Tafseer of The Smoke · Ad-Dukhaan · 44:15
Indeed, We will remove the torment for a little. Indeed, you [disbelievers] will return [to disbelief].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His statement: إِنَّا كَاشِفُو الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلا إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ (We shall lift the punishment a little; verily, you will relapse). He, exalted is His remembrance, says to these polytheists (mushrikīn) about whom He has reported that they call upon Him for help against the descending smoke and the punishment (ʿadhāb) that has afflicted them through the misery, and about whom He has reported that they promise Him that, if the punishment is lifted from them, they will believe. إِنَّا كَاشِفُو الْعَذَابِ: that is to say, the affliction that has befallen them, through the abundance that We bring about for them. قَلِيلا إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ (a little; verily, you will relapse). He says: verily you, O polytheists, when I lift from you the affliction that strikes you, you will not fulfill what you promise your Lord and pledge to Him of belief, but you will relapse into your error and your corruption, and into what you were before it was lifted from you.
And Qatāda used to say: its meaning is: verily, you will relapse into the punishment of Allah.
This Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on his authority. As for those who said that by His statement يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُبِينٍ (the Day when the heaven comes with manifest smoke) He meant the smoke itself — they said in this place: by the punishment about which He said إِنَّا كَاشِفُو الْعَذَابِ (We shall lift the punishment) the smoke is meant.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: إِنَّا كَاشِفُو الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلا (We shall lift the punishment a little): he means the smoke.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement إِنَّا كَاشِفُو الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلا (We shall lift the punishment a little): He has already done that; He lifted the smoke when it was present.
Concerning His statement إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ (verily, you will relapse) he said: it was lifted from them, and they relapsed.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ (verily, you will relapse): to the punishment of Allah.
