O ye who believe! if ye obey those who disbelieve, they will make you turn back on your heels, and ye turn back as losers. 149 But Allah is your Sponsor. He is the Best of victors. 150 We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah of which He had not sent down [any] authority. And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers. 151 And Allah had assuredly made good His promise unto you when ye were extirpating them by His leave, until when ye flagged and ye disagreed about the command and ye disobeyed after He had shewn you that for which ye longed. Of you some desired the world and of you some desired the Hereafter, wherefore He turned you away from them that he might prove you; and of a surety He hath pardoned you. And Allah is Gracious unto the believers. 152 ۞ Behold! ye were climbing up the high ground, without even casting a side glance at any one, and the Messenger in your rear was calling you back. There did Allah give you one distress after another by way of requital, to teach you not to grieve for (the booty) that had escaped you and for (the ill) that had befallen you. For Allah is well aware of all that ye do. 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 As for those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met, it was the Satan who made them slip because of something they had earned; and of a surety Allah hath pardoned them. Verily, Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing. 155