O People who believe! Remember the favour of Allah upon you when some armies came against you, so We sent against them a windstorm and the armies you could not see; and Allah sees your deeds. 9 Behold! they came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye imagined various (vain) thoughts about Allah! 10 The faithful were sorely tried there and were shaken completely, 11 And when tile hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is sickness, said, 'God and His Messenger promised us only delusion.' 12 And when a group among said, “O people of Medinah! This is no place of stay for you, therefore go back to your homes”; and a group among them sought exemption from the Prophet by saying, “Our homes are unprotected” whereas their homes were not unprotected; they willed nothing except to flee. 13 If the enemy had entered from all sides and they had been exhorted to treachery, they would have committed it, and would have hesitated thereupon but little. 14 And yet they had already covenanted with Allah not to turn their backs, and a covenant with Allah must (surely) be answered for. 15 Say: Flight will not avail you if ye flee from death or killing, and then ye dwell in comfort but a little while. 16 ۞ Say: "Who is there that could keep you away from God if it be His will to harm you, or if it be His will to show you mercy?" For, [do they not know that] besides God they can find none to protect them, and none to bring them succour? 17 Already Allah knows the hinderers among you and those [hypocrites] who say to their brothers, "Come to us," and do not go to battle, except for a few, 18 Being chary of helping you. But when danger appears you will find them looking at you with eyes turning like a man's in the swoon of death. Yet when the danger is past they lash you with sharp tongues, covetous of the best (of booty). Such as these have not come to belief. So God nullifies whatever they have done. This is how (the innate law of) God works inevitably. 19 They think that the confederate tribes have not yet gone. If the confederate tribes were to attack them, they would have wished to be left alone among the bedouin Arabs where they would only follow the news about you. Even if they were with you, only a few of them would take part in the fight. 20