NOW THOSE who have attained to faith say: "Would that a revelation [allowing us to fight] was bestowed from on high!" But now that a revelation clear in and by itself, mentioning war, has been bestowed from on high, thou canst see those in whose hearts is disease looking at thee, [O Muhammad,] with the look of one who is about to faint for fear of death! And yet, far better for them would be 20 To obey and speak good; so when the manifest command came – it would have been better for them if they had remained faithful to Allah. 21 Would ye then, if ye were given the command, work corruption in the land and sever your ties of kinship? 22 Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision. 23 Will they not then contemplate on the Koran? Or are there locks upon their hearts! 24 Those who turn their backs after the way of guidance has been opened to them, have been surely tempted by Satan and beguiled by illusory hopes. 25 This was so because they said to those who disdain what God has revealed: "We shall obey you in some things." But God knows their secret intentions well. 26 Then how will it be when the angels take their souls, beating them on their faces and their backs, 27 That is because they followed that which angered Allah, and hated that which pleased Him. So He made their deeds fruitless. 28