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 Behold! they came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about Allah! 10 There the faithful were put to the proof and they were shaken as if by an earthquake. 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 Yasrib! there is no place to stand for you (here), therefore go back; and a party of them asked permission of the prophet, saying. Surely our houses are exposed; and they were not exposed; they only desired to fly away. 13 And if the enemy had entered from all sides (of the city), and they had been exhorted to AlFitnah (i.e. to renegade from Islam to polytheism) they would surely have committed it and would have hesitated thereupon but little. 14 They had already vowed before God that they would never turn their backs: and a vow made to God must be answered for. 15 Say thou: flight shall not profit you if ye flee from death or slaughter, and lo! ye will not enjoy life except for a little. 16 ۞ Say (to them): “Who can protect you from Allah if He desires an evil for you? And who can prevent Him if He desires to show mercy to you?” They shall find none other than Allah to be their protector or helper. 17 God is indeed aware of those of you who would divert others [from fighting in His cause,] as well as of those who say to their brethren, "Come hither to us [and face the enemy]!" — The while they [themselves] join battle but seldom, 18 They are utterly niggardly (in coming to your aid). Whenever there is danger, you will see them looking at you, their eyes rolling as though they were on the verge of fainting at the approach of death. But when the danger passes away, their greed for wealth prompts them to greet you with their sharp, scissor-like tongues. These are the ones who never truly believed, and so Allah has caused their deeds to be reduced to naught. That is easy enough for Allah. 19 They assume that the armies of the disbelievers have not gone away; and were the armies to come again, their wish would be to go out to the villages seeking information about you; and were they to stay among you even then they would not fight, except a few. 20