O Ye who believe! remember Allah's favour unto you when there came unto you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and hosts which ye saw not, and Allah was of that which ye were working a Beholder. 9 They came on you from above and from below, and when your eyes swerved and your hearts leapt to your throats, and you thought thoughts about Allah; 10 [for] there and then were the believers tried, and shaken with a shock severe. 11 The hypocrites and people with sickness in their hearts said, "God and His Messenger have promised us nothing but delusions." 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 And if they had been entered upon from all its [surrounding] regions and fitnah had been demanded of them, they would have done it and not hesitated over it except briefly. 14 And yet they had already covenanted with Allah not to turn their backs, and a covenant with Allah must (surely) be answered for. 15 Say (O Muhammad SAW to these hypocrites who ask your permission to run away from you): "Flight will not avail you if you flee from death or killing, and then you will enjoy no more than a little while!" 16 ۞ Say, "Who is it that can protect you from Allah if He intends for you an ill or intends for you a mercy?" And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or any helper. 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 the confederates have not departed. Indeed, if the confederates should come again they would sooner be in the desert among the Bedouins asking news of you. If they were among you, they would fight but a little. 20