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 Verily if ye be slain in the way of Allah or die, forgiveness from Allah and mercy are surely better than that which they amass. 157 What though ye be slain or die, when unto Allah ye are gathered? 158 It was then of the mercy of Allah that thou hast been gentle with them; and wert thou rough, hardhearted, they had surely dispersed from around thee. So pardon them thou, and ask thou forgiveness for them and take thou counsel with them in the affair, and when thou hast resolved, put thy trust in Allah. Verily Allah loveth the trustful. 159 If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? in Allah, then, Let believers put their 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 a man who has followed the pleasure of God the same as he who has incurred His wrath, whose abode is surely Hell, a dreadful place? 162 All have a different standing in the eyes of God, and God is observant of all their actions. 163 Surely Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He raised from among them a Messenger to recite to them His signs, and to purify them, and to teach them the Book and Wisdom. For before that they were in manifest error. 164 What! When a misfortune befalls you, after you had yourself inflicted twice as heavy losses, you say, "How has this come about?" Say, "It was your own fault." Truly, God has the power to will anything: 165 That which befell you, on the day when the two armies met, was by permission of Allah; that He might know 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 There are those who themselves did not join the others in fighting for the cause of God and said about their brothers, "Had they listened to us and stayed at home, they would not have been killed." (Muhammad), tell them to save themselves from death if they are true in their claim. 168 Do not think of those slain for the cause of God as dead. They are alive with their Lord and receive sustenance from Him. 169 They are pleased with the favor from their Lord and have received the glad news that those who follow them will have no fear nor will they be grieved, 170 ۞ They rejoice in a Grace and a Bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers. 171