Assuredly there hath been for you in the apostle of Allah an excellent pattern for him who hopeth in Allah and the Last Day and remembereth Allah much. 21 And when the believers saw the companies, they said, "This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth." And it increased them only in faith and acceptance. 22 Among the believers are men who were true to their covenant with God; some of them have fulfilled their vow by death, and some are still awaiting, and they have not changed in the least; 23 [Such trials are imposed upon man] so that God may reward the truthful for having been true to their word, and cause the hypocrites to suffer - if that be His will - or [if they repent,] accept their repentance: for, verily, God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace! 24 Thus, for all their fury, God repulsed those who were bent on denying the truth; no advantage did they gain, since God was enough to [protect] the believers in battle - seeing that God is most powerful, almighty; 25 Allah brought down from their fortresses those People of the Book who had supported the invading confederates and cast such terror into their hearts that some of them you kill and some of them you take captive. 26 God made you inherit their land, houses, property, and a land on which you had never walked. God has power over all things. 27