With regard to their being routed when it was rumoured that the Prophet had been killed and the hypocrites had said to the believers ‘If he has been killed go back to your previous religion’ the following was revealed Muhammad is only a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. Why if he should die or is slain like others will you turn back on your heels will you return to unbelief the last statement is the locus of the interrogative of denial in other words ‘he was not a worshipped being so that if he were to die you should turn back to your previous religion’. If any man should turn back on his heels he will not harm God in any way but will be harming himself and God will requite those that are thankful for His graces by staying firm.