Ad-Dukhān: Smoke, Warning, Remedy and the Irony of Humanity’s Fear of Death

Ad-Dukhān is not merely the name of a surah. الدُّخَان — smoke — was mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ as one of the ten major signs before al-Sā‘ah.

Narrated by Hudhayfah ibn Asid al-Ghifari RA, the Prophet ﷺ said:

إِنَّهَا لَنْ تَقُومَ حَتَّى تَرَوْا قَبْلَهَا عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ

“Indeed, it will not occur until you have seen ten signs before it.”

Among them:

الدُّخَان

“Ad-Dukhān — smoke.”

— Sahih Muslim

Another Hadith warns:

بَادِرُوا بِالأَعْمَالِ سِتًّا … الدَّجَّالَ وَالدُّخَانَ وَدَابَّةَ الْأَرْضِ…

“Hasten to perform good deeds before six things come… Dajjal, the smoke, Dābbah al-Ard…”

Therefore, Ad-Dukhān is a warning, not an empty story.

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THE FRAMEWORK OF TADABBUR

This tadabbur reads Ad-Dukhān 44:10–16 alongside several other revealed texts that share corresponding patterns:

• Al-Baqarah 2:249 — the test of the river, interpreted here as vaccine fluid.

• Al-Fīl — human beings becoming كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ, like leaves that have been eaten.

• Al-Qiyāmah — suffering, breathlessness, and وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ, the legs becoming entwined.

• Al-Qāri‘ah — the great impact or shock, and mountains becoming like scattered wool.

• Sahih Bukhari 3339 — the pattern of Nuh AS: the warning is delivered, but people deny it.

• The Hadith of al-wahn — حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ, love of the world and fear of death.

This article does not claim that every stage has already fully occurred. It reads what can already be observed as an early warning of what may follow.

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THE HUMAN AFFLICTION: LOVE OF THE WORLD AND FEAR OF DEATH

The Prophet ﷺ mentioned the affliction of al-wahn.

When asked what al-wahn was, he replied:

حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ

“Love of the world and hatred or fear of death.”

Human beings fear death.

Because they fear death, they seek ways to continue living.

Medicine advances.

Technology advances.

Human biology is studied down to the level of RNA, proteins and cellular mechanisms.

Medical efforts themselves are not the problem.

But when the fear of death dominates human beings, choices may be made not through understanding, but through fear.

This is where al-wahn becomes particularly important.

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THE TEST OF THE RIVER: VACCINE FLUID

Allah states concerning the army of Talut:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم بِنَهَرٍ

“Indeed, Allah will test you with a river.”

— Al-Baqarah 2:249

In this tadabbur:

THE RIVER = VACCINE FLUID.

It is not the river that is being tested.

It is human beings who are tested when they encounter it.

Some take it.

Some refrain.

Some make their choices according to certain criteria.

Therefore, the question raised by this tadabbur is:

Do human beings make their choices through knowledge and awareness, or because they are excessively afraid of death?

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mRNA AND SPIKE PROTEIN

In mRNA vaccines, mRNA instructs cells to produce spike protein as an antigen so that the immune system can recognise it and develop a response.

The sequence is:

VACCINE FLUID

↓

mRNA

↓

CELLS PRODUCE SPIKE PROTEIN

↓

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM RESPONDS

In this tadabbur, human beings use molecular technology because they wish to protect life against disease.

But another question then arises:

What if the next test is not a virus, but the air?

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HUMAN BEINGS AS A “SMALL EARTH”

Human beings are inhabitants of the earth.

They eat from the earth.

They drink from the earth.

They breathe the earth’s air.

And their bodies return to the earth.

The Quran also reminds human beings that they originate from نُطْفَة — nutfah, something extremely small that develops into a complex body.

Therefore, in this tadabbur:

Human beings are a “small earth”.

Human beings manage their bodies.

The larger earth, meanwhile, has its own systems.

This gives rise to an analogy:

Human beings use mRNA so that cells produce spike protein;

the earth, metaphorically, appears to release its own “spikes” through mountains:

LAVA → ERUPTION → ASH / DUST / GAS → SO₂ → ATMOSPHERE.

SO₂ is not literally spike protein.

The “earth’s spike” is an analogy used in tadabbur, not a chemical identity.

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VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN AND CONTINUE

Volcanoes have been erupting since ancient times.

But today, human beings can observe numerous eruptions occurring across different regions, some of them continuously.

Ash is ejected.

Gases are released.

SO₂ enters the atmosphere.

Eruption clouds are carried by the wind far from their source.

Therefore, the mechanism:

MOUNTAIN → ERUPTION → ASH / GAS → ATMOSPHERE

is no longer something that must merely be imagined.

It can be seen with the eyes.

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AD-DUKHĀN 44:10 — THE SKY BRINGS SMOKE

Allah states:

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

“Then watch for the Day when the sky brings forth visible smoke.”

— Ad-Dukhān 44:10

Notice:

دُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

VISIBLE SMOKE.

