"And indeed, they were about to scare you away from the land," meaning by the land: Makkah, "to drive you out of it," meaning: they would drive you out of it through killing; according to the tafsir of al-Hasan. "And then they would not have remained [after you]," except for a little," meaning: after you, until He would have uprooted them with punishment had they killed you.
﴿وَإِنْ كَادُوا لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَكَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ﴾ يَعْنِي بِالْأَرْضِ: مَكَّةَ ﴿لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا﴾ أَيْ: يُخْرِجُونَكَ مِنْهَا بِالْقَتْلِ؛ فِي تَفْسِيرِ الْحَسَنِ ﴿وَإِذًا لَا يَلْبَثُونَ (خَلفك﴾ إِلَّا قَلِيلا﴾ يَعْنِي: بَعْدَكَ حَتَّى يَسْتَأْصِلَهُمْ بِالْعَذَابِ لَو قتلوك
