44:3
“Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night.”
Identifies the night of the Quran's revelation as blessed, connected by scholars to Laylat al-Qadr in Ramadan. A key verse in establishing the sanctity of Ramadan and its final ten nights.
All Surahs
Surah 44Makki
الدخان
The Smoke
Ad Dukhan
Verses
59
Revelation
Makki
Period
Late Makkan
Surah No.
44 / 114
Overview
Ad-Dukhan takes its name from the smoke (dukhan) mentioned in verse 10 as one of the signs of the approaching Last Hour. The surah celebrates the revelation of the Quran on the blessed night of Laylat al-Qadr and presents this as the definitive sign of divine mercy and guidance. It then moves through the story of Musa and Pharaoh – specifically Pharaoh's belated faith at the moment of drowning – and closes with a vivid description of the tree of Zaqqum in Hell and the joys of the Garden awaiting the righteous.
أسباب النزول
Occasion of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)
Revealed in the late Makkan period during a severe drought that afflicted the Quraysh, which the Prophet had prayed for as a consequence of their persistent rejection. Verse 10 (the smoke) refers either to the literal haze seen during the famine or to an eschatological sign. The story of Pharaoh's false faith (44:27-29) was a warning that belated belief at the moment of destruction is not accepted – directed at those who similarly delayed accepting the truth.
Key Themes
The Quran as a mercy revealed on a blessed nightThe smoke as a sign of the Last HourThe story of Musa and Pharaoh: rejected faithThe tree of Zaqqum as a punishment of HellThe rewards of Paradise for the righteous
Notable Verses
44:10
“Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke.”
The verse that gives the surah its name; scholars differ on whether this refers to the famine of Makkah or to a major sign preceding the Day of Judgement.