November 2020
One:
Isn’t it strange that Bani Israel did not notice Isa (Jesus) Peace be upon him, as being sent from Allah. With all their study of the law and erudite scholarship they should have been the first to find and follow him. They certainly can’t claim to have been ignorant of the prophecies for there were many. In John 1:21 we read that the Pharisees were asking John the Baptist if he was “the Messiah or Elijah or that prophet” so we know they were expecting someone at that time. Despite all this Isa (Peace be upon him) had only a few that believed with him.
How did they get it wrong? Who convinced them that the prophecy was not fulfilled? Who had deluded them? It’s easy for us to blame them but are we so sure that it won’t happen to us? Since the story of Musa and Bani Israel is the most oft repeated story in the Glorious Quran, we think it would behoove the Muslims who are awaiting the Mahdi (peace be upon him) to take the failures Bani Israel seriously. Clearly their example is presented to us repeatedly for us to heed. Bani Israel failed to recognize Isa as the Messiah, tried to persecute him and his few followers, and effectively “missed that boat” 70 years before Judea was exterminated as a nation and the remnants of Bani Israel scattered like chaff to the winds.
According to many hadith, there are almost ten signs of the qiyama. Just to name a few there is the Dajjal, the smoke, and the Beast from out of the earth, as well as the Mahdi himself (peace be upon him). Furthermore, some hadith state that the Dajjal, the smoke, and the Mahdi all appear at the same time, or very close to the same time. This brings us to the heart of the matter.
We believe that the sign of the smoke, Dukhan, is already upon us. We will demonstrate from the sources that there is a good possibility that the smoke in the said hadith and in the Quran as well, is Covid-19. Therefore, we might be living through one of the major signs right at this moment, but most of mankind hasn’t got a clue. You might be able to imagine now how the Mahdi could come and go with us, just like Isa came and went with Bani Israel. In the same way, we would not accept him, because we would not recognize him and the signs surrounding him. And thus we would become from among the losers. We must stress the point here that this is only a possible interpretation and Allah and his Messenger know best. Take it or leave it.
Two:
We would like to point out four or five reasons why Covid-19 may be the smoke. Perhaps one proof on its own is not enough to be convincing, but when all the proofs are taken together, a coherent picture starts to emerge.
First, what is smoke? Well al that smoke is is a cloud of airborne particles, produced by combustion. The key thing however is smoke is composed of immensely tiny particles.
The arguments or proofs are as follows: 1st The Quranic proof (Surah Dukhan), 2nd Quran mentioning “rajz“ from the heavens, 3rd the Hadith of the Sawt in Ramadan, 4th the Tally hadith, 5th the 99 out of 100 hadith. The names we have given these arguments are just for practical purposes as we will elaborate on them more thoroughly.
The first elaboration is in the 44th chapter of Holy Quran, the chapter titled الدخان (The Smoke), verses 10 through 17. Note our specific translation of some of the words, and compare them to the original Arabic text:
فَٱرْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿١٠﴾ يَغْشَى ٱلنَّاسَ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١١﴾ رَّبَّنَا ٱكْشِفْ عَنَّا ٱلْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٢﴾ أَنَّىٰ لَهُمُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ وَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٣﴾ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوْا۟ عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا۟ مُعَلَّمٌ مَّجْنُونٌ ﴿١٤﴾ إِنَّا كَاشِفُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابِ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُمْ عَآئِدُونَ ﴿١٥﴾ يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ ٱلْبَطْشَةَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ ﴿١٦﴾ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَجَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿١٧﴾
“10 ) so keep watch for the day the sky brings the proven smoke 11) it covers the people, this is a painful torment 12) oh our lord, remove this torment from us, we certainly believe 13) certainly there came to them a reminder and a clear (proven) messenger 14) then they turned from him and called him a super learned crazy person 15) we will relieve them of it for a while and they will return 16) the day we will seize with a great strike, for certainly we are ever avenging 17) we have tried before them the people of Pharaoh and there came to them a noble messenger…”
So before we get into it lets look at what some hadith tafsirs say about the issue. The following hadith states :
لا تقوم الساعة حتى تروا عشر آيات -فذكر فيهن الدجال والدخان والدابة
“The hour will not come until you see 10 signs , he mentioned the Dajjal, the Smoke , and the Beast from the Earth.”
