۞ (Muhammad), consider the thousands who left their homes for fear of death, who were then caused by God to die and brought back to life. God is generous to men but most people are not grateful. 243 Fight, then, in God's cause, and know that God is all-hearing, all-knowing. 244 Who will give God a generous loan? He will multiply it many times over. It is God who withholds, and God who gives abundantly, and it is to Him that you shall all be returned. 245 Bethink thee of the leaders of the Children of Israel after Moses, how they said unto a prophet whom they had: Set up for us a king and we will fight in Allah's way. He said: Would ye then refrain from fighting if fighting were prescribed for you? They said: Why should we not fight in Allah's way when we have been driven from our dwellings with our children? Yet, when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, all save a few of them. Allah is aware of evil-doers. 246 Their Prophet said to them: "Allah hath appointed Talut as king over you." They said: "How can he exercise authority over us when we are better fitted than he to exercise authority, and he is not even gifted, with wealth in abundance?" He said: "Allah hath Chosen him above you, and hath gifted him abundantly with knowledge and bodily prowess: Allah Granteth His authority to whom He pleaseth. Allah careth for all, and He knoweth all things." 247 And their prophet said unto them: verily the sign of his dominion is that there shall come unto you the ark wherein is tranquillity from your Lord and the relic of that which the household of Musa and the household of Harun had left, the angels bearing it; verily, herein is a sign for you if ye are believers. 248