O People who believe! Remember the favour of Allah upon you when some armies came against you, so We sent against them a windstorm and the armies you could not see; and Allah sees your deeds. 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 The believers were then put to a severe test and were most violently convulsed. 11 And when tile hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is sickness, said, 'God and His Messenger promised us only delusion.' 12 Behold! A party among them said: "Ye men of Yathrib! ye cannot stand (the attack)! therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for leave of the Prophet, saying, "Truly our houses are bare and exposed," though they were not exposed they intended nothing but to run away. 13 If the enemy had entered from all sides and they had been exhorted to treachery, they would have committed it, and would have hesitated thereupon but little. 14 although ere that they had vowed before God that they would never turn their backs [on His message]: and a vow made to God must surely be answered for! 15 Say, [O Muhammad], "Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing; and then [if you did], you would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little." 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 Already Allah knows the hinderers among you and those [hypocrites] who say to their brothers, "Come to us," and do not go to battle, except for a few, 18 being niggardly towards you. When fear comes upon them, thou seest them looking at thee, their eyes rolling like one who swoons of death; but when the fear departs, they flay you with sharp tongues, being niggardly to possess the good things. Those have never believed; God has made their works to fail; and that is easy for God. 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