وعن أبي مالك الأشعري رضي الله عنه؛ قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن ربكم أنذركم ثلاثاً: الدخان؛ يأخذ المؤمن كالزكمة، ويأخذ الكافر فينتفخ حتى يخرج من كل مسمع منه، والثانية الدابة، والثالثة الدجال
“From Abi Malik al Ashaari said, the Messenger said, (Peace and blessings be upon him) “ indeed your lord has warned you about 3 things, the Smoke which takes the believer like a cold, and takes the unbeliever until it blows into every ear and orifice, the second is the beast from the earth, and the third is the Dajjal.“
We see from this hadith the “smoke” is not like your average smoke, for this type gives a sickness like the common cold. The word used in the hadith is كالزكمة the preceding letter Kaf is a comparative article, it means “like/as if” – then Al-Zukama, a feminine form of زكم – and Zukam which in classical Arabic described a coryza, what is called in modern medicine calls rhinitis and rhinopharyngitis – basically a seasonal common cold although rhinopharyngitis also occurs with the seasonal flu.
The feminine form is used here, but in a few other versions of the same narration the masculine common form is used. The feminine form could be filling the roll of the The Diminutive, what in Arabic grammar is called the Tasgher (اسم التصغير). In other words, the phrase in the hadith literally translated could mean “Like a little common cold.”
Please reflect on that, the hadith literally says that the “smoke” for the “believer” will be “like a little common cold.” Now this “smoke” acts like a virus, it gives believers rhinitis or rhinopharyngitis. That is what Zukam meant in Arabic 1400 years ago, and it still means that today. For example, in contemporary Arabic a virus causing coryzas is called – فَيرُوسُ الزُّكام – Fayrus al-Zukaam: i.e. coryzavirus.
Like most viruses, this “smoke” enters the holes in the body, as this hadith species the ears in particular. But other versions mentions other orifices as well. And somehow, it makes a distinction between a believer and non-believer. We interpret that as possibly part of the prophecy in this way: that some people will not believe that it is real. They will disbelieve in it. So, because they do not believe it is real, they will not take the same actions against it that someone who believes it is real will. Hence a “believer” in this narrow context experiences the “smoke” simply like it was a common cold.
This next one is from Hudhaifa ibn Yaman, the keeper of the Prophet’s secrets and the one companion who was given the most knowledge of the prophecies of the coming fitnah. It is rather long but it goes like this:
وعن حذيفة بن اليمان رضي الله عنهما؛ قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((أول الآيات الدجال، ونزول عيسى بن مريم، ونار تخرج من قعر عدن أبين تسوق الناس إلى المحشر؛ تقيل معهم إذا قالوا، والدخان. قال حذيفة: يا رسول الله! وما الدخان؟ فتلا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم هذه الآية: فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاء بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ يَغْشَى النَّاسَ هَذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ، يملأ ما بين المشرق والمغرب، يمكث أربعين يوماً وليلة، أما المؤمن؛ فيصيبه منه كهيئة الزكمة، وأما الكافر؛ فيكون بمنزلة السكران؛ يخرج من منخريه وأذنيه ودبره
This is similar to the other hadith but with some more details. It has Isa coming after the Dajjal, and the smoke is mentioned after the fire that herds people. When Hudhaifa asks about the smoke the Prophet (as) explains it as such,
يملأ ما بين المشرق والمغرب، يمكث أربعين يوماً وليلة، أما المؤمن؛ فيصيبه منه كهيئة الزكمة، وأما الكافر؛ فيكون بمنزلة السكران؛ يخرج من منخريه وأذنيه ودبره
“…it fills what is in between the east and west, it remains for 40 days and nights, for the believer he gets hit in the form of a cold, as for the unbeliever he will be as if drunk, it comes out of his nose, ears and behind…”
Again, we see here that some are afflicted with flu or cold like symptoms, Al-Zukama الزكمة – which again in classical Arabic denotes a coryza: the symptoms of rhinitis and rhinopharyngitis i.e. a common cold or influenza. While others are as if they are intoxicated, drunk – السكران. In light of what is being said about covid-19 affecting some people neurologically maybe السكران (sakran) the Arabic word for drunk- is pointing to the “COVID-19 haze”. Which is an increasingly recognized symptom of the disease. At the time we are writing this, more and more evidence is emerging as to the neurological symptoms of Covid-19. Some people experience an almost debilitating ‘brain fog’ or ‘haze’ like symptom for weeks, or even months. We would like to reiterate that this is merely a possible interpretation and Allah and his Messenger know best.
