Fakaththaboohu faakhathahum AAathabu yawmi aththullati innahu kana AAathaba yawmin AAatheem (surah Shuara: 189)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(26:189) They treated him as a liar. At last, the torment of the Day of Canopy overtook them, *117 and it was the torment of an extremely dreadful day.

Fakazzaboohu fa akhazahum `azaabu Yawmiz zullah; innahoo kaana `azaaba Yawmin `Azeem

*117) The details of this torment are neither found in the Qur'an nor in any authentic Tradition. What one can learn from the Text is this: As these people had demanded a torment from the sky. Allah sent upon them a cloud which hung over them like a canopy and kept hanging until they were completely destroyed by the torment of continuous rain. The Qur'an clearly points out that the nature of the torment sent upon the Midianites was different from that sent upon the people of Aiykah The people of Aiykah, as mentioned here, were destroyed by the torment of the Canopy, while the torment visiting the Midianites was in the form of a terrible earthquake: "It so happened that a shocking catastrophe overtook them and they remained lying prostrate in their dwellings." (Al-A'raf: 91). And: "A dreadful shuck overtook them and they lay lifeless and prostrate in their homes." (Hud: 94). Therefore, it is wrong to regard the two torments as identical. Some commentators have given a few explanations of "the torment of the Day of Canopy", but we do not know the source of their information. Ibn Jarir has quoted Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas as saying: "If somebody from among the scholars gives you an explanation of the torment of the Day of Canopy, do not consider it as correct.