O you who believe! Remember Allah's Favour to you, when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and forces that you saw not [i.e. troops of angels during the battle of AlAhzab (the Confederates)]. And Allah is Ever AllSeer of what you do. 9 When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when eyes turned aside and hearts reached to the gullets, and of Allah ye were imagining various things. 10 there the believers were tried, they were shaken, a severe quake. 11 When the hypocrites and those who were filled with doubt, said: "The promise of God and His Apostle was nothing but deceit." 12 And when a party of them said: "O people of Yathrib (AlMadinah)! There is no stand (possible) for you (against the enemy attack!) Therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for permission of the Prophet (SAW) saying: "Truly, our homes lie open (to the enemy)." And they lay not open. They but 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 They had already vowed before God that they would never turn their backs: and a vow made to God must be answered for. 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 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 Verily Allah knows those among you who keep back (men) and those who say to their brethren, "Come along to us", but come not to the fight except for just a little while. 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 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