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 And if you are killed in the cause of Allah or die - then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than whatever they accumulate [in this world]. 157 If you die or are slain, certainly you will all be brought before God. 158 It was by that Mercy of Allah that you (Prophet Muhammad) dealt so leniently with them. Had you been harsh and hardhearted, they would have surely deserted you. Therefore, pardon them and ask forgiveness for them. Take counsel with them in the matter and when you are resolved, put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those who trust. 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 AND IT IS not conceivable that a prophet should deceive - since he who deceives shall be faced with his deceit on the Day of Resurrection, when every human being shall be repaid in full for whatever he has done, and none shall be 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 on [entirely] different levels in the sight of God; for God sees all that they do. 163 Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error. 164 So will you say when disaster strikes you, though you had struck them with twice as much, “Where has this come from?” Say (to them, O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “It has come from yourselves”; indeed Allah is Able to do all things. 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 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 They say of their brethren, while they themselves are staid: had they obeyed us they had not been slain. Say thou: then repel death from yourselves if ye say sooth. 168 But do not think of those that have been slain in God's cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their Sustainer have they their sustenance, 169 Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. 170 ۞ having glad tidings of a Favor and Bounty from Allah. Allah will not waste the wage of the believers. 171