This article examines the ambivalent position of violence in Islamic theology, taking as its point of departure the formative experiences of violence in the early Muslim community during the fitna. These crises, political upheavals, civil wars, and sectarian divisions, were not interpreted in theological reflection as mere historical accidents, but as divine trials that raised fundamental questions of authority, legitimacy, and communal unity. Central to the analysis are the divergent responses of Sunnī, Muʿtazilite, and later mystical traditions to the tension between divine omnipotence, justice, and human responsibility. The study highlights how Sunnī doctrine, particularly the theory of kasb, developed a mediating position between fatalism and autonomy, yet was frequently instrumentalized in practice to legitimize the use of political violence by rulers. Special attention is given to Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s hermeneutical analysis, which reveals the interconnection between linguistic interpretation, claims to power, and violence. By integrating historical, theological, and linguistic-critical perspectives, the article demonstrates that violence in kalām has been both a subject of ethical limitation and political appropriation—a tension that continues to shape contemporary Muslim debates on legitimacy, resistance, and communal peace.