ربع الحزب 168 ربع ١٦٨

God knows exactly who among you hinder others, who [secretly] say to their brothers, ‘Come and join us,’ who hardly ever come out to fight,

who begrudge you [believers] any help. When fear comes, you [Prophet] see them looking at you with eyes rolling like someone in their death throes; when fear has passed, they attack you with sharp tongues and begrudge you any good. Such men do not believe, and God brings their deeds to nothing- that is all too easy for God.

They think the joint forces have not gone, and if the joint forces did come again they would wish they were in the desert, wandering among the Bedouin and seeking news about you [from a safe distance]. Even if they were with you [believers], they would hardly fight at all.

The Messenger of God is an excellent model for those of you who put your hope in God and the Last Day and remember Him often.

When the believers saw the joint forces, they said, ‘This is what God and His Messenger promised us: the promise of God and His Messenger is true,’ and this only served to increase their faith and submission to God.

There are men among the believers who honoured their pledge to God: some of them have fulfilled it by death, and some are still waiting. They have not changed in the least.

[Such trials are ordained] so that God may reward the truthful for their honesty and punish the hypocrites, if He so wills, or He may relent towards them, for God is forgiving and merciful.

God sent back the disbelievers along with their rage- they gained no benefit–– and spared the believers from fighting. He is strong and mighty.

He brought those People of the Book who supported them down from their strongholds and put panic into their hearts. Some of them you [believers] killed and some you took captive.

He passed on to you their land, their houses, their possessions, and a land where you had not set foot: God has power over everything.

Prophet, say to your wives,‘If your desire is for the present life and its finery, then come, I will make provision for you and release you with kindness,

but if you desire God, His Messenger, and the Final Home, then remember that God has prepared great rewards for those of you who do good.’

Wives of the Prophet, if any of you does something clearly outrageous, she will be doubly punished- that is easy for God-