Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:65

قل هو القادر على أن يبعث عليكم عذابا من فوقكم أو من تحت أرجلكم

Say: "He has the power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet,'' He said this after His statement,

ثم أنتم تشركون

(And yet you commit Shirk). Allah said next,

قل هو القادر على أن يبعث عليكم عذابا

(Say: "He has the power to send torment on you..''), after He saves you. Allah said in Surah Isra',

ربكم الذى يزجى لكم الفلك فى البحر لتبتغوا من فضله إنه كان بكم رحيما

وإذا مسكم الضر فى البحر ضل من تدعون إﻻ إياه فلما نجكم إلى البر أعرضتم وكان اﻻنسن كفورا

أفٲمنتم أن يخسف بكم جانب البر أو يرسل عليكم حاصبا ثم ﻻ تجدوا لكم وكيﻼ

أم أمنتم أن يعيدكم فيه تارة أخرى فيرسل عليكم قاصفا من الريح فيغرقكم بما كفرتم ثم ﻻ تجدوا لكم علينا به تبيعا

Your Lord is He Who drives the ship for you through the sea, in order that you may seek of His bounty. Truly! He is Ever Merciful towards you. And when harm strikes you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish from you except Him. But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful. Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow you up, or that He will not send against you a storm of stones! Then, you shall find no guardian. Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea, and send against you a hurricane of wind and drown you because of your disbelief, then you will not find any avenger therein against Us. (17:66-69) Al-Bukhari, may Allah grant him His mercy, commented on Allah's statement,

قل هو القادر

أو يلبسكم شيعا ويذيق بعضكم بٲس بعض

Say: "He has the power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet, or to Yalbisakum in party strife, and make you taste the violence of one another.'' "Yalbisakum means, `cover you with confusion', So it means to, `divide into parties and sects'. Jabir bin Abdullah said, `When this Ayah was revealed,

قل هو القادر على أن يبعث عليكم عذابا من فوقكم

(Say: "He has power to send torment on you from above''), Allah's Messenger said,

أعوذ بوجهك

(I seek refuge with Your Face),

أو من تحت أرجلكم

(or from under your feet), he again said,

أعوذ بوجهك

(I seek refuge with Your Face),

أو يلبسكم شيعا ويذيق بعضكم بٲس بعض

(or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another). he said,

هذه أهون أو أيسر

This is less burdensome or easier.''' Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith again in the book of Tawhid (in his Sahih), and An-Nasa'i also recorded it in the book of Tafsir. Another Hadith Imam Ahmad recorded that; Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said, We accompanied the Messenger of Allah and passed by the Masjid of Bani Mu`awiyah. The Prophet 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,

سٲلت ربي ثﻼأثا

سٲلته أن ﻻأ يهلك أمتي بالغرق فٲعطانيها

وسٲلته أن ﻻ يهلك أمتي بالسنة فٲعطانيها

وسٲلته أن ﻻ يجعل بٲسهم بينهم فمنعنيها

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. Muslim, but not Al-Bukhari, recorded this Hadith in the book on Fitan (trials) (of his Sahih). Another Hadith Imam Ahmad recorded that; Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, who attended the battle of Badr with the Messenger of Allah, said, "I met Allah's Messenger during a night in which he prayed throughout it, until dawn. When the Messenger of Allah ended his prayer, I said, `O Allah's Messenger! This night, you have performed a prayer that I never saw you perform before.' Allah's Messenger said,

أجل إنها صﻼة رغب ورهب سٲلت ربي عز وجل فيها ثﻼث خصال فٲعطاني اثنتين ومنعني واحدة

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

سٲلت ربي عز وجل أن ﻻأ يهلكنا بما أهلك به اﻻأمم قبلنا فٲعطانيها

وسٲلت ربي عز وجل أن ﻻ يظهر علينا عدوا من غيرنا فٲعطانيها

وسٲلت ربي عز وجل أن ﻻ يلبسنا شيعا فمنعنيها

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. An-Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and At-Tirmidhi also recorded it. In the book on Fitan, in Al-Jami`, At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih''. Allah's statement,

أو يلبسكم شيعا

or to cover you with confusion in party strife, means, He causes you to be in disarray and separate into opposing parties and groups. Al-Walibi (Ali bin Abi Talhah) reported that Ibn Abbas said that; this Ayah refers to desires. Mujahid and several others said similarly. A Hadith from the Prophet, collected from various chains of narration, states,

وستفترق هذه اﻻمة على ثﻼث وسبعين فرقة كلها في النار إﻻ واحدة

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

ويذيق بعضكم بٲس بعض

and make you taste the violence of one another. According to Ibn Abbas and others, meaning, some of you will experience torture and murder from one another. Allah said next,

انظر كيف نصرف اﻻيات

See how variously We explain the Ayat, by making them clear, plain and duly explained,

لعلهم يفقهون

So that they may understand. and comprehend Allah's Ayat, proofs and evidences