قُل لِّلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ تُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ فَإِن تُطِيعُوا يُؤْتِكُمُ اللَّهُ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا كَمَا تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
Say to the Bedouins who stayed behind, ‘[Later on] you will be called against a people of a great might: they will either embrace Islam, or you will fight them. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward; but if you turn away like you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.’
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 48:16
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 48:16] It is said here that those who stayed behind at the time of journey to Hudaybiya where there was danger and no prospect of booty, would soon be summoned to fight against ferocious fighters. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Some commentators say that "the people of mighty prowess" refers to the Romans or Persians against whom the Muslims fought after the Holy Prophet; but the prefix "sin" in satud-una indicates "near future" and also "if you turn back, as you have done before" refers to reversal and desertion which took place in Tabuk, Muta and Hunayn in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet.