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 When they came upon you from above you and from below you, when your eyes were stupefied with horror and your hearts leapt to your throats, and you began to entertain diverse thoughts about Allah. 10 There were the believers sorely tried, and shaken with a mighty shock. 11 It was there that the hypocrites and those whose hearts were sick, said, "The promise of God and His Messenger has proved to be nothing but deceit". 12 And when a party of them said: O folk of Yathrib! There is no stand (possible) for you, therefor turn back. And certain of them (even) sought permission of the Prophet, saying: 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 Yet before that, they made a covenant with Allah never to turn their backs. And covenants with Allah shall be questioned. 15 Say, "Flight shall not avail you: if you manage to escape from death or killing, you will enjoy life only for a short while." 16 ۞ Say: "Who will save you from God if He decide to afflict you or show you His mercy?" They will never find a friend or helper apart from God. 17 Indeed Allah knows those among you who prevent others from the holy war, and those who say to their brothers, “Come towards us”; and they do not come to fight, except a few. 18 They are utterly niggardly (in coming to your aid). Whenever there is danger, you will see them looking at you, their eyes rolling as though they were on the verge of fainting at the approach of death. But when the danger passes away, their greed for wealth prompts them to greet you with their sharp, scissor-like tongues. These are the ones who never truly believed, and so Allah has caused their deeds to be reduced to naught. That is easy enough for Allah. 19 They think that the Confederates have not [really] withdrawn; and should the Confederates return, these [hypocrites] would prefer to be in the desert, among the bedouin, asking for news about you, [O believers, from far away;] and even were they to find themselves in your midst, they would but make a pretence at fighting [by your side]. 20