Page 420

Say, [O Muḥammad], "Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing; and then [if you did], you would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little."

Say, "Who is it that can protect you from Allāh if He intends for you an ill or intends for you a mercy?" And they will not find for themselves besides Allāh any protector or any helper.

Already Allāh knows the hinderers among you and those [hypocrites] who say to their brothers, "Come to us," and do not go to battle, except for a few,

Indisposed toward you. And when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes revolving like one being overcome by death. But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward [any] good. Those have not believed, so Allāh has rendered their deeds worthless, and ever is that, for Allāh, easy.

They think the companies have not [yet] withdrawn. And if the companies should come [again], they would wish they were in the desert among the bedouins, inquiring [from afar] about your news. And if they should be among you, they would not fight except for a little.

There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allāh an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allāh and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allāh often.

And when the believers saw the companies, they said, "This is what Allāh and His Messenger had promised us, and Allāh and His Messenger spoke the truth." And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.