Strengthening the Ummah

We were with `Abdullah and he said, "When the Prophet (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 Mas`ud 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 .