You who have attained to faith, remember God's blessings upon you when mighty armies massed against you. We sent a violent wind against them and hosts that you could not see. God sees all that you do. 9 [Remember what you felt] when they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when [your] eyes became dim and [your] hearts came up to [your] throats, and [when] most conflicting thoughts about God passed through your minds: 10 There were the believers proven and shaken with a mighty shaking 11 And when tile hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is sickness, said, 'God and His Messenger promised us only delusion.' 12 Behold! A party among them said: "Ye men of Yathrib! ye cannot stand (the attack)! therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for leave of the Prophet, saying, "Truly our houses are bare and exposed," though they were not exposed they intended nothing but to run away. 13 Now if their town had been stormed, and they had been asked [by the enemy] to commit apostasy, [the hypocrites] would have done so without much delay 14 Yet before that, they made a covenant with Allah never to turn their backs. And covenants with Allah shall be questioned. 15 Say: Flight will not avail you if ye flee from death or killing, and then ye dwell in comfort but a little 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 Surely God knows who among you obstruct, and those who say to their brethren: "Come to us," and go to battle but seldom, 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 This is how (the innate law of) God works inevitably. 19 They think the companies have not [yet] withdrawn. And if the companies should come [again], they would wish they were in the desert among the bedouins, inquiring [from afar] about your news. And if they should be among you, they would not fight except for a little. 20