"I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or I will slaughter him." Qatadah said: His punishment is that he plucks his feathers and leaves him at the watering place until the small ants and insects consume him. "Or he must bring me a clear authority" [meaning] a clear excuse.
﴿لأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لأَذْبَحَنَّهُ﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: وَعَذَابُهُ أَنْ يَنْتِفَ رِيشَهُ وَيَذَرُهُ فِي الْمَنْهِلِ؛ حَتَّى يَأْكُلَهُ الذَّرُّ وَالنَّمْلُ ﴿أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بسُلْطَان مُبين﴾ بِعُذْر بَين
