Al-Fath • EN-TAFSIR-IBN-ABBAS
﴿ قُل لِّلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ أُو۟لِى بَأْسٍۢ شَدِيدٍۢ تُقَٰتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ ۖ فَإِن تُطِيعُوا۟ يُؤْتِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَجْرًا حَسَنًۭا ۖ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ كَمَا تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا ﴾
“Say unto those bedouin who stayed behind: “In time you will be called upon [to fight] against people of great prowess in war: you will have to fight against them [until you die] or they surrender. And then, if you heed [that call], God will bestow on you a goodly reward; but if you turn away as you turned away this time, He will chastise you with grievous chastisement.””
(Say) O Muhammad (unto those of the wandering Arabs who were left behind) Dayl, Ashja', and a group of people from both Muzaynah and Juhaynah: (Ye will be called) after the Prophet (pbuh) (against a folk) to fight a folk (of mighty prowess) who are tough in fighting; the reference here is to the people of al-Yamamah, Banu Hanifah, the folk of Musaylimah the liar, (to fight them) because of religion (until they surrender; and if ye obey) and agree to fight and make your profession of Allah's divine Oneness pure, (Allah will give you a fair reward) in the Garden; (but if ye turn away) from Allah's divine Oneness, repentance, sincerity and acceptance to fight against Musaylimah the liar (as ye did turn away before) at the conquest of al-Hudaybiyyah, (He will punish you with a painful doom).