Three:
We have already established from explicit ahadith that the ‘Smoke’ will cause cold and flu like symptoms The ayat in Sura Dukhan states that the smoke will come from the “samaa” the Arabic word for sky or heaven. To put it more scientifically- the 3d dimension. This may indicate that the virus is airborne, so not only is it contagious from person to person but it may be transported by the air in the sky. (Another possible interpretation is that this might actually come from space from comet dust or meteors. This hypothesis is harder to prove but nonetheless in either case it has to travel in the air.
Verse 17 offers a strange connection to the Covid interpretation. Lets take a little stroll through the Noble Quran and see if it makes sense. Verse 17 : وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَجَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿١٧﴾
“…we have tried the people of Pharaoh before this and there came to them a noble messenger…”
During Prophet Musa’s (Moses) time, the people of Pharaoh were tried. So given the context it seems that they might have been given a similar tribulation. Now we know that the people of Pharaoh were given plagues and Bani Israel were afflicted as well but let’s see what the Quran has to say specifically about it.
Chapter 2 verse 59
فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ رِجْزًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ
“Then the wrong-doers substituted another saying for that which had been given them; and so We sent down a scourge upon the wrong-doers from the heavens for their transgression.( Tafheem-ul-Quran – Abul Ala Maududi )
The highlights are ours, but the translation is from Maududi. Notice how they were given a Rijz(scourge) from the heavens. We will elaborate on the Arabic word Rijz shortly. Another two verses:
7:134 وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلرِّجْزُ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَى ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ ۖ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا ٱلرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
7:135 فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلرِّجْزَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ هُم بَٰلِغُوهُ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ
7:136فَٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا غَٰفِلِينَ
7:134 Each time a scourge struck them they, said: ‘0 Moses! Pray for us to your Lord on the strength of the prophethood He has bestowed upon you. Surely, if you remove this scourge from us, we will truly believe in you, and will let the Children of Israel go with you.’ Tafheem-ul-Quran – Abul Ala Maududi
7:135 But when We removed the scourge from them until a term – a term which they were bound to reach – they at once broke their promise. Tafheem-ul-Quran – Abul Ala Maududi
7:136 So We inflicted Our retribution on them, and caused them to drown in the sea because they gave the lie to Our signs and were heedless of them. Tafheem-ul-Quran – Abul Ala Maududi
So we have the rajz from the sky or heaven or space, as well as these two verses explaining how the people of Pharaoh promised Musa that if the torment was removed they would believe. Moreover, the next verse states they went back on their word once the torment (scourge) was removed. What we have here is a really nice symmetry with the word Dukhan (smoke) and Rijz (scourge). The third point of symmetry is in 7:136 is where Allah the exalted takes retribution or revenge ( َٱنتَقَمْنَا) إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ
Just as a reminder in the 44th chapter of the Quran the people are promising to believe if the smoke = razj is removed. The definition of Rijz in Arabic is a point that must not be overlooked. Lanes lexicon shows one of the meanings as: plague or Pestilence. Here is the link for the Arabic English lexicon. http://www.tyndalearchive.com/TABS/Lane//
Four:
The second argument or point worth elaborating on is the famous hadith about the “shout (saiha) in Ramadan”. This had not occurred to us until we heard that an Iraqi scholar or researcher brought it up as a possible interpretation of the smoke. Unfortunately, we do not know his name and haven’t been able to find a clip of it on the internet. Nonetheless as with the previous elaboration we offer it here as merely a possible interpretation of the smoke from the sky.
There are many versions of this hadith found throughout the Islamic corpus but let us focus on a few for now.
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( في الخامس عشر من شهر رمضان ليلة الجمعة ستكون فزعة ( نفخة ) ، توقظ النائم ، وتفزع اليقظان ، وتخرج النساء من مخدعهن ، وفى هذا اليوم سيكون هناك الكثير من الزلازل )
“The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the 15 of Ramadan on the night of Friday there will be a fright or a panic, it will awaken the sleeper, the awakened will be frightened, and the women will be brought out of their quarters, and on this day there will be many earthquakes.”
