۞ God was pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you [Prophet] under the tree: He knew what was in their hearts and so He sent tranquillity down to them and rewarded them with a victory near at hand 18 And much war booty which they will take. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. 19 God has promised that you will receive much booty. He has enabled you to receive this at this time and has protected you from enemies to make it an evidence (of the Truth) for the believers. He will guide you to the right path. 20 And He promiseth another victory, over which ye have as yet no power. Allah hath surely encompassed it; and Allah is over everything ever Potent. 21 If the unbelievers had fought you they would have been put to flight, and found none to protect or help them. 22 Such is the way of Allah in days gone by, and you shall find no change in the ways of Allah. 23 And it is He Who has restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of Makka, after that He gave you the victory over them. And Allah sees well all that ye do. 24 [It was not for your enemies sake that He stayed your hands from them: for] it was they who were bent on denying the truth, and who debarred you from the Inviolable House of Worship and prevented your offering from reaching its destination. And had it not been for the believing men and believing women [in Mecca,] whom you might have unwittingly trampled underfoot, and on whose account you might have become guilty, without knowing it, of a grievous wrong: [had it not been for this, you would have been allowed to fight your way into the city: but you were forbidden to fight] so that [in time] God might admit to His grace whomever He wills. Had they [who deserve Our mercy and they whom We have condemned] been clearly discernible [to you,] We would indeed have imposed grievous suffering [at your hands] on such of them as were bent on denying the truth. 25 Since the disbelievers held zealous ignorance in their hearts, like that of the pre-Islamic age of darkness, God gave confidence to His Messenger and to the believers, binding them to the principle of piety which they deserve. God has the knowledge of all things. 26