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 And if indeed you are slain or die in God's cause, then surely forgiveness from God and His grace are better than all that one could amass [in this world]: 157 And were you to die or be slain, it is to Allah that you will all be mustered. 158 Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you; pardon them therefore and ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them in the affair; so when you have decided, then place your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who trust. 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 And it is not attributable to a prophet that he should act unfaithfully; and he who acts unfaithfully shall bring that in respect of which he has acted unfaithfully on the day of resurrection; then shall every soul be paid back fully what it has earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly. 161 So is one who follows the will of Allah equal to one who has incurred the wrath from Allah and whose home is the fire? And what a wretched place to return! 162 They are in varying grades with Allah, and Allah is All-Seer of what they do. 163 Certainly Allah conferred a benefit upon the believers when He raised among them an Apostle from among themselves, reciting to them His communications and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although before that they were surely in manifest error. 164 Why, when an affliction hits you and that you had yourselves inflicted twice the like of it, you said: 'How is this' Say: 'This is from your own selves' Surely, 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 test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the Way of Allah or (at least) defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you." They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allah has full knowledge of what they conceal. 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 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 Rejoicing in what Allah has given them out of His grace and they rejoice for the sake of those who, (being left) behind them, have not yet joined them, that they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. 170 ۞ they rejoice in the glad tiding of God's blessings and bounty, and [in the promise] that God will not fail to requite the believers 171