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 When the believers saw the confederates they said: 'This is what Allah and His Messenger have promised us. Surely, Allah and His Messenger have spoken in truth' And this did not increase them except in belief and submission. 22 Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah [i.e. they have gone out for Jihad (holy fighting), and showed not their backs to the disbelievers], of them some have fulfilled their obligations (i.e. have been martyred), and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed [i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allah] in the least. 23 God will certainly reward the truthful ones for their truthfulness and punish or pardon the hypocrites as He wishes. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. 24 God repelled the unbelievers in their rage. They could not achieve anything good. God rendered sufficient support to the believers in fighting. God is All-powerful and Majestic. 25 And those of the people of the Scripture who backed them (the disbelievers) Allah brought them down from their forts and cast terror into their hearts, (so that) a group (of them) you killed, and a group (of them) you made captives. 26 He made you heirs to their lands, and their houses, and their possessions and lands on which you had not set foot before. God has power over all things. 27