Believers, call to mind Allah's favour to you when enemy hosts invaded you. Then We sent against them a wind and hosts that you did not see although Allah was observing all that you were then doing. 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 That proved be the testing ground for the Muslims, and they were subjected to a severe shake. 11 And behold! The Hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (even) say: "Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusion!" 12 And when a faction of them said, "O people of Yathrib, there is no stability for you [here], so return [home]." And a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying, "Indeed, our houses are unprotected," while they were not exposed. They did not intend except to flee. 13 If their town had been stormed, and they had been incited to sedition, they would have rebelled with little hesitation. 14 Yet before that, they made a covenant with Allah never to turn their backs. And covenants with Allah shall be questioned. 15 (Muhammad), tell them, "Running away will never be of any benefit to you even if you run away from death or being killed. Still you would not be able to enjoy yourselves except for a short while." 16 ۞ Say, “Who is he who can avert the command of Allah from you, if He wills harm for you or wills to have mercy upon you?” And other than Allah, they will not find any friend or supporter. 17 Allah knows indeed those among you who hinder others and those who say to their brethren: Come to us; and they come not to the fight but a little, 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