Have you not seen the people who were told: "Hold back your hands (from attacking), observe your devotional obligations and pay the zakat?" But when they were commanded to fight, behold, a section among them were filled with fear of men as though it were the fear of God and even more, and said: "O Lord, why did you make war compulsory for us? Why did you not allow us to live a little more?" Say to them: "How short-lived is the commerce of this world; but that of the next is best for those who fear God; and you will not be wronged the breadth of a thread." 77 Wherever you may be, death will overtake you - even though you be in towers raised high. "Yet, when a good thing happens to them, some [people] say: "This is from God," whereas when evil befalls them, they say: "This is from thee [O fellowman]!" Say: "All is from God." What, then, is amiss with these people that they are in no wise near to grasping the truth of what they are told? 78 Whatever of good befalleth thee (O man) it is from Allah, and whatever of ill befalleth thee it is from thyself. We have sent thee (Muhammad) as a messenger unto mankind and Allah is sufficient as Witness. 79 Whoever obeys the Apostle, he indeed obeys Allah, and whoever turns back, so We have not sent you as a keeper over them. 80 And they say, "[We pledge] obedience." But when they leave you, a group of them spend the night determining to do other than what you say. But Allah records what they plan by night. So leave them alone and rely upon Allah. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs. 81 Will they not, then, try to understand this Qur'an? Had it issued from any but God, they would surely have found in it many an inner contradiction! 82 Whenever they come upon any news bearing upon either security or causing consternation they go about spreading it, whereas if they were to convey it to either the Messenger or to those from among them who are entrusted with authority, it would come to the knowledge of those who are competent to investigate it. But for Allah's bounty and mercy upon you, (weak as you were) all but a few of you would surely have followed Satan. 83 So do thou fight in the way of God; thou art charged only with thyself. And urge on the believers; haply God will restrain the unbelievers' might; God is stronger in might, more terrible in punishing. 84 Whoever rallies to a good cause shall have a share in its blessing; and whoever rallies to an evil cause shall be answerable for his part in it: for, indeed, God watches over everything. 85 And when you are greeted with a greeting greet with a fairer than it, or return it; surely God keeps a watchful count over everything. 86 God - save whom there is no deity - will surely gather you all together on the Day of Resurrection, [the coming of] which is beyond all doubt: and whose word could be truer than God's? 87