(And they indeed wished to scare thee from the land…) [17:76].
Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “The Jews resentfully envied the settling of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in Medina, and so they said: ‘The Prophets were only sent in Syria; if you are truly a prophet, you should go over there. And if you go there, we will believe and have faith in you’. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, liked what he heard from them, since he was keen that they embrace Islam. He left Medina but when he had traversed a day’s journey, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghunm said: “The Jews went to see the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘If you are truthful about being a prophet of Allah, then you should go to Syria, for the latter is the land of Resurrection and Mustering [on the Day of Judgement] as it is the land of prophets’. He believed what they said. And when he went for the Battle of Tabuk, he had the intention of going to Syria. But when he reached Tabuk, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (And they indeed wished to scare thee from the land)”.
Mujahid, Qatadah and al-Hasan said: “The people of Mecca were on the verge of driving the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, out of Mecca, when Allah, exalted is He, commanded him to leave. He revealed this verse to inform him of what the people of Mecca intended to do”.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou