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Surah 44 · Makkah · 59 āyāt
Phase 04 · Ṭāʾif, al-Isrāʾ and the final Makkan years(c. 5–1 BH) — view in timelineAd-DukhānThe Smoke
الدخان
A Makkan surah from the Ḥā Mīm family, revealed during a period of drought and severe hardship for Quraysh, that opens by swearing by the Clear Book and describing the blessed night in which the Qur'an was sent down. It warns of a Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke enveloping the people as a sign before the greater punishment, recalls the destruction of Firʿawn and his people as a lesson for those who reject the Prophet ﷺ, and contrasts the terrifying tree of Zaqqūm awaiting the wrongdoers with the security and honour prepared for the righteous in Paradise.
Why it was revealed
Quraysh's persistence in disbelief brought upon them, by Allah's decree, a period of famine so severe that people reportedly saw smoke-like haze from hunger and exhaustion. The surah's opening reference to a visible smoke that would envelop the people is understood by the early exegetes to correspond to this real trial sent upon Quraysh as a partial punishment before the final reckoning.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 44:10; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 4809, on the drought of Quraysh
Ibn Masʿūd narrated that when Quraysh delayed in accepting Islam, the Prophet ﷺ supplicated against them, saying, 'O Allah, help me against them with seven years like the seven years of Yūsuf,' so a drought struck them until they ate carrion and bones, and a man would look to the sky and see what appeared to him as smoke from hunger; this is the account he gave for the meaning of 'the day the sky will bring a visible smoke' in this surah.
Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 4809 and 1007; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 2798; Ibn Kathīr on 44:10
In the Prophet's ﷺ life
The Prophet's ﷺ supplication against Quraysh's persistence in disbelief
After years of open rejection and mockery of the message, the Prophet ﷺ asked Allah for a trial upon Quraysh similar to the famine that struck Egypt in the time of Yūsuf, and a severe drought followed.
Recalled in āyah 10, 11
فَٱرْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke
يَغْشَى ٱلنَّاسَ ۖ هَـٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Enveloping the people; this is a painful punishment.
Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1007
- Madd — 2 vowels
- Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
- Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
- Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
- Ghunnah — 2 vowels
- Qalqalah
- Ikhfāʾ
- Ikhfāʾ shafawī
- Idghām shafawī
- Idghām with ghunnah
- Idghām without ghunnah
- Idghām mutajānisayn
- Idghām mutaqāribayn
- Iqlāb
- Hamzat al-waṣl
- Lām shamsiyyah
- Silent letter
Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).
The Clear Book and the blessed night of revelation
Allah swears by the Clear Book that He sent it down in a blessed night, a night in which every matter of wisdom is made distinct, as a command from Him, as a mercy from your Lord, the Hearing, the Knowing, Lord of the heavens and earth and what is between them, if you would be certain.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:6; Ibn Kathīr on 44:3
حمٓ
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Ḥā, Mīm.
وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْمُبِينِ
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By the Clear Book,
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ
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Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We are ever warning.
فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ
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Therein is made distinct every precise matter,
أَمْرًا مِّنْ عِندِنَآ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ
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As a command from Us. Indeed, We are ever sending [messengers]
رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
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As mercy from your Lord. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
From the tafsīr
The 'blessed night' is identified as Laylat al-Qadr within the month of Ramaḍān, in which the Qur'an began its descent from al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ to the lowest heaven, and in which the affairs of the coming year are apportioned by Allah's decree.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 44:3
Describing the revelation as 'a mercy from your Lord' highlights that the sending of guidance to mankind is itself among the greatest mercies, since without it people would remain lost without a clear path.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 44:6
Key takeaways
- The Qur'an's revelation is tied to a specific, honoured night, not a vague or gradual process without origin.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:6; Ibn Kathīr on 44:3
- Every matter of wisdom being distinguished in that night reflects Allah's precise and comprehensive decree.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:6; Ibn Kathīr on 44:3
- Revelation itself is named as a mercy, the greatest gift a Lord could send to His servants.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:6; Ibn Kathīr on 44:3
Reflect
Do you treat the Qur'an with the honour due to something sent down in a night more valuable than a thousand months?
