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 Obedience and good words. And when the matter [of fighting] was determined, if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them. 21 Could it be, that if you turn away, you might make corruption in the land and break the ties of kinship? 22 Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision. 23 Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them? 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 [they do turn their backs on it] inasmuch as they are wont to say unto those who abhor all that God has revealed, "We will comply with your views on some points." But God knows their secret thoughts: 26 So how (dreadful) will it be when the angels remove their souls, striking at their faces and their backs! 27 This is because they followed the matter which displeases Allah, and they disliked what pleases Him – He therefore squandered away all their deeds. 28