"And were it not for the bounty of Allah upon you and His mercy," meaning: He would have destroyed you; He would have uprooted you, meaning: those who said what they said. He does not mean by the bounty and the mercy 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul regarding them, for it has been mentioned concerning this verse that he is in the Fire. He said: "And that Allah is Kind, Merciful" to the believers.