Sometimes two terms are not direct antonyms, yet one is linked to a meaning that opposes the other. The resulting contrast is indirect and is discussed as a figure related to ṭibāq.
The distinction matters because not every rhetorical pairing is strict antithesis. Severity and mercy are not as straightforwardly opposed in terminology as life and death; the opposition emerges through the relationship between mercy and gentleness, the opposite of severity.
The following Qur’anic example illustrates the qualified relationship.