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Question 1 of 2
How does 44:6 describe the sending of revelation?
Question 2 of 2
What night is identified by Ibn Kathīr as the 'blessed night' in 44:3?
The Day the sky brings a visible smoke
But they are in doubt, amusing themselves. So watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke enveloping the people; this is a painful punishment. They will say, 'Our Lord, remove from us the punishment; indeed, we believe.' How can they be reminded when a clear messenger had already come to them, yet they turned away? But when We remove the punishment a little, they return to disbelief. The Day We strike with the greatest assault, We will indeed take retribution.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 44:15; Ibn Kathīr on 44:10
فَٱرْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
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Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke
يَغْشَى ٱلنَّاسَ ۖ هَـٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
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Enveloping the people; this is a painful punishment.
رَّبَّنَا ٱكْشِفْ عَنَّا ٱلْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ
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[They will say], "Our Lord, remove from us the punishment; indeed, we are believers."
إِنَّا كَاشِفُوا ٱلْعَذَابِ قَلِيلًا ۚ إِنَّكُمْ عَآئِدُونَ
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Indeed, We will remove the punishment for a little; indeed, you will return [to disbelief].
يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ ٱلْبَطْشَةَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰٓ إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ
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The Day We strike with the greatest assault, indeed, We will take retribution.
From the tafsīr
Ibn Masʿūd explained this smoke as the haze of severe famine that struck Quraysh after the Prophet's ﷺ supplication, when hunger caused people to see what looked like smoke between them and the sky, though some scholars also apply it to a sign preceding the Day of Judgement.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 44:10
The pattern described here — pleading for relief and promising belief, only to revert once the hardship lifts — is a recurring human failing, a warning against faith that exists only under duress rather than as genuine conviction.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 44:15
Key takeaways
- Hardship sent as a sign is meant to awaken reflection, not merely be endured until it passes.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 44:15; Ibn Kathīr on 44:10
- Promises of belief made only under pressure often prove hollow once relief comes.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 44:15; Ibn Kathīr on 44:10
- A clear messenger had already come to Quraysh before this trial, removing any excuse of ignorance.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 44:15; Ibn Kathīr on 44:10
Reflect
When ease returns after a hardship, does your gratitude and closeness to Allah remain, or fade with the difficulty?
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What pattern does al-Qurṭubī highlight regarding 44:15?
Question 2 of 2
How did Ibn Masʿūd explain the 'visible smoke' of 44:10?
Mūsā, Firʿawn, and the fate of arrogant rejection
Before them We tried the people of Firʿawn when a noble messenger came to them, saying, 'Render to me the servants of Allah; indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger, and be not haughty toward Allah.' When they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all together, leaving them as a lesson for those who followed, and We saved the Children of Israel from the humiliating torment, and We chose them, with knowledge, over the worlds, and gave them of signs a clear trial.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 44:32; Ibn Kathīr on 44:17
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَجَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ
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And We had already tried before them the people of Firʿawn, and a noble messenger came to them,
أَنْ أَدُّوٓا۟ إِلَىَّ عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّى لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ
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[Saying], "Render to me the servants of Allāh. Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger,"
وَأَن لَّا تَعْلُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّىٓ ءَاتِيكُم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ مُّبِينٍ
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And be not haughty toward Allāh. Indeed, I have come to you with clear authority.
وَٱتْرُكِ ٱلْبَحْرَ رَهْوًا ۖ إِنَّهُمْ جُندٌ مُّغْرَقُونَ
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And leave the sea in stillness; indeed, they are an army to be drowned.
وَلَقَدْ نَجَّيْنَا بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْمُهِينِ
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And We certainly saved the Children of Israel from the humiliating torment
وَلَقَدِ ٱخْتَرْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
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And We certainly chose them by knowledge over the worlds.
From the tafsīr
The account of Mūsā's confrontation with Firʿawn is recalled here specifically as a parallel warning to Quraysh: a noble, trustworthy messenger came, was rejected out of arrogance, and the rejecters were destroyed while the believers were delivered.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 44:17
The Children of Israel's being chosen 'with knowledge' over the worlds refers to their favoured status in their own era, granted due to Allah's knowledge of their circumstance at that time, not an unconditional or eternal superiority.
