O believers, if you obey the unbelievers they will turn you upon your heels, and you will turn about, losers. 149 But Allah is your Sponsor. He is the Best of victors. 150 Soon We shall cast awe in the hearts of disbelievers because they have appointed partners to Allah, for which He has not sent any proof; their destination is hell; and what a wretched abode for the unjust! 151 AND, INDEED, God made good His promise unto you when, by His leave, you were about to destroy your foes - until the moment when you lost heart and acted contrary to the [Prophet's] command, and disobeyed after He had brought you within view of that [victory] for which you were longing. There were among you such as cared for this world [alone,] just as there were among you such as cared for the life to come: whereupon, in order that He might put you to a test, He prevented you from defeating your foes. But now He has effaced your sin: for God is limitless in His bounty unto the believers. 152 ۞ Recall when you were fleeing without casting even a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger was calling out to you from the rear. Then Allah requited you by inflicting grief after grief upon you so as to instruct you neither to grieve for the losses you might suffer nor for the afflictions that might befall you. Allah knows all that you do. 153 Then, after this woe, He sent down upon you a sense of security, an inner calm which enfolded some of you, whereas the others, who cared mainly for themselves, entertained wrong thoughts about God - thoughts of pagan ignorance - saying, "Did we, then, have any power of decision [in this matter]?" Say: "Verily, all power of decision does rest with God" - [but as for them,] they are trying to conceal within themselves that [weakness of faith] which they would not reveal unto thee, [O Prophet, by] saying, "If we had any power of decision, we would not have left so many dead behind." Say [unto them]: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those [of you] whose death had been ordained would indeed have gone forth to the places where they were destined to lie down." And [all this befell you] so that God might put to a test all that you harbour in your bosoms, and render your innermost hearts pure of all dross: for God is aware of what is in the hearts [of men]. 154 Indeed those of you who turned back on the day when the two armies met – for it was the devil who caused them to waver, because of some of their deeds; and undoubtedly Allah has forgiven them; indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Forbearing. 155