Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
So the meaning will be that the prophets feared that their people would call them liars.
The well-known recitation is with lightening (takhfif).
In this case, some have interpreted it to mean that the people of the prophets thought that the promise made by the prophets was false, whereas the prophets themselves never have any doubt or suspicion in Allah’s promise; they are people of very firm faith and certainty.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
At this point, there is no juristic disagreement between Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) and Aisha (radi Allahu anha); rather, the clarification of their respective theoretical positions is intended due to the difference in Qur’anic recitation (qira’at). Here, we consider it necessary to mention the narration that is detailed in Surah Yusuf.

Urwah ibn Zubair (radi Allahu anhu) asked Aisha (radi Allahu anha) regarding the verse ﴿حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ﴾ whether the word (كُذِبُوا) should be recited with shadd (emphasis) on the letter dhal or not. Aisha (radi Allahu anha) replied that the dhal should be recited with shadd.

Upon this, he said:
When the Prophets (alayhimussalam) were certain that their people were rejecting them, then what is the meaning of (ظَنُّوا)? Aisha (radi Allahu anha) replied:
“Yes.”
Yes, they were absolutely certain of this (i.e., here, “ظن” means certainty).
I said:
If (كُذِبُوا) is recited without shadd on the dhal, what is the problem? She replied:
Allah’s refuge! How could the Prophets (alayhimussalam) ever think that their Lord would break His promise to them? I said:
Then what is the meaning of this verse? She replied:
It refers to the followers of the Prophets (alayhimussalam) who believed in their Lord and affirmed the Prophets (alayhimussalam). When they were subjected to long periods of trials and tribulations, and the help of Allah was delayed, in such circumstances, the Prophets (alayhimussalam) despaired of the disbelievers and deniers accepting faith, and even began to think that their own believing followers might also reject them.
At that moment, Allah’s help arrived immediately.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Tafsir, Hadith: 4695)

➋
From this detailed narration, it becomes clear that Aisha (radi Allahu anha) did not reject the recitation of (كُذِبُوا) without shadd, but rather disagreed with the position that the Prophets (alayhimussalam) thought that the promises of Allah’s help and support to them were all false.
(Fath al-Bari: 8/467)
Thus, according to her, the translation of the noble verse would be:
“When the Messengers despaired and thought that their followers were rejecting them, then Allah’s help came immediately.”

➌
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) says:
Aisha (radi Allahu anha) rejected the recitation of takhfif (without shadd on the dhal).
It is possible that the recitation of takhfif did not reach her through any reliable source, whereas the Imams of Kufa—Imam Asim, Yahya ibn Wathab, Imam A‘mash (rahimahullah), Imam Hamzah (rahimahullah), and Imam Kisai (rahimahullah)—have recited it with takhfif, and among the people of Hijaz, Abu Ja‘far ibn Qaqa‘ (rahimahullah) also agreed with them. Likewise, Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (radi Allahu anhu), Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu), Abdur Rahman Sulami (radi Allahu anhu), Hasan Basri, and Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Qurazi have also recited it with takhfif (without shadd).
(Fath al-Bari: 8/467)
However, if “ظن” is taken to mean “whispering doubt,” then there is no harm in accepting the takhfif; in that case, its meaning would be:
“When the Prophets despaired and a whispering doubt entered their hearts that perhaps punishment or help would not come in this world.”
That is, the doubt was that perhaps there would be a breach of promise from Allah.
Another interpretation of the recitation with takhfif is as follows:
“When the Messengers despaired and thought that a breach of promise had occurred to them, then Our help came immediately.”
That is, the Prophets (alayhimussalam) thought regarding their followers that these people, who express devotion to us, might, due to these hardships, turn back and, deprived of faith, become ruined like the disbelievers; so Our help came immediately.
By interpreting it this way, there is no blemish on the infallibility (‘ismah) of the Prophets (alayhimussalam), nor does it open the door to denying the mutawatir recitation, because by this interpretation, the attribution of falsehood or breach of promise is not to Allah, but to the followers.
The well-known interpretation is as follows:
“When the Messengers began to despair and their people thought that they had been lied to, then Our help came to them.”
In this, the subject (fa‘il) of (ظَنُّوا) is the people, i.e., the believers.

➍
The phrase (لِّلَّذِينَ) which precedes this indicates that this subject concerns the believers.
It is not far-fetched for them to have such a thought, whereas it is impossible for the Prophets (alayhimussalam) to have such a thought.
Accordingly, this meaning has been narrated by Sa‘id ibn Jubayr from Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) himself: that the Prophets (alayhimussalam) despaired of their people accepting faith, and the people thought that the promise of help to the Prophets (alayhimussalam) was not true.
There is no blemish on the greatness of the Prophets (alayhimussalam) from the people thinking in this way.
Since this interpretation is itself narrated from Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu), it appears to be the most preferred of all the interpretations, and no objection remains upon it.
(Fath al-Bari: 8/468)
And Allah knows best.