It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about this verse: {ہُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلٰی أَ نْ یَبْعَثَ عَلَیْکُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِکُمْ أَ وْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَ رْجُلِکُمْ} … Say,“He is able to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet.”The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Beware, this is going to happen, but its interpretation has not yet been fulfilled (i.e., its actual occurrence has not yet appeared).

Narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when this verse was revealed: {ہُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلٰی أَ نْ یَبْعَثَ عَلَیْکُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِکُمْ} … Say, "He is able to send punishment upon you from above you," the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah! I seek refuge in Your Face." When this part was revealed: {أَ وْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَ رْجُلِکُمْ} … "or from beneath your feet," the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah! I seek refuge in Your Face." And when this part was revealed: {أَ وْ یَلْبِسَکُمْ شِیَعًا وَیُذِیقَ بَعْضَکُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ} … "or to confuse you in sects and make you taste the violence of one another," the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is lighter and easier punishment."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah Almighty said: {قُلْ ہُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلٰٓی اَنْ یَّبْعَثَ عَلَیْکُمْ عَذَابًا مِّنْ فَوْقِکُمْ اَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ اَرْجُلِکُمْ اَوْ یَلْبِسَکُمْ شِیَعًا وَّیُذِیْقَ بَعْضَکُمْ بَاْسَ بَعْضٍ اُنْظُرْ کَیْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْاٰیٰتِ لَعَلَّہُمْ یَفْقَہُوْنَ۔} … Say, "He is able to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confuse you in sects and make you taste the violence of one another." See how We explain the signs in various ways so that they may understand. Then Sayyiduna Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: These are four matters, all four are forms of punishment, all are bound to occur, in fact, they occurred twenty-five years after the passing of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), one is that people were divided into sects, and the second is that they made each other taste punishment, the remaining two are also bound to occur, and they are: sinking into the earth and the raining of stones.