يَكُونُ فِي رَمَضَانَ صَوْتٌ , قَالُوا: فِي أَوَّلِهِ أَو فِي وَسَطِهِ أَو فِي آخِرِهِ؟ قَالَ : لا ؛ بَلْ فِي النِّصْفِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ ، إِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةُ النِّصْفِ لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ ؛ يَكُونُ صَوْتٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ يُصْعَقُ لَهُ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفاً ، وَيُخْرَسُ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفاً ، وَيُعْمَى سَبْعُونَ أَلْفاً ، وَيُصِمُّ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفاً . قَالُوا: فَمَنِ السَّالِمُ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ؟ قَالَ : مَنْ لَزِمَ بَيْتَهُ ، وَتَعَوَّذَ بِالسُّجُودِ ، وَجَهَرَ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ لِلَّهِ . ثُمَّ يَتْبَعُهُ صَوْتٌ آخَرُ . وَالصَّوْتُ الأَوَّلُ صَوْتُ جِبْرِيلَ ، وَالثَّانِي صَوْتُ الشَّيْطَانِ. فَالصَّوْتُ فِي رَمَضَانَ ، وَالمَعْمَعَةُ فِي شَوَّالٍ ، وَتُمَيَّزُ الْقَبَائِلُ فِي ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ ، وَيُغَارُ عَلَى الْحُجَّاجِ فِي ذِي الْحِجَّةِ ، وَفِي الْمُحْرِمِ ، وَمَا الْمُحْرَّمُ؟ أَوَّلُهُ بَلاءٌ عَلَى أُمَّتِي ، وَآخِرُهُ فَرَحٌ لأُمَّتِي ، الرَّاحِلَةُ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ بِقَتَبِهَا يَنْجُو عَلَيْهَا الْمُؤْمِنُ لَهُ مِنْ دَسْكَرَةٍ تَغُلُّ مِائَةَ أَلْفٍ
“There will be a shout in Ramadan. When asked what part in Ramadan he said the middle, when the middle is the night of Ramadan. There will be a shout from the sky: 70,000 will be struck unconscious, 70,000 thousand will mute or dumbfounded, 70,000 will be blind, 70,000 will be deaf. When the prophet was asked who among your nation will be safe the Prophet replied: Who ever stays attached to his house, and whoever seeks refuge in his prostrations, and proclaims that Allah is Great. After this he said there will be another shout. The first shout was from the angel Gabriel, but the second shout is from Satan. So a shout in the month of Ramadan, bickering of the tribes in the month of Shawwaal, the shifting of the tribes in Dhul Qaida, the pilgrims in the month of Dhul Hijja will be sacked, and in Muharram, oh what will convey to you what is Muharram, the first of it will be a tribulation for my ummah, the last of it will be a relief for my Ummah. On that day a believer on a fast ride will be safe form a village of 100,000 people.”
This is simply our attempt at an interpretation, if you don’t like it then find something you do like. Allah alone knows best. But reflect on this, Bani Israel had the knowledge of Prophets, they had active living Prophets generation by generation, their authorities even suspected Yahya (John the Baptist, peace be upon him) may have been the Masih, yet their entire nation still missed Isa and were destroyed. We have our ahadith and prophecies, do you not think they had theirs?
The fact is the Prophet Muhammad (Allah’s blessings and peace upon him) explicitly told multiple companions that the sign of the Smoke would be the smoke in Surah Dukhan and that it would affect people like a respiratory disease. The believers like a mild Zukama, a respiratory cold, and the disbelievers in a way making them seem drunk, intoxicated, and it would come out of all of their orifices. You decide what you want to believe. It’s your life and your eternity that is at stake.
We will leave you with one more, for emphasis, from the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir:
خليل، عن الحسن، عن أبي سعيد الخدري، رضي الله عنه، أن رسول الله يَةِ قال يهيج الدخان بالناس، فأما المؤمن فيأخذه كالزكمة، وأما الكافر فينفخه حتى يخرج من كل مسمع منه
Abi Saeed al-Khoudri reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
“The Smoke will irritate the people, and as to the Believer, it will take him like a common cold, and as to the Disbeliever it will blow through him until it comes from every place heard of from him.”