In this tadabbur, volcanic eruptions provide a very clear mechanism:

A mountain erupts → material is fragmented → ash and gases rise → the atmosphere carries them.

This corresponds, in imagery, with Al-Qāri‘ah:

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنفُوشِ

“And the mountains become like scattered wool.”

— Al-Qāri‘ah 101:5

Mountains that were once solid can eventually scatter their material into the air.

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44:11 — THE SMOKE ENVELOPS HUMANITY

يَغْشَى النَّاسَ ۖ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

“It envelops humanity. This is a painful punishment.”

— Ad-Dukhān 44:11

The important phrase is:

يَغْشَى النَّاسَ

It envelops humanity.

Human beings do not merely see the smoke.

They are within the area enveloped by it.

And this is where human vulnerability becomes apparent.

Human beings can flee from fire.

They can enter their homes.

They can enter bunkers.

But human beings cannot stop:

BREATHING.

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BEGINNING LIKE A COMMON COLD

In a narration concerning Ad-Dukhān, believers are described as being affected:

كَالزُّكْمَةِ

“Like a common cold.”

In this tadabbur, its beginning is interpreted as a disturbance that appears similar to an ordinary respiratory illness:

coughing,

body aches,

throat irritation,

breathing discomfort.

It recalls humanity’s experience with COVID-19 in terms of respiratory symptoms, although the causes are different.

COVID-19 is a viral disease.

SO₂ is a gas.

But both can affect the same area:

the human respiratory system.

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AL-FĪL — LIKE LEAVES THAT HAVE BEEN EATEN

Surah Al-Fīl concludes:

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ

“Then He made them like leaves that have been eaten.”

— Al-Fīl 105:5

In this tadabbur, “leaves that have been eaten” is interpreted as an analogy for damage to the delicate structures of the body, particularly the lungs.

When the lungs are impaired:

air still enters,

but oxygen exchange no longer functions properly.

A person breathes,

yet the body remains deprived of oxygen.

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44:12 — HUMANITY ASKS FOR THE PUNISHMENT TO BE REMOVED

رَبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ

“Our Lord, remove this punishment from us; indeed, we are believers.”

— Ad-Dukhān 44:12

When human beings can no longer control the situation, they begin to plead.

They want the punishment to stop.

They want to return.

But the following verse reminds them:

The warning had actually come much earlier.

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44:13 — THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THE WARNING HAD ALREADY COME

أَنَّىٰ لَهُمُ الذِّكْرَىٰ وَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ

“How can they take heed when a clear messenger had already come to them?”

— Ad-Dukhān 44:13

The warning comes before human beings become truly desperate.

In this tadabbur, the one who brings the warning carries two things:

SPIRITUAL REMEDY

— returning to the correct aqidah, escaping deception, and correcting one’s witnessing and understanding.

PHYSICAL REMEDY

— a path towards bodily recovery from the epidemic when that phase actually occurs.

This article is a warning before the event has fully unfolded. Therefore, there is no need to claim the existence of a specific physical remedy at this stage.

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THE PATTERN OF NUH AS REPEATS ITSELF

In Sahih Bukhari 3339, Nuh AS had delivered the message.

But his people denied it.

They claimed that the warning had never reached them.

Yet Nuh had already warned them.

Therefore, the pattern of Nuh is:

WARNING

↓

REJECTION

↓

TIME IS GIVEN

↓

THE EVENT OCCURS

↓

ONLY THEN DO HUMAN BEINGS REALISE

The Sirah is not merely history.

It reveals how human beings respond when the truth comes before a disaster.

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44:14 — THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THE WARNING IS ACCUSED OF MADNESS

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا مُعَلَّمٌ مَّجْنُونٌ

“Then they turned away from him and said, ‘He has been taught, and he is mad.’”

— Ad-Dukhān 44:14

When human beings refuse to accept a warning, the person who brings it is often attacked.

Misguided.

Deviant.

Mad.

The real issue is no longer the content of the warning.

The issue is that human beings are defending their old beliefs.

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44:15 — THE PUNISHMENT STOPS FOR THOSE WHO RETURN

إِنَّا كَاشِفُوا الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلًا ۚ إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ

“Indeed, We will remove the punishment for a little while; indeed, you will return.”

— Ad-Dukhān 44:15

In this tadabbur, the point is not that “the punishment merely becomes lighter”.

It is interpreted as:

The punishment stops for those who genuinely return to the truth and accept the path towards recovery.

They may have made mistakes because they were:

deceived,

afraid,

influenced,

or unable to understand.

But when the warning comes, they are given a second chance.

The sequence is:

BECOME AWARE

↓

RETURN

↓

ACCEPT THE WARNING

↓

ACCEPT THE REMEDY

↓

RECOVER

↓

THE PUNISHMENT STOPS

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THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO REJECT

But not everyone wishes to return.

Some continue to:

oppose,

reject the one who brings the warning,

reject the remedy,

and defend their mistakes.

Therefore, the suffering continues.

