Believers, recall God's favor to you when the army attacked you. We sent a wind and the armies, which you did not see, to support you. God sees all that 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 That proved be the testing ground for the Muslims, and they were subjected to a severe shake. 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 section of them said: “(O people of Yathrib), now there is no place for you to stay, so turn back.” (And call to mind) when a section of them was seeking permission from the Prophet to leave, saying: “Our houses are exposed (to attack),” although they were not exposed (to attack); they only wished to flee (from the battle-front). 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 And indeed before this they had agreed with Allah that they would not turn their backs; and the covenant of Allah will be questioned about. 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 thou: who is there that will protect you from Allah if He intendeth to bring evil on you or intendeth mercy for you? And they shall not find for themselves, besides Allah, a patron or helper. 17 God knows exactly who among you hold the others back, who say to their brethren, "Come over to our side," and they seldom take part in the fighting. 18 Indisposed toward you. And when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes revolving like one being overcome by death. But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward [any] good. Those have not believed, so Allah has rendered their deeds worthless, and ever is that, for Allah, easy. 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