O People who Believe! Do not be like the disbelievers who said regarding their brothers who went on a journey or on holy war, “If they had been here with us they would not have died or been killed” – so that Allah may make it as despair in their hearts; and Allah gives life and causes death; and Allah is seeing your deeds. 156 And what though ye be slain in Allah's way or die therein? Surely pardon from Allah and mercy are better than all that they amass. 157 And if you die or are killed, even so it is to God that you will return. 158 It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him). 159 If God helps you, none can overcome you, but if He withdraws His help from you, who is there who can help you besides Him? In God, then, let the believers place their trust! 160 No Prophet can ever be treacherous. A treacherous person will be brought before God on the Day of Judgment with his treacherous deeds. Then every soul will be recompensed for its works without being wronged. 161 So is one who pursues the pleasure of Allah like one who brings upon himself the anger of Allah and whose refuge is Hell? And wretched is the destination. 162 They are in varying grades with Allah, and Allah is All-Seer of what they do. 163 Indeed, God bestowed a favour upon the believers when he raised up in their midst an apostle from among themselves, to convey His messages unto them, and to cause them to grow in purity, and to impart unto them the divine writ as well as wisdom - whereas before that they were indeed, most obviously, lost in error. 164 What! When a misfortune befalls you, after you had yourself inflicted twice as heavy losses, you say, "How has this come about?" Say, "It was your own fault." Truly, God has the power to will anything: 165 What you suffered on the day the two armies had met was by God's dispensation, so that He may distinguish the faithful, 166 and that He might also know the hypocrites when it was said of them, 'Come now, fight in the way of God, or repel!' They said, 'If only we knew how to fight, we would follow you.' They that day were nearer to unbelief than to belief, saying with their mouths that which never was in their hearts; and God knows very well the things they hide; 167 To those who sit at home and say of their brothers: "They would never have been killed had they listened to us, say: "Drive away death from your midst if what you say is true." 168 Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; 169 exulting in that [martyrdom] which God has bestowed upon them out of His bounty. And they rejoice in the glad tiding given to those [of their brethren] who have been left behind and have not yet joined them, that no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve: 170 ۞ They rejoice because of the favours from Allah and (His) munificence, and because Allah does not waste the reward of the believers. 171