O believers, remember God's blessing upon you when hosts came against you, and We loosed against them a wind, and hosts you saw not; and God sees the things you do. 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 There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking. 11 And [remember how it was] when the hypocrites and those with hearts diseased said [to one another,] "God and His Apostle have promised us nothing but delusions!" 12 It was there that a group of them said, "People of Yathrib, turn back for there is no place for you to stay." Another group, asking for the Prophet's permission, said, "Our homes are defenseless." In fact, they were not defenseless. They only wanted to run away. 13 If their town had been stormed, and they had been incited to sedition, they would have rebelled with little hesitation. 14 And assuredly they had already covenanted with Allah that they would not turn their backs; verily the covenant with Allah must be questioned about. 15 (O Prophet), tell them: “If you run away from death or slaying, this flight will not avail you. You will have little time after that to enjoy (the pleasures of life).” 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 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