O you who believe, remember the favours of God to you when an army came against you and We sent a wind against them and forces that you did not see. But God sees all that you do. 9 When the disbelievers came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes became fixed in stare and the hearts came up to the throats, and you were imagining matters regarding Allah. 10 That proved be the testing ground for the Muslims, and they were subjected to a severe shake. 11 The hypocrites and those in whose hearts there is a disease said: 'Allah and His Messenger promised nothing but delusion' 12 And when a party of them said: O folk of Yathrib! There is no stand (possible) for you, therefor turn back. And certain of them (even) sought permission of the Prophet, saying: Our homes lie open (to the enemy). And they lay not open. They but wished to flee. 13 If the (enemy) had entered the city from every side and asked them to rise in revolt, they would have done so, and not hesitated but a little; 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: 'Flight will not avail you, if you flee from death or slaughter, you would enjoy (this world) only for a little (time)' 16 ۞ Say thou: who is there that will protect you from Allah if He intendeth to bring evil on you or intendeth mercy for you? And they shall not find for themselves, besides Allah, a patron or helper. 17 God certainly knows those among you who create obstacles (on the way that leads to God) and those who say to their brothers, 'Come quickly to us' and very rarely take part in the fighting. 18 They reduce the help towards you; so when a fearful time comes, you will observe them looking at you with eyes rolling like one enveloped by death; then when the time of fear is over, they begin slandering you with sharp tongues in their greed for the war booty; they have not accepted faith, therefore Allah has nullified their deeds; and this is easy for Allah. 19 They thought the confederate tribes would never withdraw. Indeed, if the confederates should come again, they would prefer to be in the desert, among the Bedouins. There they would ask news of you [from a distance]. But if they were with you, they would take very little part in the fighting. 20