Revelational Circumstances of the Qur'an: Surah 44 (Ad-Dukhan)

10. But watch thou (O Muhammad) for the day when the sky will produce visible smoke
11. That will envelop the people. This will be a painful torment.
12. (Then they will say): Our Lord relieve us of the torment. Lo! we are believers.
13. How can there be remembrance for them, when a messenger making plain (the Truth) had already come unto them,
14. And they had turned away from him and said: One taught (by others), a madman?
15. Lo! We withdraw the torment a little. Lo! ye return (to disbelief).
16. On the day when We shall seize them with the greater seizure, (then) in truth We shall punish.

Narrated Masruq
We were with 'Abdullah and he said, "When the Prophet saw the refusal of the people to accept Islam he said, "O Allah! Send (famine) years on them for (seven years) like the seven years (of famine during the time) of (Prophet) Joseph." So famine overtook them for one year and destroyed every kind of life to such an extent that the people started eating hides, carcasses and rotten dead animals. Whenever one of them looked towards the sky, he would (imagine himself to) see smoke because of hunger. So Abu Sufyan went to the Prophet and said, "O Muhammad! You order people to obey Allah and to keep good relations with kith and kin. No doubt the people of your tribe are dying, so please pray to Allah for them." So Allah revealed: "Then watch you For the day that The sky will bring forth a kind Of smoke Plainly visible ... Verily! You will return (to disbelief) On the day when We shall seize You with a mighty grasp. (44.10-16) Ibn Masud added, "Al-Batsha (i.e. grasp) happened in the battle of Badr and no doubt smoke, Al-Batsha, Al-Lizam, and the verse of Surat Ar-Rum have all passed .