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 the believers were tried, they were shaken, a severe quake. 11 And when the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, began saying, “Allah and His Noble Messenger have not given us a promise except one of deceit.” 12 And when a party of them said: O inhabitants of Yathrib! there is no place for you, so return. And a part of them asked leave of the Prophet, saying: verily our houses lie open; whereas they lay not open; they only wished to flee. 13 And if the enemy had entered from all sides (of the city), and they had been exhorted to AlFitnah (i.e. to renegade from Islam to polytheism) they would surely have committed it and would have hesitated thereupon but little. 14 Yet before that, they made a covenant with Allah never to turn their backs. And covenants with Allah shall be questioned. 15 Say: "Whether you flee from [natural] death or from being slain [in battle,] flight will not profit you - for, however you fare, you are not [allowed] to enjoy life for more than a little while!" 16 ۞ Say, "Who can prevent God from punishing you or granting you mercy? They will not find anyone besides God as their guardian or helper." 17 God would surely know those of you who hinder, and those who say to their brothers, 'Come to us,' and come to battle but little, 18 begrudging you all help. But then, when danger threatens, thou canst see them looking to thee [for help, O Prophet,] their eyes rolling [in terror] like [the eyes of] one who is overshadowed by death: yet as soon as the danger has passed, they will assail you [believers] with sharp tongues, begrudging you all that is good! [People like] these have never known faith - and therefore God will cause all their works to come to nought: for this is indeed easy for God. 19 They thought the confederate tribes would never withdraw. Indeed, if the confederates should come again, they would prefer to be in the desert, among the Bedouins. There they would ask news of you [from a distance]. But if they were with you, they would take very little part in the fighting. 20