۞ 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 plenty of war booty, to take; and Allah is Most Honourable, Wise. 19 Allah has promised that you take many spoils. He has hastened this to you, and restrained the hands of people from you so that He makes it a sign to the believers and to guide you on a Straight Path. 20 And other (benefits) which you have not yet obtained, are within the compass of God, for God has power over everything. 21 And [now,] if they who are bent on denying the truth should fight against you, they will indeed turn their backs [in flight,] and will find none to protect them and none to bring them succour: 22 Such is Allah's Way that has come down from the past. Never shall you find any change in the Way of Allah. 23 And He it is Who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the vale of Makka, after He had made you superior to them; and Allah is of that which ye work ever a Beholder. 24 It was these who disbelieved and prevented you from the Sacred Mosque, and stopped the sacrificial animals from reaching their place; and were it not for some Muslim men and Muslim women, whom you do not know – lest you may crush them and unintentionally incur some violation due to them – Allah would have permitted you to slay them; this relief for them, is so that Allah may admit into His mercy whomever He wills; and had they been separated, We would have indeed punished the disbelievers among them with a painful punishment. 25 And when the unbelievers established in their hearts fierce bigotry, the fierce bigotry of ignorance, Allah sent down His tranquility on His Messenger and the believers and firmly fastened to them the Word of 'taqwa' (there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger, as it is the cause of righteousness) to which they have better right and are worthy of it. Allah has knowledge of all things. 26