Masruq reported that there came to Abdullah a person and said:
I have left behind in the mosque a man who explains the Qur'an according to his personal discretion and he explained this verse: So wait for the day when the Heaven brings a clear smoke. He says that a smoke would come to the people on the Day of Resurrection anl it will withhold breath and they would be inflicted with cold. 'Abdullah said: He who has knowledge should say something and he who has no knowledge should simply say: Allah is best aware. This reflects the understanding of a person that he should say about that which he does not know that it is Allah who knows best. The fact is that when the Quraish disobeyed Allah's Apostle ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) he supplicated Allah that they should be afflicted with famine and starvation as was done in case of Yusuf. And they were so much hard pressed that a person would ace the sky and he would see between him and the sky something like smoke and they were so much hard pressed that they began to cat the bones, and a person came to Allah's Apostle ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and said: Allah's Messenger. seek forgiveness for the tribe of Mudar for (its people) have been undone. The Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: For Mudar? You are overbold, but he supplicated Allah for them. It was upon this that this verse was revealed: We shall remove the chastisement a little, but they will surely return to evil (xliv. 15). lie (the narrator) said: There was a downpoor of rain upon them. When there was some relief for them they returned to the same position as they had been before, and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse: So wait for the day when the heaven brings a clear smoke enveloping people. This is a grievous torment on the day when We seize them with the most violent seizing; surely, We shall exact retribution. And this (seizing) implied (Battle) of Badr.