The Shaykh’s remarks on the second sign, which is the smoke, and what is related to it and its nature.

The Shaykh : The rising of the sun from the west, or the smoke. The smoke is also among 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 will be among the signs of the Hour. However, it appears to be a smoke that will encompass all people, meaning, as if we imagine a suffocating gas from those gases that the disbelievers today use and stockpile to terrorize their enemies, and they may imagine that if some of these bombs were thrown, it would destroy crops and offspring. This smoke will be from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and not through any human being, just as the rising of the sun 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 will treat 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, we understand that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the smoke, we understood from it that it is a great affliction that will encompass all the people of the earth. But 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 and the severity and punishment that befalls the disbelievers because of this smoke. As came in some of the previous hadiths, that when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intends to establish the Hour, He will send a pleasant wind that will take the soul of every Muslim on the face of the earth, so that none will remain except the worst of creation, and upon them the Hour will be established. Perhaps in another opportunity, I will... Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir mentioned in the verse that he mentioned in the interpretation of this verse some of the hadiths narrated regarding the smoke, which is a condition among the signs of the Hour. However, these hadiths are not free from weakness, even though he, meaning Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir, went to the extent 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 give you the answer in another lesson, if Allah wills.