And when they were in their associating partners, it was as if they thought that the hardship had truly departed from them in a way that would not return. What was appropriate for them was to remain in a state of humility, either out of loyalty or fear. He informed them, as a warning to them of His might and a caution from His immense power, that that hardship which had humbled them had not truly vanished. For the power of the King over it in times of ease is the same as His power over it at its time; indeed, He is the Creator of both states and their causes and what is in them. However, they are blind of sight, rough in nature. So He said: "Say, He is" meaning: alone, "the All-Powerful." And He did not phrase it in a form of exaggeration because they did not deny His power; rather, they claimed partnership which He negated by specification. Although the definition implies exaggeration, "to send down" means: at any time He wills, "upon you" means: in every situation, "a punishment from above you" by dropping pieces of the sky or something from it like the stones with which the people of Lot were stoned or the punishment of your leaders, or "from beneath your feet" means: by sinking or stirring up snakes or others from the earth, as occurred to some who preceded, or by empowering your lowly ones and your slaves over you. "Or He may mix you" means: He mixes among you while you are "factions" meaning: divided, each faction upon a desire, and that would be a cause for the sword. "And He will make some of you taste" means: some of those factions "the might of one another," thus equating between the sacred and the non-sacred, and the taking by plunder and raids would become general. The flow of this speech thus implies its occurrence at a certain time for certain people; for the speech of kings is preserved from lacking a form that exists, even if it is in the manner of a condition and the like. So how about the King of kings, the Knower of the unseen! And for training on such understanding in the words of Allah, the Exalted, the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said in what was narrated by Al-Tirmidhi in the tafsir from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him: "Indeed, it will certainly happen, and its interpretation has not yet come." And he said: "It is good and strange," and there will come further elaboration and verification of His saying, the Exalted, in Al-Furqan: "Blessed is He who, if He wills, can give you better than that." And when this was a great clarification, He indicated its greatness by saying: "Look," and He magnified it further by questioning, saying: "How do We explain the signs?" meaning: We repeat them directed in all the wondrous, beneficial, and eloquent aspects, "so that they may understand" means: so that their state may be like that of one whose understanding is hoped for and who benefits from it.