The second sign, which is the smoke, and what is related to it and its nature.

The Shaykh : .
The smoke is also one of the signs of the Hour, but we must note two things here. The first is that nothing significant has come in the authentic Sunnah describing this smoke that is among the signs of the Hour. However, it appears to be a smoke that encompasses all people; that is, as if we imagine a suffocating gas from those gases that the disbelievers today use in their conflicts to terrorize their enemies, and they may imagine that if some bombs were thrown, it would destroy the crops and the offspring. This smoke will be from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), not through any human being, just as the sun rising from the west will be. It appears that this smoke will be general and comprehensive for the people of the earth, but Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will treat the believers with a special treatment, similar to how He treats them on the day He permits the establishment of the Hour for the people of the earth. It has come in the authentic hadiths that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . And in another hadith he said: .
From this hadith, you have understood that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the smoke, we understood from it that it is a great affliction that encompasses all the people of the earth. However, we do not rule out that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will treat His servants at that time in a way that exempts them from the hardship of life, the severity, and the punishment that befalls the disbelievers because of this smoke. As came in some of the previous hadiths, when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intends to establish the Hour, He sends a pleasant wind that takes the soul of every Muslim on the face of the earth, so that none remain except the worst of creation, and upon them the Hour is established.
And perhaps in the other opportunity, al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir mentioned in the verse: ; some hadiths regarding the smoke, which is a sign of the signs of the Hour, have been mentioned in the interpretation of this verse. However, these hadiths are not free from weakness, even though he—meaning al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir—held the view of strengthening and improving some of them. But it became clear to me through a brief study that he was not correct in that. However, the matter still requires further verification of those chains of narration, and perhaps I will bring you the answer in another lesson, if Allah wills.