Cited toAl-Ṭabarī on 44:32
Key takeaways
- Rejecting a trustworthy messenger out of arrogance invites the same destruction that overtook Firʿawn.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 44:32; Ibn Kathīr on 44:17
- Deliverance from humiliation is granted to those who follow guidance, as it was to the Children of Israel.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 44:32; Ibn Kathīr on 44:17
- Past nations' trials with clear signs are lessons meant to inform, not merely historical curiosities.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 44:32; Ibn Kathīr on 44:17
Reflect
Does the account of Firʿawn's arrogance and downfall make you examine your own response to guidance when it is inconvenient?
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What claim did Mūsā make to Firʿawn according to 44:18?
Question 2 of 2
What does al-Ṭabarī clarify about the Children of Israel being 'chosen with knowledge' in 44:32?
The deniers' claim and the tree of Zaqqūm
Indeed, these [Makkans] are saying, 'There is not but our first death, and we will not be resurrected. Bring back our forefathers, if you should be truthful.' Indeed, the tree of Zaqqūm is food for the sinful, like the boiling of scalding water. It will be said, 'Seize him and drag him into the midst of the Hellfire, then pour over his head from the punishment of scalding water. Taste! Indeed, you are the honoured, the noble!' — mockingly, for indeed this is what you used to doubt.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:49; Ibn Kathīr on 44:34–36
إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَيَقُولُونَ
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Indeed, these [disbelievers] are saying,
فَأْتُوا۟ بِـَٔابَآئِنَآ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ
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"Then bring back our forefathers, if you should be truthful."
إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ ٱلزَّقُّومِ
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Indeed, the tree of Zaqqūm
طَعَامُ ٱلْأَثِيمِ
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Is food for the sinful,
كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَغْلِى فِى ٱلْبُطُونِ
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Like murky oil, it boils within the bellies
ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْكَرِيمُ
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"Taste! Indeed, you are the honoured, the noble!"
From the tafsīr
The demand to bring back the forefathers as proof was a rhetorical evasion rather than a genuine request, since resurrection is not proven by producing a corpse but by the same power that created them the first time.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 44:34–36
The command to the sinner 'taste, indeed you are the honoured, the noble' is a bitter mockery of his worldly arrogance, since he considered himself dignified and untouchable in life while denying the Hereafter.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 44:49
Key takeaways
- Denying resurrection while demanding impossible proofs is an evasion, not sincere inquiry.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:49; Ibn Kathīr on 44:34–36
- The tree of Zaqqūm stands as a stark image of the torment prepared for the rejecters of truth.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:49; Ibn Kathīr on 44:34–36
- Worldly arrogance and false self-honour will be exposed and mocked before the true Judge.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:49; Ibn Kathīr on 44:34–36
Reflect
Does the vivid description of Zaqqūm and the sinner's humiliation increase your seriousness about the reality of the Hereafter?
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What did the Makkan deniers demand as 'proof' according to 44:36?
Question 2 of 2
What is the tone of 'taste, indeed you are the honoured, the noble' in 44:49?
The secure station of the righteous
Indeed, the righteous will be in a secure place, among gardens and springs, dressed in fine silk and brocade, facing one another. Thus it will be, and We will marry them to fair women with large, beautiful eyes. They will call therein for every fruit, safe and secure. They will not taste death therein except the first death, and He will have protected them from the punishment of the Hellfire, as bounty from your Lord; that is the great attainment. So We have only made it [the Qur'an] easy in your tongue that they might be reminded.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:58; Ibn Kathīr on 44:56
إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى مَقَامٍ أَمِينٍ
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Indeed, the righteous are in a secure place,
يَلْبَسُونَ مِن سُندُسٍ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٍ مُّتَقَـٰبِلِينَ
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Dressed in fine silk and brocade, facing one another.
يَدْعُونَ فِيهَا بِكُلِّ فَـٰكِهَةٍ ءَامِنِينَ
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They will call therein for every fruit, safe and secure.
