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And that He might also know the hypocrites, and those who, when it was said to them, after they had fled the fighting, namely, 'Abd Allāh b. Ubayy and his companions: 'Come now, fight in the way of Allahu ta’ālā, His enemies, or defend', us against the enemy by increasing the multitude [of our fighters], if you are not going to fight; they said, 'If we knew how, [if] we were skilled enough, to fight we would follow you.' Allahu ta’ālā then said, showing them to be liars: They that day were nearer to unbelief than to belief, for what they manifested of their forsaking the believers, whereas before they had been outwardly nearer to belief; saying with their mouths that which was not in their hearts, for even if they had known how to fight they would not have followed you. And Allahu ta’ālā knows best what they hide, of hypocrisy.