Surah As Saffat Tafseer

And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more.

It is as if he was commanded, after he came forth from the fish, to go back to those to whom he had been sent in the first place, and they all believed in him.

أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ

or even more.

Makhul said,

"They numbered one hundred and ten thousand.

This was reported by Ibn Abi Hatim.

Ibn Jarir said,

"Some of the scholars of Arabic, the people of Basrah, said that this means up to one hundred thousand or more."

Ibn Jarir interpreted this Ayah as he interpreted the Ayat:

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ مِّن بَعْدِ ذلِكَ فَهِىَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. (2:74),

إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً

Behold! a section of them fear men as they fear Allah or even more. (4:77)

and,

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى

And was at a distance of two bows' length or (even) nearer. (53:9)

The meaning is,

"not less than that, but rather more.