O you who believe! be not like those who disbelieve and say of their brethren when they travel in the earth or engage in fighting: Had they been with us, they would not have died and they would not have been slain; so Allah makes this to be an intense regret in their hearts; and Allah gives life and causes death and Allah sees what you do. 156 If you are slain or die in God's way, forgiveness and mercy from God are a better thing than that you amass; 157 And were you to die or be slain, it is to Allah that you will all be mustered. 158 And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). 159 If God is there to help you none will overcome you; and if He forsake you, who will help you other than Him? So only in God should the faithful place their trust. 160 It is not for a Prophet to be fraudulent; whoso defrauds shall bring the fruits of his fraud on the Day of Resurrection; then every soul shall be paid in full what it has earned, and they shall not be wronged. 161 Is a man who has followed the pleasure of God the same as he who has incurred His wrath, whose abode is surely Hell, a dreadful place? 162 They are in varying gardens in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees well all that they do. 163 Certainly Allah conferred a benefit upon the believers when He raised among them an Apostle from among themselves, reciting to them His communications and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although before that they were surely in manifest error. 164 And how come when a calamity befell you, you began to ask: 'How has this come about?' even though the enemy has suffered at your hands (in the Battle of Badr) double what you have suffered! Say: This calamity has been brought about by yourselves. Surely Allah is Ail-Powerful. 165 What hit you the day the two armies met was by the permission of Allah, so that He might know the believers 166 and mark out those who were tainted with hypocrisy and when they were told, "Come, fight in God's cause" - or, "Defend yourselves" - answered, "If we but knew [that it would come to a] fight, we would indeed follow you." Unto apostasy were they nearer on that day than unto faith, uttering with their mouths something which was not in their hearts, the while God knew fully well what they were trying to conceal: 167 Who said to their brothers and they themselves had stayed behind 'Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed' Say to them: 'Avert death from yourselves then, if what you say is true' 168 And reckon not thou those slain in the way of Allah to be dead. Nay, they are alive, and with their Lord, and provided for. 169 They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind (not yet martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. 170 ۞ They rejoice at the favour of Allah and His grace, and that verily Allah wasteth not the hire of the believers. 171