O Ye who believe! if ye obey those who disbelieve, they will send you back on your heels, and ye will turn back losers. 149 Nay! Allah is your Patron and He is the best of the helpers. 150 We will cast terror into the hearts of those who have denied the Truth since they have associated others with Allah in His divinity - something for which He has sent down no sanction. The Fire is their abode; how bad the resting place of the wrong-doers will be! 151 And God made good His promise to you when by His leave you were about to destroy your foes, but then your courage failed you and you disagreed among yourselves [concerning the Prophet's direction] and disobeyed it, after He had brought you within sight of what you wished for, some of you desired the goods of this world and some of you desired the Hereafter, then in order that He might put you to the test, He prevented you from defeating your foes. But now He has pardoned you: God is most gracious to the believers. 152 ۞ And recall what time ye were running off and would not look back on any one, albeit the apostle in your rear was calling unto you. Wherefore He caused sorrow to overtake you for sorrow, that ye might not grieve for that which ye might lose nor for that which might befall you. And Allah is Aware of that which ye work. 153 Then, after this woe, He sent down upon you a sense of security, an inner calm which enfolded some of you, whereas the others, who cared mainly for themselves, entertained wrong thoughts about God - thoughts of pagan ignorance - saying, "Did we, then, have any power of decision [in this matter]?" Say: "Verily, all power of decision does rest with God" - [but as for them,] they are trying to conceal within themselves that [weakness of faith] which they would not reveal unto thee, [O Prophet, by] saying, "If we had any power of decision, we would not have left so many dead behind." Say [unto them]: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those [of you] whose death had been ordained would indeed have gone forth to the places where they were destined to lie down." And [all this befell you] so that God might put to a test all that you harbour in your bosoms, and render your innermost hearts pure of all dross: for God is aware of what is in the hearts [of men]. 154 Those of you who turned away the day the two hosts encountered -- Satan made them slip for somewhat they had earned; but God has pardoned them; God is All-forgiving, All-clement. 155