Tafseer: Division is a punishment

بــسـم الله والحـمـد لله والصلاة والسـلام عـلى رسـول الله، وبعـد

Allaah تعالى says:

﴿قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَاباً مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَـتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ ﴾

{Say: “He has power to send calamities on you from above and below or to cover you with confusion in party strife giving you a taste of mutual vengeance each from the other.” See how We explain the Signs by various (symbols) that they may understand.} [Surah al-An`aam (6): 65]

Narrated Jaabir bin `Abdullaah رضي الله عنه: When this Verse was revealed:

{Say: “He has power to send calamities on you from above}

Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “O Allaah! I seek refuge with Your Face (from this punishment).”

And when the verse: {or (send torment from) below (your feet)} (was revealed),

Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “(O Allaah!) I seek refuge with Your Face (from this punishment).”

(But when there was revealed): {Or confuse you in party strife and make you to taste the violence of one another.}

Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “This is lighter (or, this is easier).” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (4628, 7317)]

Sa`d bin Abi Waqqaas رضي الله عنه said: We accompanied the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم and passed by the Masjid of Bani Mu`aawiyah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم went in and offered a two Rak`ah prayer, and we prayed behind him. He supplicated to his Lord for a long time and then said: “I asked my Lord for three: I asked Him not to destroy my Ummah (Muslims) by drowning and He gave that to me. I asked Him not to destroy my Ummah by famine and He gave that to me. And I asked Him not to make them taste the violence of one another, but He did not give that to me.” [Saheeh Muslim (5149) and Musnad Ahmad (1578)]

Khabbaab bin Al-Aratt رضي الله عنه, who attended the battle of Badr with the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم, said: "I met Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم during a night in which he prayed throughout it, until dawn. When the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم ended his prayer, I said: `O Allaah’s Messenger! This night, you have performed a prayer that I never saw you perform before.' Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Yes, it was a prayer of eagerness and fear. During this prayer, I asked my Lord for three things and He gave me two and refused to give me the third. I asked my Lord not to destroy us with what He destroyed the nations before us and He gave me that. I asked my Lord not to make our enemies prevail above us and He gave me that. I asked my Lord not to cover us with confusion in party strife, but He refused.” [Tirmidhee (2175) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Imaam Ibn Katheer رحمه الله said in his Tafseer:

Concerning Allaah’s statement:

﴿أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً﴾

{or to cover you with confusion in party strife} means, He تعالى causes you to be in disarray and separate into opposing parties and groups.

Al-Walibi (`Ali bin Abi Talhah) reported that Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما said that this Aayah refers to desires.

Mujaahid and several others said similarly.

A Hadeeth from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, collected from various chains of narration, states,

“And this Ummah (Muslims) will divide into seventy - three groups, all of them in the Fire except one.”

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ﴾

{and make you taste the violence of one another} meaning, some of you will experience torture and murder from one another, according to Ibn `Abbaas and others.

Allaah تعالى said next:

﴿انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَـتِ﴾

{See how variously We explain the Aayaat,} by making them clear, plain and duly explained,

﴿لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ﴾

{So that they may understand} and comprehend Allaah’s Aayaat, proofs and evidences.

--end of quote

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