سورة آل عمران

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): This verse was revealed about a group of the Jews. In the morning they said: We have believed in what Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has brought, and at night they disbelieved.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the narration of Abu al-Jarud from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) concerning the saying of Allah the Exalted: وَ قَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْکِتَابِ آمِنُوا بِالَّذِی أُنْزِلَ عَلَی الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا وَجْهَ النَّهَارِ وَ اکْفُرُوا آخِرَهُ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَرْجِعُونَ [And a party of the People of the Book said: Believe in what has been revealed to those who believe at the beginning of the day, and disbelieve at its end, perhaps they will return], it is stated: "When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) came to Medina and was praying towards Bayt al-Maqdis, the Jews were pleased by that. When Allah turned him away from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Bayt al-Haram, the Jews were displeased by it. The change of the qibla took place during the Zuhr prayer, so they said: Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) prayed the morning prayer facing our qibla, so believe in what has been revealed to him during the day but disbelieve at the end of it — meaning the qibla, when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) faced al-Masjid al-Haram — perhaps they will return to our qibla."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): لَعَلَّهُمْ یَرْجِعُونَ [perhaps they will return] — that they may turn back from their religion, Islam.