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A Tribulation of Dust and
Smoke
This hadith foretells
a dusty, smoky, and dark wave of tribulation
just before the Mahdi's advent. The word
"tribulation" (fitna) implies anything that
turns peoples' reason and hearts away from
the true path, or war, incitement, chaos,
disorder, and conflict.5
The tribulation mentioned in this hadith
will leave behind smoke and dust.
Furthermore, as this tribulation is described
as resembling "patches of dark night," its
origins are unclear and it is unexpected.
Thus, this hadith could refer to one of
the world's worst terrorist attacks: 9/11,
when New York City and Washington, DC, were
attacked. As the whole world saw, a big,
thick cloud of dust and smoke swallowed
up the immediate surroundings.
A large cloud of smoke formed after the
airplanes exploded after smashing into the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The
resulting smoke reached so high and spread
so far that it could be seen throughout
the city and even from neighboring cities.
The ensuing collapse of the Twin Towers
caused yet another huge cloud of smoke and
dust, which completely enveloped people
in the area.
This incident is very important for several
reasons: It is one of the most serious acts
of terror in world history, and it occurred
along with other signs and bears characteristics
similar to ones described in the hadith.
Therefore, this act may well be the "tribulation
like patches of dark night" foretold by
the hadith as the sign of the Mahdi's emergence.
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5.
Ottoman-Turkish Dictionary, Istanbul: 2000,
p. 274. 
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