Shiddet (violence/intensity) is an attribute both divine and existential (belonging both to Allah and to the servants). Prophet Mūsā said: "Strengthen my power with Him!" Abū Yazīd recited the verse, "Indeed, the seizure of your Lord is severe" (Qur'an 85:12), and said, "My seizure is even more severe." The reason for this is that in the servant's power, there is no mercy towards the created (kawniyya). Allah's power, however, is not like this. For divine mercy is with Allah, and Allah knows this. There is also such a thing in the servant's power, but the servant cannot witness it. Even if he shows mercy to himself with this power, he cannot find any trace of it in his own nafs (the lower self). Yet, even if the servant does not know, Allah knows everything. For He knows that His mercy encompasses everything, and thus it encompasses both His own power and the power of creation. However, not everyone who possesses power knows this.
Alongside the power the servant acquires by himself, there is also a power he acquires through his Lord. In reality, there is no power that the Lord acquires through the servant. Abū Yazīd attributed the power of his Lord to his own power and said, "My seizure is even more severe." For in this expression is my Lord's power. In my Lord's power over His servants, there is also my power. When the Real (al-Ḥaqq) describes Himself as shadīd (intense/severe), this is the presence of causes that exist in the world within things. He punishes His servants with fire. In the fire, there is a ruling concerning punishment. This is attributed to what Allah causes the punished one to feel. Here, there is a veil that conceals Allah. The one who is punished can see nothing but the causes. His seizing of the servant is not due to being a punisher, but due to being shadīd (intense/severe).