Tafsir of Ad-Dukhan 44:15

This is a response from His side—Exalted be He—to their statement, and an announcement of their return upon the assumption of the removal [of the punishment]. That is: If We were to remove the punishment from you—a slight removal or for a short time—you would return to disbelief.

You know that their returning to it implies their having believed [previously], and it has already been mentioned that they did not believe, but rather [only] promised to believe. Thus, either their promise is treated as equivalent to their actual belief, or the meaning is that they will return to persistence in disbelief, or to affirming and declaring it.

Qatadah said: This is a threat regarding the return in the Hereafter, but this is highly contrary to the apparent meaning. Those who say that the "Smoke" is [an event] of the Day of Resurrection say that His saying—Glorified be He—"Indeed, We will remove the punishment..." is a promise of removal similar to His saying—Almighty and Majestic be He—"But if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden."

Those who say the intended meaning is one of the signs of the Hour speak of the possibility of [its] removal and that accountability is not suspended upon its appearance, even if it is one of the signs. Indeed, it has come in some traditions that it remains for forty days and nights, then it is removed from them, and they return to what they were upon of misguidance.

Interpreting it according to what is narrated from Ibn Mas’ud is clearly sound, with no room for dispute. His saying—Glorified be He—"And there had come to them..." etc., is strongly consistent with this. It is poorly suited to the opinion narrated from the Commander [Ali ibn Abi Talib]—may Allah ennoble his face—and those with him; for in order to reconcile it, it was necessary to consider the attribution as being from the category of attributing the state of the few to the whole, or to interpret "the people" as referring [only] to the disbelievers present at that time. The matter, according to the view that it occurred during the conquest of Makkah, is easier; yet, even so, it is not like the view of Ibn Mas’ud. So contemplate this.