Great Assault We will certainly have Our revenge." (44:16)'"
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 4809
In-book reference
Book 65, Hadith 331
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 333
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih
