Muhammad is only a Messenger. There lived other Messengers before him. Should (Muhammad) die or be slain, would you then turn back to your pre-Islamic behavior? Whoever does so can cause no harm to God. God will reward those who give thanks. 144 And a soul will not die but with the permission of Allah the term is fixed; and whoever desires the reward of this world, I shall give him of it, and whoever desires the reward of the hereafter I shall give him of it, and I will reward the grateful. 145 Many were the Prophets on whose side a large number of God-devoted men fought: they neither lost heart for all they had to suffer in the way of Allah nor did they weaken nor did they abase themselves. Allah loves such steadfast ones. 146 And their speech was naught but that they said: our Lord! forgive us our sins and our extravagance in our affairs, and make our foothold firm, and make us triumph over the disbelieving people. 147 Wherefore Allah vouchsafed unto them the reward of the world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loveth the well-doers. 148