Say: He Is Able to Send Torment from Above You — Threat and Hope in One Verse
tadabbur
Level: intermediate
tawhid
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قُلۡ هُوَ ٱلۡقَادِرُ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَبۡعَثَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ عَذَابٗا
— الأنعام 65
Verse: "Say: He is able to send torment from above you or from beneath your feet." (6:65) — When this was recited the Prophet ﷺ said "I seek refuge in Your Face." When the part about "making you parties and making some taste the violence of others" came he said "This is easier." The Prophet's weeping at a verse of punishment teaches us: fear of Allah is prophetic — not weakness. Lesson: internal strife among Muslims is a form of divine punishment.
Source: Ibn Kathir (3/244); Sahih Al-Bukhari
Question: Which of the three types of punishment did the Prophet ﷺ call "easier" despite being the longest?
Answer: Internal strife and infighting among Muslims — called "easier" by the Prophet despite being the longest in pain and most destructive to the nation.