"Then the punishment of the day of the shadow [yawm al-zulla] seized them." Qatada said: They were people of a thicket and trees, and most of their trees were the doum palm. God afflicted them with heat for seven days, and no shade would shelter them, nor would anything benefit them against it. So God sent a cloud upon them.
﴿فَأَخذهُم عَذَاب يَوْم الظلة﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: كَانُوا أَهْلَ غَيْضَةٍ وَشَجَرٍ، وَكَانَ أَكْثَرَ شَجَرِهِمُ الدَّوْمُ، فَسَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحَرَّ سَبْعَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَكَانَ لَا يُكِنُّهُمْ ظِلٌ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ سَحَابَةً