"Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, 'In what [condition] were you?'" The angels said to them: In what were you? "They will say, 'We were oppressed in the land.'" Meaning: subdued in the land of Makkah. "[The angels] will say, 'Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?'" That is: to it. Qatada's interpretation: He said: These were people who were in Makkah and professed Islam; then when Abu Jahl and his companions went out, they went out with him; so they were killed on the day of Badr, and they offered excuses, but Allah refused to accept that from them.
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أنفسهم قَالُوا فيمَ كُنْتُم﴾ قَالَت لَهُم الْمَلَائِكَة: فيمَ كُنْتُم؟ ﴿قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الأَرْضِ﴾ يَعْنِي: مقهورين فِي أَرض مَكَّة ﴿قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَة فتهاجروا فِيهَا﴾ أَي: إِلَيْهَا. تَفْسِير قَتَادَة: قَالَ: هَؤُلاءِ قوم كَانُوا بِمَكَّة تكلمُوا بِالْإِسْلَامِ؛ فَلَمَّا خرج أَبُو جهل وَأَصْحَابه، خَرجُوا مَعْهُ؛ فَقتلُوا يَوْم بدر، وَاعْتَذَرُوا [بالأعذار]، فَأبى الله أَن يقبل ذَلِك مِنْهُم،
