The Most High says, relating the words of Noah:

“My people, I am a clear warner to you: worship Allah, fear Him and obey me. He will forgive you of your sins and grant you respite until an appointed term.”

The passage continues to His words:

“Seek your Lord’s forgiveness, for He is ever All-Forgiving. He will send down abundant rain upon you,” and so on.

The Most High also says:

“My people, seek your Lord’s forgiveness, then repent to Him. He will send down abundant rain upon you and add strength to your strength.”

This is because the Most High has said:

“Whatever calamity befalls you is because of what your own hands have earned, and He pardons much.”

The Most High says:

“Those of you who turned away on the day the two armies met—it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some of what they had earned.”

The Most High says:

“When a calamity befell you, although you had inflicted twice as much, did you say, ‘How has this happened?’ Say, ‘It is from yourselves.’”

The Most High says:

“And if a misfortune befalls them because of what their own hands have sent forth.”

The Most High says:

“Whatever good befalls you is from Allah, and whatever misfortune befalls you is from yourself.”

As for the punishment averted, it encompasses both punishment sent from heaven and that inflicted by human beings. Allah has called all of this punishment, as the Most High says concerning the second kind:

“And when We saved you from Pharaoh’s people, who subjected you to terrible torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women.”

The Most High says:

“Fight them: Allah will punish them at your hands, disgrace them and grant you victory over them.”

Likewise:

“Say, ‘Are you waiting for anything to befall us other than one of the two best outcomes? We, however, are waiting for Allah to afflict you with punishment from Himself or at our hands.’”

The implied meaning is: with punishment from Himself or with punishment at our hands, as the Most High says:

“Fight them: Allah will punish them at your hands.”