Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:117

{Allah has turned in mercy to the Prophet} This is like His saying: {That Allah may forgive you your past and future sins} (Al-Fath: 2), and His saying: {And ask forgiveness for your sin}. It is an encouragement for the believers to repent, showing that no believer is free from the need for repentance and seeking forgiveness—not even the Prophet, the Emigrants (Muhajirun), or the Helpers (Ansar). It demonstrates the virtue of repentance and its status before Allah, and that the attribute of the "repentant and returning" is the attribute of the Prophets, just as He described them as "the righteous" to manifest the virtue of righteousness.

It is also said: Its meaning is that Allah turned to him in mercy regarding his permission for the hypocrites to stay behind, as in His saying: {May Allah pardon you} (At-Tawbah: 43).

{In the hour of difficulty (al-‘usrah)} Meaning: in its time. The word "hour" (sa'ah) is used here to mean absolute time, just as "morning," "evening," and "day" are used. (Poetic examples omitted)

{Al-‘Usrah (The Difficulty)}: It refers to their state during the Battle of Tabuk:

• Difficulty of transport: Ten men would take turns riding a single camel.
• Difficulty of provisions: They took worm-eaten dates, moldy barley, and rancid fat. The hardship reached such a point that two men would share a single date, and sometimes a group would suck on it to drink water afterward.
• Difficulty of water: They reached such a state that they slaughtered their camels and squeezed their dung to drink the moisture.
• Difficulty of the season: It was the peak of summer heat, combined with drought, famine, and severe constriction.

{Almost the hearts of a party of them swerved} Meaning: from steadfastness in faith, or from following the Messenger in that expedition and going out with him. In the word "kāda" (almost), there is a pronoun of state (dhamīr al-sha’n). Sibawayh compared it to their saying: "Laysa khalqa Allāhi mithlahu" (There is nothing of Allah’s creation like Him). It is recited as "yazīghu" (swerved) with a ya. In the recitation of Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud], it is: "min ba'di mā zāghat qulūbu farīqin minhum" (after the hearts of a party of them had swerved), referring to the believers who stayed behind, like Abu Lubabah and his likes.

{Then He turned to them in mercy} This is a repetition for emphasis. It is also possible that the pronoun refers to the "party": He turned to them in mercy because of their near-swerving.

{And to the three who were left behind, until the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for them, and their own souls were straitened for them, and they perceived that there is no refuge from Allah but unto Him. Then He turned to them in mercy, that they might repent. Verily, Allah is the Relenting, the Merciful.}