Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us, Abu Mu'awiyah and Waki' narrated to us — and (another chain): Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to me, Waki' informed us — and (another chain): 'Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us, Jarir narrated to us, all of them from al-A'mash — and (another chain): Yahya ibn Yahya and Abu Kurayb narrated to us — and the wording is Yahya's — they said: Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Muslim ibn Subayh, from Masruq, who said: A man came to 'Abdullah and said: "I left a man in the mosque interpreting the Qur'an by his own opinion, interpreting this verse: 'On the Day when the sky brings a visible smoke' (Qur'an 44:10). He said: 'Smoke will come to the people on the Day of Resurrection and seize their breath until it takes hold of them like a cold.'" 'Abdullah said: "Whoever knows something, let him speak it, and whoever does not know, let him say: Allah knows best. For it is part of a man's understanding to say about what he has no knowledge of: Allah knows best. This (verse) was only about the fact that when Quraysh defied the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, he prayed against them for years like the years of Joseph, so drought and hardship afflicted them until a man would look at the sky and see between him and it something like smoke from the hardship, and until they ate bones. Then a man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, ask Allah for forgiveness for Mudar, for they have perished.' He said: 'For Mudar? Indeed, you are bold.' He said: So he prayed to Allah for them, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: 'Indeed, We will remove the punishment for a little while; indeed, you will return' (Qur'an 44:15). He said: So they were given rain, and when they experienced comfort — he said — they returned to what they had been upon. He said: Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: 'So watch for the Day when the sky brings a visible smoke, covering the people; this is a painful punishment' (Qur'an 44:10-11). 'On the Day We seize with the greatest seizure; indeed, We will exact retribution' (Qur'an 44:16). He said: He means the Day of Badr.