Turning Away out of Pride or Ignorance
وَإِنْ كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَبْتَغِيَ نَفَقًا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًا فِي السَّمَاءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُمْ بِآيَةٍ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ ۚ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ {35}
And if their ‘كَبُرَ’ turning away was grievous upon you, so (even) if you could seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder in the sky to bring them a Sign (they would still not believe), and had Allah so Desired, He would have Gathered them upon the Guidance, therefore you all should not be from the ignorant ones [6:35]
علي بن إبراهيم، قال: و في رواية أبي الجارود، عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام)، في قوله وَ إِنْ كانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْراضُهُمْ. قال: «كان رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله) يحب إسلام الحارث بن عامر بن نوفل بن عبد مناف، دعاه رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله) و جهد به أن يسلم، فغلب عليه الشقاء، فشق ذلك على رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله)، فأنزل الله وَ إِنْ كانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْراضُهُمْ إلى قوله: نَفَقاً فِي الْأَرْضِ يقول: سربا
Ali Bin Ibrahim said, ‘And in a report of Abu Al Jaroud,
From Abu Ja’far-asws regarding His-azwj Words: And if their turning away was grievous upon you [6:35], he-asws said: ‘Rasool-Allah-saww loved (to convert to) Islam, Al-Haris Bin Aamir bin Nowfal Bin Abd Manaf. Rasool-Allah-saww invited him and he rejected him-saww (from accepting) Islam and the wretchedness overcame upon him. So that was grievous upon Rasool-Allah-saww, and Allah-azwj Revealed: And if their turning away was grievous upon you, so (even) if you could seek a tunnel in the ground [6:35]. He-azwj is saying (Meaning), their slipping away’.[1]
[1] تفسير القمي 1: 197.