O Ye who believe! be not like unto those who disbelieve and say of their brethren when they journey in the land or go to religious war: had they been with us, they had not died nor had they been slain; this is in order that Allah may cause an anguish in their hearts. And it is Allah who maketh alive and causeth to die, and Allah is of that which ye work Beholder. 156 If you were to die or to be killed for the cause of God, certainly His forgiveness and mercy is far better than your worldly gains. 157 And whether ye die or be slain, assuredly unto Allah shall ye be gathered. 158 It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth 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 No Prophet can ever be treacherous. A treacherous person will be brought before God on the Day of Judgment with his treacherous deeds. Then every soul will be recompensed for its works without being wronged. 161 Is then he who strives after God's goodly acceptance like unto him who has earned the burden of God's condemnation and whose goal is hell? - and how vile a journey's end! 162 They are on [entirely] different levels in the sight of God; for God sees all that they do. 163 Allah has surely been gracious to the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves to recite to them His verses, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and the Wisdom (prophetic sayings), though before that they were in clear error. 164 Why [is it that] when a [single] disaster struck you [on the day of Uhud], although you had struck [the enemy in the battle of Badr] with one twice as great, you said, "From where is this?" Say, "It is from yourselves." Indeed, Allah is over all things competent. 165 the misfortune which befell you on the day when the two armies met happened by God's leave, so that He might mark out the [true] believers 166 And may distinguish the hypocrites who were told: "Fight in the way of God, or defend yourselves," and who had replied: "If we knew of the fight we would have followed you." They were nearer unbelief than faith on that day, and they said with their tongues what was not in their hearts; but God is aware of what they hide. 167 Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful. 168 Never think that those who are killed in the way of God are dead. They are alive, getting succour from their Lord, 169 they are joyful because of what God has bestowed on them of His grace and they rejoice that those they left behind, who have not yet joined them, that they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve; 170 ۞ They rejoice on account of favor from Allah and (His) grace, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers. 171