“They would have yielded to it”: that is, they would have granted it. The reciters of the Hijaz read it as, “they would have come to it”: that is, they would have embraced it, committed it, and renounced Islam. “And they would not have delayed over it”: that is, they would not have held back from apostasy except for a little while; rather, they would have hastened to respond to shirk, willingly and wholeheartedly. This is the view of most exegetes.

Al-Hasan and al-Farra’ said: They would not have remained in Medina after yielding to disbelief except for a little while, until they perished. (1)

“And they had already made a covenant with Allah before not to turn their backs in flight; and a covenant with Allah must be answered for.” (15)