لَا يَذُوقُونَ فِيهَا ٱلْمَوْتَ إِلَّا ٱلْمَوْتَةَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
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They will not taste death therein except the first death,
فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَـٰهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
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So We have only made it easy in your tongue that they might be reminded.
فَٱرْتَقِبْ إِنَّهُم مُّرْتَقِبُونَ
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So watch; indeed, they are watching [too].
From the tafsīr
'They will not taste death therein except the first death' means that once admitted to Paradise there is no further death; the earlier death in the worldly life was the only one they will experience, after which is eternal life.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 44:56
The Qur'an's being made 'easy in your tongue' refers to its ease of recitation, memorisation, and understanding, a mercy from Allah so that the reminder reaches every sincere seeker regardless of their capacity.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 44:58
Key takeaways
- The reward of Paradise is described in terms of complete security, beauty, and abundance, contrasted directly with Zaqqūm's torment.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:58; Ibn Kathīr on 44:56
- Death occurs only once for the believer; eternal life follows without further loss or ending.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:58; Ibn Kathīr on 44:56
- The Qur'an's ease of access is itself a mercy, removing any excuse for neglecting its reminder.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 44:58; Ibn Kathīr on 44:56
Reflect
Given how the surah closes by stressing the Qur'an's ease, what prevents you from engaging with it more regularly?
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Question 1 of 2
What does al-Saʿdī say the Qur'an being made 'easy in your tongue' (44:58) refers to?
Question 2 of 2
What does 'they will not taste death therein except the first death' in 44:56 mean, per Ibn Kathīr?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ن ز ل
āyāt 3to send down, descend
- أَنزَلْنَـٰهُWe sent it down
- تَنزِيلa sending down, revelation
- مَنزِلa place of descent
ف ر ق
āyāt 4to separate, distinguish, apportion
- يُفْرَقُis made distinct
- ٱلْفُرْقَانthe Criterion
- فَرْقa distinction
د خ ن
āyāt 10smoke, haze
- دُخَانٍsmoke
- دُخَانِيّsmoky
ك ش ف
āyāt 12to remove, uncover, disclose
- ٱكْشِفْremove!
- كَاشِفُواremovers of
- كَشْفa removal, disclosure
ن ق م
āyāt 16to take retribution, avenge
- مُنتَقِمُونَtaking retribution
- نَقِمَhe resented, avenged
- ٱلْمُنتَقِمthe Avenger
أ م ن
āyāt 18, 51, 55to be secure, trustworthy
- أَمِينٌtrustworthy
- أَمِينٍsecure
- ءَامِنِينَsafe ones
ن ج و
āyāt 30to save, rescue, deliver
- نَجَّيْنَاWe saved
- نَجَاةsalvation
- مُنجِيone who saves
غ ر ق
āyāt 24to drown, be submerged
- مُّغْرَقُونَto be drowned
- أَغْرَقَhe drowned
- غَرَقdrowning
ذ و ق
āyāt 49, 56to taste, experience
- ذُقْtaste!
- لَا يَذُوقُونَthey will not taste
- ذَوْقa tasting
ي س ر
āyāt 58to make easy, facilitate
- يَسَّرْنَـٰهُWe made it easy
- يُسْرease
- مَيْسُورmade easy
Carry this with you
- The Qur'an's revelation on a blessed, honoured night reflects its unmatched status among all speech.
- Signs of hardship, like the drought sent upon Quraysh, are warnings meant to provoke reflection, not mere misfortune.
- Faith professed only under duress, without lasting change, does not endure once ease returns.
- Rejecting a trustworthy, noble messenger out of arrogance invites the same fate that befell Firʿawn.
- The stark contrast between Zaqqūm's torment and Paradise's security is meant to move the heart to choose wisely now.
- The Qur'an has been made easy to recite and understand, removing every excuse for neglecting its reminder.
Where this surah connects
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Ad-Dukhān · Mūsā, Firʿawn, and the fate of arrogant rejection
What claim did Mūsā make to Firʿawn according to 44:18?
Arabic (Uthmānī script) and the Ṣaḥīḥ International translation are fetched live from the Quran.com API (v4), sourced from the King Fahd Complex muṣḥaf — api.quran.com API docs · Translation: Ṣaḥīḥ International · Integrity & testing protocol