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 If you are slain or die in God's way, forgiveness and mercy from God are a better thing than that you amass; 157 surely if you die or are slain, it is unto God you shall be mustered. 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 assists you, then there is none that can overcome you, and if He forsakes you, who is there then that can assist you after Him? And on Allah should the believers rely. 160 No prophet could (ever) be false to his trust. If any person is so false, He shall, on the Day of Judgment, restore what he misappropriated; then shall every soul receive its due,- whatever it earned,- and none shall be dealt with unjustly. 161 Is he who follows the good pleasure of Allah like him who is laden with Allah's wrath and whose abode is Hell? How evil that is for a resting-place! 162 There are (varying) grades with Allah, and Allah sees what they do. 163 Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error. 164 (What is the matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: "From where does this come to us?" Say (to them), "It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds)." And Allah has power over all things. 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 Those who spoke regarding their brothers while they themselves stayed back at home, “Had they listened to us, they would not have been slain”; say (to them, O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “Then avert your own death, if you are truthful!” 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 Happy over what Allah has bestowed upon them from His grace, and rejoicing for those who will succeed them, and have not yet joined them; for on them is no fear nor any grief. 170 ۞ They rejoice because of the favours from Allah and (His) munificence, and because Allah does not waste the reward of the believers. 171