Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3065
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ : (قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ ) قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ " . فَلَمَّا نَزَلَتْْ ( أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ) قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَاتَانِ أَهْوَنُ - أَوْ - هَاتَانِ أَيْسَرُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah reported: ‘When the verse “Say: He is able to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet…” (Qur’an 6:65) was revealed, the Prophet said, “I seek refuge in Your Face.” When the words “or divide you into factions and make some of you taste the violence of others” were revealed, the Prophet said, “These two are less severe”—or, “these two are easier.”’ Abu ‘Isa graded this hadith hasan sahih.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report records the Prophet seeking refuge from punishment descending from above or arising beneath people, and describing factional conflict and mutual violence as less severe.