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 if ye are slain, or die, in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all they could amass. 157 for, indeed, if you die or are slain, it will surely be unto God that you shall be gathered. 158 Only through the Divine Mercy have you (Muhammad) been able to deal with your followers so gently. If you had been stern and hard-hearted, they would all have deserted you a long time ago. Forgive them and ask God to forgive (their sins) and consult with them in certain matters. But, when you reach a decision, trust God. God loves those who trust Him. 159 If God succours you, none can ever overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who could succour you thereafter? In God, then, let the believers place their trust! 160 And it is unimaginable that any Prophet would hide something; and whoever hides it, will bring what he hid with him on the Day of Resurrection; then every soul will be paid in full for whatever they earned; and they will not be wronged. 161 So is one who follows the will of Allah equal to one who has incurred the wrath from Allah and whose home is the fire? And what a wretched place to return! 162 They are in ranks with God; and God sees the things they do. 163 God has favoured the faithful by sending an apostle to them from among themselves, who recites to them His messages, and reforms and teaches them the Law and the judgement, for they were clearly in error before. 164 AND DO YOU, now that a calamity has befallen you after you had inflicted twice as much [on your foes,] ask yourselves, "How has this come about?" Say: "It has come from your own selves." Verily, God has the power to will anything: 165 and all that befell you on the day when the two hosts met in battle happened by God's leave, so that He might mark out the [true] believers, 166 And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the Way of Allah or (at least) defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you." They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allah has full knowledge of what they conceal. 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 Do not think of those who have been killed in God's cause as dead. They are alive, and well provided for by their Lord; 169 Rejoicing in what Allah has given them out of His grace and they rejoice for the sake of those who, (being left) behind them, have not yet joined them, that they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. 170 ۞ that they will be rewarded with bounties and favors from their Lord and that God will not neglect the reward of the true believers. 171