O Ye who believe! remember Allah's favour unto you when there came unto you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and hosts which ye saw not, and Allah was of that which ye were working a Beholder. 9 When they came upon you from above you and from below you, when your eyes were stupefied with horror and your hearts leapt to your throats, and you began to entertain diverse thoughts about Allah. 10 The believers were then put to a severe test and were most violently convulsed. 11 And when the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, were saying: Allah and His messenger promised us naught but delusion. 12 And when a faction of them said, "O people of Yathrib, there is no stability for you [here], so return [home]." And a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying, "Indeed, our houses are unprotected," while they were not exposed. They did not intend except to flee. 13 And if an entry were made upon them from the outlying parts of it, then they were asked to wage war, they would certainly have done it, and they would not have stayed in it but a little while. 14 Whereas earlier they had made a promise to God that they would never turn their backs; and a promise made to God is answerable. 15 Say: "Running away will not profit you if ye are running away from death or slaughter; and even if (ye do escape), no more than a brief (respite) will ye be allowed to enjoy!" 16 ۞ Say, “Who is he who can avert the command of Allah from you, if He wills harm for you or wills to have mercy upon you?” And other than Allah, they will not find any friend or supporter. 17 God would surely know those of you who hinder, and those who say to their brothers, 'Come to us,' and come to battle but little, 18 Being chary of helping you. But when danger appears you will find them looking at you with eyes turning like a man's in the swoon of death. Yet when the danger is past they lash you with sharp tongues, covetous of the best (of booty). Such as these have not come to belief. So God nullifies whatever they have done. This is how (the innate law of) God works inevitably. 19 They think that the confederate tribes have not yet gone. If the confederate tribes were to attack them, they would have wished to be left alone among the bedouin Arabs where they would only follow the news about you. Even if they were with you, only a few of them would take part in the fight. 20