فَٱرۡتَقِبۡ يَوۡمَ تَأۡتِى ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) is told: “Watch attentively.”
The word irtiqab expresses a state of alert, attentive watching, the kind shown by someone who follows election results minute by minute, or who watches a critical sports match second by second, constantly checking for updates.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) is commanded to wait for that particular event when the sky will bring دُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ (a clear, distinct smoke).
The scholars of the first generation put forward different views about what this smoke represents.
Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that it refers to the Day of Judgment.
However, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) held that this expression refers to a severe famine that struck Makkah in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The drought became so severe that dust storms engulfed the city; the dry soil blown into the air formed a smoke-like haze that would not clear. The ground had dried up completely, and the dust-filled air covered everything like smoke.
When viewed in the broader context, the second interpretation is seen to carry more weight. Throughout these surahs, the story of Moses (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh comes up again and again.
As Allah says in another ayah, وَمَا نُرِيهِم مِّنۡ ءَايَةٍ إِلَّا هِىَ أَكۡبَرُ مِنۡ أُخۡتِهَا ۖ وَأَخَذۡنَٰهُم بِٱلۡعَذَابِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ “And We showed them not a sign except that it was greater than its sister, and We seized them with affliction that perhaps they might return [to faith]” (Az-Zukhruf 48), Prophet Moses was given nine miracles. Most of these were lighter punishments before the final punishment, and opportunities offered to turn to Allah.
This smoke that descended upon Makkah may likewise have been a similar sign for the Quraysh, an opportunity for them to recognize the truth before facing heavier consequences.