O ye who believe! Remember Allah's favour unto you when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a great wind and hosts ye could not see. And Allah is ever Seer of what ye do. 9 When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah. 10 The believers were then put to a severe test and were most violently convulsed. 11 And call to mind when the hypocrites and all those with diseased hearts said: “All that Allah and His Messenger had promised us was nothing but deceit.” 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 entrance had been forced against them from those quarters, and then they had been asked to apostatise, they would have done so, and but tarried about it briefly. 14 And they had already promised Allah before not to turn their backs and flee. And ever is the promise to Allah [that about which one will be] questioned. 15 Say: "Running away will not profit you if ye are running away from death or slaughter; and even if (ye do escape), no more than a brief (respite) will ye be allowed to enjoy!" 16 ۞ Say, "Who can prevent God from punishing you or granting you mercy? They will not find anyone besides God as their guardian or helper." 17 Surely Allah knoweth those among you who hinder and those who say unto their brethren: come hither unto us; and they themselves come not to the battle save a little, 18 They are niggardly in spending for you. When fear comes, you can see them looking at you, their eyes rolling about like to faint because of the agony of death. When their fear subsides, they start to bite you with their sharp tongues. They are miserly in spending for a virtuous cause and have no faith. God has turned their deeds devoid of all virtue. This was not at all difficult for God. 19 They thought the confederate tribes would never withdraw. Indeed, if the confederates should come again, they would prefer to be in the desert, among the Bedouins. There they would ask news of you [from a distance]. But if they were with you, they would take very little part in the fighting. 20