What is the difference between His – the Most High’s – saying in Surat An-Naml: "أولوا قوة وأولوا بأس شديد" (possessors of strength and possessors of severe might) and His – the Most High’s – saying in Surat Al-Fath: "أولي بأس شديد" (possessors of severe might)?

The verse 33 of Surat An-Naml illustrates the response of Bilqis's people to her consultation regarding Solomon's letter, where they said: "We are possessed of strength and possessed of mighty prowess" (An-Naml: 33). "Possessed of strength" means that they had a large number of soldiers and equipment, and the ability to fight, while "possessed of mighty prowess" means that they were severely impactful and devastating to the enemy. This response indicates their readiness for war and to defend their kingdom by force.

As for Surat Al-Fath (verse 16), the Almighty's saying: "You will be called to [fight against] a people possessed of mighty prowess" refers to the Bedouins who lagged behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in the Battle of Al-Hudaybiyyah, and that they would be called to fight Hawazin and Banu Hanifa, who apostatized from Islam during the time of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. These people are described as "possessed of mighty prowess," meaning severely impactful.

The difference between the two descriptions lies in the fact that Bilqis's people were characterized by "strength" (which means abundance in number, equipment, and ability to fight) in addition to "mighty prowess," while the people mentioned in Surat Al-Fath were characterized only by "mighty prowess" when encountering the enemy.