Al-Dahhak related from Ibn Abbas: By “the people with whom you have a treaty,” He meant Banu Bakr ibn Zayd ibn Manah, who were bound by a peace agreement and truce. Muqatil said: They were Khuza'ah.
His saying, “or those who come to you”: that is, they attach themselves to a people who come to you. “Their hearts distressed”: that is, their hearts were constrained. Al-Hasan and Ya'qub recited it as hasiratan, in the accusative and with nunation: that is, with their hearts constrained. [This refers to the people who came to you, namely Banu Mudlij. They had made a covenant not to fight the Muslims, and had made a covenant with Quraysh not to fight them. “Their hearts distressed” means: their hearts were constrained.] (1) “At the prospect of fighting you”: that is, from fighting you because of the treaty between you. “Or fighting their own people”: meaning, those of their people from whom they were secure. It may also mean that they would neither fight you alongside their people nor fight their people alongside you—meaning Quraysh—whose hearts were distressed by this.
Some said that “or” here has the sense of “and,” as though He were saying: [except those who join] a people with whom you have a treaty, and who come to you with their hearts distressed—that is, their hearts were constrained from fighting you or fighting alongside you. They were the people of Hilal, the Aslamites, and Banu Bakr. Allah, Glorified be He, prohibited fighting these apostates when they joined a people who had a treaty with the Muslims, because whoever affiliates himself with a people under covenant shares their ruling with regard to the inviolability of life.
His saying, Exalted is He, “Had Allah willed, He would have given them power over you, and they would have fought you”: He mentions His favor upon the Muslims in restraining the might of those bound by treaty. He says: Their reluctance to fight you was due to the fear Allah had cast into their hearts, by which He restrained them from fighting you. Had Allah willed, He would have given them power over you, and they would have fought you alongside their people. “So if they withdraw from you”: that is, if they refrain from fighting you. “And do not fight you”: nor those who have joined them. It is also said that this would have been on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, when they would have fought you alongside their people. “And offer you peace”: that is, they offer reconciliation, submitting and surrendering. “Then Allah has given you no way against them”: that is, no means of killing or fighting them.
“You will find others who wish to be secure from you and secure from their own people. Whenever they are returned to temptation, they are plunged back into it. So if they do not withdraw from you, offer you peace, and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them. Against such people We have given you clear authority (91).”
His saying, Exalted is He, “You will find others”: Al-Kalbi related from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: They were Asad and Ghatfan, who lived around Medina. They professed Islam hypocritically, while not truly being Muslims. When one of them was asked by his people, “What have you embraced?” he would reply, “I believe in this monkey, this scorpion, and this beetle.” Yet when they met the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, 92/b, they would say, “We are upon your religion,” thereby seeking security from both parties.