It is narrated from Burayr al-Bahili (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: I asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) about the destruction of the people of Shu'ayb and about the saying of Allah Almighty: 'So the punishment of the Day of the Canopy seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a tremendous Day.' [Surah al-Shu'ara: 189] Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Allah Almighty set upon them a stifling closeness and intense heat which choked their breath. They went inside their houses (to escape it), but the heat overcame them inside the houses as well and began to choke their breath. Then they fled from the houses and went out into the open country, so Allah Almighty sent a cloud which gave them shade from the sun. They felt coolness and relief in that shade, so they began calling one another, until when they had all gathered beneath that cloud, Allah Almighty rained fire upon them." Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) further said: "So this is 'the punishment of the Day of the Canopy; indeed, it was the punishment of a tremendous Day.'"

It is narrated from Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "Allah Almighty sent the Prophet Shu'ayb (peace and blessings be upon him) to two nations: to his own people, the people of Madyan, and to the Companions of al-Aykah. Al-Aykah refers to dense, intertwined trees. So when Allah Almighty willed to send down punishment upon them, He set intense heat upon them, and raised up the punishment for them in the form of a cloud. When that cloud came near them, they came out towards it hoping for its coolness. When they had all gathered beneath it, it rained fire upon them." Qatadah said: This is the saying of Allah Almighty: 'So the punishment of the Day of the Canopy seized them.'

It is narrated from Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: 'The punishment of the Day of the Canopy', that he said: "What is meant by it is the shade of the punishment."

It is narrated from Zayd bin Aslam (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: 'Does your prayer command you that we should abandon what our forefathers worshipped, or that we should not do with our wealth as we please?' [Surah Hud: 87] , that he said: "Among the things he (Shu'ayb (peace be upon him)) used to forbid them was clipping dirhams (or he said: cutting the edges of dirhams)." And concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: 'So the punishment of the Day of the Canopy seized them. Indeed, it was the punishment of a tremendous Day' [Surah al-Shu'ara: 189] , he said: "A canopy of cloud was sent towards them, and Allah Almighty commanded the sun, and it produced intense heat upon the earth. They all came out towards that shade, until when they had all gathered there, Allah Almighty removed that shade from them and intensified the heat of the sun upon them, so they were scorched just as locusts are scorched in a frying pan."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "Whoever among the scholars tells you what the punishment of the Day of the Canopy (Yawm al-Zullah) was like, then declare him a liar (because no one but Allah knows its true nature)." [Mention of Ya'qub bin Ishaq bin Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah (may the blessings of Allah be upon them)]