Translation of the meanings Ayah 117 Surah At-Tawbah - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 117

لَّقَد تَّابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّ وَٱلۡمُهَٰجِرِينَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ ٱلۡعُسۡرَةِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِهِمۡ رَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٞ

(117) ^[2250]Allah has relented towards the Prophet, and the Immigrants and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of undersupply, after the hearts of a group of them were about to swerve but He relented on them^[2251]; verily He is Most Compassionate, Most Merciful towards them.

[2250] Repentance is only accepted from the truthful; the door of repentance is still open given this caveat (cf. al-Zamakhsharī). This passage gives examples of these who sincerely sought repentance.
Exegetes are of different opinions as to why the Messenger (ﷺ) is mentioned alongside his Companions here. al-Qurṭubī quoting ʿAbdullāh Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) who conceives that it was because the Messenger (ﷺ) granted the hypocrites permission to remain behind (cf. Aya 43 above).
[2251] Some within the army of Believers were about to succumb and give in under their overpowering circumstances, especially given the severe dearth of necessary supplies and procurements that the campaign endured (cf. al-Zajjāj). But God always delivers the sincere.