O believers, remember God's blessing upon you when hosts came against you, and We loosed against them a wind, and hosts you saw not; and God sees the things you do. 9 When they came upon you from above and below you, when the eyes were stupefied with horror, and hearts jumped to the throats, and you made wild suppositions about God. 10 There the believers were tried and they were shaken with severe shaking. 11 And when the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, were saying: Allah and His messenger promised us naught but delusion. 12 When a section of them said: "O people of Yathrib, there is no place for you here, turn back;" and a section of them asked leave of the Prophet, saying: "Our homes lie exposed," -- while they were not exposed. Their only intention was to run away. 13 And if an entry were made upon them from the outlying parts of it, then they were asked to wage war, they would certainly have done it, and they would not have stayed in it but a little while. 14 Yet before that, they made a covenant with Allah never to turn their backs. And covenants with Allah shall be questioned. 15 (Muhammad), tell them, "Running away will never be of any benefit to you even if you run away from death or being killed. Still you would not be able to enjoy yourselves except for a short while." 16 ۞ Say: "Who is it that can screen you from Allah if it be His wish to give you punishment or to give you Mercy?" Nor will they find for themselves, besides Allah, any protector or helper. 17 God knows exactly who among you hold the others back, who say to their brethren, "Come over to our side," and they seldom take part in the fighting. 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 This was not at all difficult for God. 19 They think the allied tribes have not withdrawn; and if the allied tribes had advanced they would have wished that they were rather with the Arabs of the desert asking news of you; and had they been among you they would have fought but just a little. 20