Ibn Abbas was asked by a man about this Ayah: O you who believe! Verity, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you; therefore beware of them! He said: “These are men who submitted (to Islam) in Makkah, and they wanted to come to the Prophet but their wives and children refused to allow them to come to the Messenger of Allah. So when they came to the Messenger of Allah, they saw that the people had gained such understanding in the religion that they wanted to punish them (their families). So Allah revealed the Ayah: O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you; therefore beware of them!”  

عَنْ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ ( يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلاَدِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ) قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ رِجَالٌ أَسْلَمُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ وَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَأْتُوا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَبَى أَزْوَاجُهُمْ وَأَوْلاَدُهُمْ أَنْ يَدَعُوهُمْ أَنْ يَأْتُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَأَوُا النَّاسَ قَدْ فَقِهُوا فِي الدِّينِ هَمُّوا أَنْ يُعَاقِبُوهُمْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ َّ ( يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلاَدِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ) الآيَةَ  

[Machine] These are men from the people of Mecca who embraced Islam and wanted to come to the Messenger of Allah to seek knowledge of the religion. When they came to the Messenger of Allah and demonstrated understanding in the religion, they wanted to be rewarded. So Allah revealed, "O you who have believed, indeed, among your wives and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them. But if you pardon and overlook and forgive – then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."  

هَؤُلَاءِ رِجَالٌ أَسْلَمُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَأْتُوا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ وفَقِهُوا فِي الدِّينِ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يُعَاقِبُوهُمْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَادِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ وَإِنْ تَعْفُوا وتَصْفَحُوا وتَغْفِرُوا فَإِنَّ اللهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ}