The believers used to say: “Why is a surah (that would ordain fighting) not revealed?” But when a definitive surah was revealed wherein fighting was mentioned, you saw that those in whose hearts there was a sickness looked at you as though they were about to faint at the approach of death. Pity on them! 20 To obey and speak good; so when the manifest command came – it would have been better for them if they had remained faithful to Allah. 21 Then if you turn away, you are likely to spread corruption on the earth and sever your ties of kinship. 22 Such are those whom God has rejected, making their ears deaf and their eyes blind. 23 Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them? 24 Verily those who have apostated on their backs after the guidance had become manifest unto them, the devil hath embellished this apostacy for them and hath given them false hopes. 25 That is because they said unto those who detest that which Allah hath revealed: we shall obey you in part of the affair; and Allah knoweth their talking in secret. 26 hence, how [will they fare] when the angels gather them in death, striking their faces and their backs? 27 because they followed the way that made God wrathful, and hated to adopt the way of His pleasure? So He made their actions come to nothing. 28