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 you and from below you, and when eyes grew wild and hearts reached to the throats, and ye were imagining vain thoughts concerning Allah. 10 There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking. 11 The hypocrites and people with sickness in their hearts said, "God and His Messenger have promised us nothing but delusions." 12 It was there that a group of them said, "People of Yathrib, turn back for there is no place for you to stay." Another group, asking for the Prophet's permission, said, "Our homes are defenseless." In fact, they were not defenseless. They only wanted to run away. 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 Yet they had made covenant with God before that, that they would not turn their backs; and covenants with God shall be questioned of 15 Say: "Of no gain will be your running away if you run from death or being killed, even then you will enjoy the good things of life but only for a while." 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 Verily Allah knows those among you who keep back (men) and those who say to their brethren, "Come along to us", but come not to the fight except for just a little while. 18 They reduce the help towards you; so when a fearful time comes, you will observe them looking at you with eyes rolling like one enveloped by death; then when the time of fear is over, they begin slandering you with sharp tongues in their greed for the war booty; they have not accepted faith, therefore Allah has nullified their deeds; and this is easy for Allah. 19 They think the allied tribes have not withdrawn; and if the allied tribes had advanced they would have wished that they were rather with the Arabs of the desert asking news of you; and had they been among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