لَاأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًاI will surely punish him with a severe torment,Al-A`mash said, narrating from Al-Minhal bin `Amr from Sa`id that Ibn Abbas said:"He meant, by plucking his feathers."Abdullah bin Shaddad said:"By plucking his feathers and exposing him to the sun."This was also the view of more than one of the Salaf, that it means plucking his feathers and leaving him exposed to be eaten by ants.أَوْ لَاَذْبَحَنَّهُor slaughter him,means, killing him.أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍunless he brings me a clear reason.i.e., a valid excuse.Sufyan bin Uyaynah and Abdullah bin Shaddad said:"When the hoopoe came back, the other birds said to him:"What kept you, Suleiman has vowed to shed your blood."The hoopoe said:"Did he make any exception (did he say `unless!')."They said, "Yes, he said:لَاأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَاأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ(I will surely punish him with a severe torment or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason).The hoopoe said, "Then I am saved.