O you who have attained to faith! Be not like those who are bent on denying the truth and say of their brethren [who die] after having set out on a journey to faraway places or gone forth to war, "Had they but remained with us, they would not have died," or, "they would not have been slain" - for God will cause such thoughts to become a source of bitter regret in their hearts, since it is God who grants life and deals death. And God sees all that 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 if you die or are killed, even so it is to God that you will return. 158 And it was by God's grace that thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee. Pardon them, then, and pray that they be forgiven. And take counsel with them in all matters of public concern; then, when thou hast decided upon a course of action, place thy trust in God: for, verily, God loves those who place their trust in Him. 159 If Allah succoureth you, there is none that can overcome you; if He abandon you, who is there that can succour you after Him? And in Allah let the believers trust. 160 It is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. And whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection. Then will every soul be [fully] compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged. 161 Is the man who follows the good pleasure of Allah Like the man who draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and whose abode is in Hell?- A woeful refuge! 162 They vary greatly in rank in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees what they do. 163 Indeed, God has conferred a great favour on the believers in sending a Messenger from among themselves, to recite His revelations to them, and purify them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom, for, before that they were surely in manifest error. 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 what you suffered (of the disaster) on the day (of the battle of Uhud when) the two armies met, was by the leave of Allah, in order that He might test the believers. 166 And that he might know those who played the hypocrite. And it was said unto them: come ye, fight in the way of Allah or defend. They said: if we knew it was to be a fair fight we would surely have followed you. Nearer were they on that day to infidelity than to belief. They say with their mouths that which is not in their hearts and Allah knoweth best that which they conceal. 167 who said of their brothers (and they themselves held back), 'Had they obeyed us, they would not have been slain.' Say: 'Then avert death from yourselves, if you speak truly.' 168 Think not of those slain in the way of Allah as dead. Indeed they are living, and with their Lord they have their sustenance, 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 ۞ joyful in blessing and bounty from God, and that God leaves not to waste the wage of the believers. 171