And this is where Surah Al-Qiyāmah becomes particularly important.

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AL-QIYĀMAH — THE LEGS BECOME ENTWINED

Allah states:

وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ

“And the leg becomes entwined with the other leg.”

— Al-Qiyāmah 75:29

In this tadabbur, human beings experiencing oxygen deprivation may suffer:

weakness,

spasms,

cramps,

limbs that no longer function normally.

A person thinks that death is approaching.

But death does not necessarily come immediately.

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THE IRONY OF AL-WAHN: FEARING DEATH, ONLY TO SUFFER BECAUSE DEATH DOES NOT COME

This is where the entire tadabbur returns to the Hadith:

حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ

“Love of the world and fear or hatred of death.”

Initially, human beings want:

NOT TO DIE.

They want to preserve life.

They fear losing the world.

They are willing to do whatever they believe can prolong their lives.

But when suffering comes and does not stop, their desire changes.

Before:

“I am afraid to die.”

Then:

“I want to die.”

The Quran presents a very severe depiction:

ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ

“Then he neither dies therein nor lives.”

— Al-A‘lā 87:13

And:

لَا يُقْضَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا

“Death is not decreed for them so that they may die.”

— Fāṭir 35:36

In their original context, these verses speak about the punishment of the Hereafter. But in this cross-textual tadabbur, the depiction of “neither dying nor truly living” becomes a reflection of the irony of al-wahn.

The sequence is:

FEAR OF DEATH

↓

THE DESIRE NOT TO DIE

↓

EFFORTS TO PRESERVE LIFE

↓

SUFFERING ARRIVES

↓

BREATHLESSNESS / SPASMS / ENTWINED LEGS

↓

THE PERSON THINKS DEATH IS APPROACHING

↓

BUT THE DEATH THEY HOPE FOR DOES NOT COME

Therefore, the torment is not merely pain.

THE TORMENT IS THAT DEATH NEVER COMES.

Human beings receive what they had once been so afraid of losing:

life.

But that life turns into suffering.

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44:16 — THE GREAT BLOW

Finally:

يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ

“On the Day when We deliver the great blow; indeed, We will exact retribution.”

— Ad-Dukhān 44:16

After the warning.

After the opportunity to return.

After the path towards recovery has been presented.

Some still continue to reject.

Then comes:

الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ

THE GREAT BLOW.

In this tadabbur, it is associated with Al-Qāri‘ah — the great shock or blow — after human beings assume that their suffering will end with death.

But they do not die.

The suffering continues.

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THE COMPLETE SEQUENCE

AL-WAHN: LOVE OF THE WORLD + FEAR OF DEATH

↓

COVID-19 BECOMES A TEST OF HUMAN FEAR

↓

THE TEST OF THE RIVER = VACCINE FLUID

↓

mRNA → CELLS PRODUCE SPIKE PROTEIN

↓

THE EARTH METAPHORICALLY RELEASES ITS OWN “SPIKES”

↓

MOUNTAIN → LAVA → ERUPTION → ASH / SO₂

↓

THE ATMOSPHERE CARRIES SMOKE

↓

دُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ — VISIBLE SMOKE

↓

يَغْشَى النَّاسَ — ENVELOPING HUMANITY

↓

BEGINNING LIKE A COMMON COLD

↓

AL-FĪL — LIKE LEAVES THAT HAVE BEEN EATEN

↓

THE LUNGS ARE AFFECTED → BREATHLESSNESS

↓

HUMANITY ASKS FOR THE PUNISHMENT TO BE REMOVED

↓

THE WARNING HAD ACTUALLY ALREADY COME

↓

THE PATTERN OF NUH REPEATS ITSELF

↓

SOME REJECT AND MAKE ACCUSATIONS

↓

SOME BECOME AWARE AND RETURN

↓

SPIRITUAL REMEDY + PATH TOWARDS PHYSICAL RECOVERY

↓

THE PUNISHMENT STOPS FOR THOSE WHO RETURN

↓

THOSE WHO REJECT CONTINUE TO SUFFER

↓

AL-QIYĀMAH — THE LEGS BECOME ENTWINED

↓

FEAR OF DEATH TURNS INTO A DESIRE FOR DEATH

↓

BUT DEATH NEVER COMES

↓

الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَىٰ / AL-QĀRI‘AH — THE GREAT BLOW

THIS IS A WARNING

What can already be observed today is that:

Volcanic eruptions are occurring in many places, some continuously; ash and gases can indeed rise into the atmosphere; and SO₂ can indeed affect the respiratory system.

But this does not mean that the entirety of Ad-Dukhān has already fully occurred.

That is why this article is:

A WARNING.

Because the verse begins with:

فَارْتَقِبْ

“Then wait / watch.”

The task of human beings is not to wait with their eyes closed.

Their task is to:

observe, understand, recognise the patterns and return before it is too late.

A person may have made mistakes before.

They may have been deceived.

They may have made choices out of fear.

The warning does not come to close the door.

The warning comes because the door to return is still open.