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, when your eyes were stupefied with horror and your hearts leapt to your throats, and you began to entertain diverse thoughts about Allah. 10 there it was that the believers were tried, and shaken most mightily. 11 And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, "Allah and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion," 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 they were to be entered upon from the sides thereof and they were asked to sedition, they would surely have committed it, and they would have tarried therein but slightly. 14 And indeed they had already made a covenant with Allah not to turn their backs, and a covenant with Allah must be answered for. 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 is there to shield you from God if He wishes to harm you? If God wishes to show you mercy, who can prevent Him." Besides God they shall find none to protect them, and none to bring them succour. 17 Indeed Allah knows those among you who prevent others from the holy war, and those who say to their brothers, “Come towards us”; and they do not come to fight, except a few. 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 that the invading confederates have not yet gone. But if the confederates were to mount another assault, they would wish to be in the desert among the bedouins and keep themselves informed about you from there. But even if they remained in your midst, hardly would they fight. 20