O People who believe! Remember the favour of Allah upon you when some armies came against you, so We sent against them a windstorm and the armies you could not see; and Allah sees your deeds. 9 Behold! they came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about Allah! 10 [for] there and then were the believers tried, and shaken with a shock severe. 11 And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease began to say: Allah and His Apostle did not promise us (victory) but only to deceive. 12 And when a party of them said: "O people of Yathrib (AlMadinah)! There is no stand (possible) for you (against the enemy attack!) Therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for permission of the Prophet (SAW) saying: "Truly, our homes lie open (to the enemy)." And they lay not open. They but wished to flee. 13 And if the enemy had entered from all sides (of the city), and they had been exhorted to AlFitnah (i.e. to renegade from Islam to polytheism) they would surely have committed it and would have hesitated thereupon but little. 14 They had already vowed before God that they would never turn their backs: and a vow made to God must be answered for. 15 Say, "Flight shall not avail you: if you manage to escape from death or killing, you will enjoy life only for a short while." 16 ۞ Say: "Who will save you from God if He decide to afflict you or show you His mercy?" They will never find a friend or helper apart from God. 17 Allah knows those of you who hinder, and those who say to their brothers: 'Come to us' and they do not come to the battle but a little, 18 being niggardly towards you. When fear comes upon them, thou seest them looking at thee, their eyes rolling like one who swoons of death; but when the fear departs, they flay you with sharp tongues, being niggardly to possess the good things. Those have never believed; God has made their works to fail; and that is easy for God. 19 They think that the Confederates have not [really] withdrawn; and should the Confederates return, these [hypocrites] would prefer to be in the desert, among the bedouin, asking for news about you, [O believers, from far away;] and even were they to find themselves in your midst, they would but make a pretence at fighting [by your side]. 20