160 If God helps you [believers], no one can overcome you; if He forsakes you, who else can help you? Believers should put their trust in God.
161 It is inconceivable that a prophet would ever dishonestly take something from the battle gains. Anyone who does so will carry it with him on the Day of Resurrection, when each soul will be fully repaid for what it has done: no one will be wronged. 162 Can the man who pursues God’s good pleasure be like the man who has brought God’s wrath upon himself and whose home will be Hell– a foul destination? 163 They are in a different class in God’s eyes; God sees exactly what they do.
164 God has been truly gracious to the believers in sending them a Messenger from among their own, to recite His revelations to them, to make them grow in purity, and to teach them the Scripture and wisdom– before that they were clearly astray. 165 Why do you [believers] say, when a calamity befalls you, even after you have inflicted twice as much damage [on your enemy], ‘How did this happen?’? [Prophet], say, ‘You brought it upon yourselves.’ God has power over everything: 166 what befell you on the day the two armies met in battle happened with God’s permission and in order for Him to see who were the true believers and who were the hypocrites who, 167 when it was said to them, ‘Come, fight for God’s cause, or at least defend yourselves,’ answered, ‘We would follow you if we knew there was going to be fighting.’ On that day they were closer to disbelief than belief. They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts: God knows exactly what they conceal.
168 As for those who stayed behind, and said of their brothers, ‘If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed,’ tell them [Prophet], ‘Ward off death from yourselves, if what you say is true.’
Grace and Bounty
169 [Prophet], do not think of those who have been killed in God’s way as dead. They are alive with their Lord, well provided for, 170 happy with what God has given them of His favour; rejoicing that for those they have left behind who have yet to join them there is no fear, nor will they grieve; 171 [rejoicing] in God’s blessing and favor, and that God will not let the reward of the believers be lost. 172 Those who responded to God and the Messenger after suffering defeat, who do good and remain conscious of God, will have a great reward. 173 Those whose faith only increased when people said, ‘Fear your enemy: they have amassed a great army against you,’ and who replied, ‘God is enough for us: He is the best protector,’ 174 returned with grace and bounty from God; no harm befell them. They pursued God’s good pleasure. God’s favor is great indeed. 175 It is Satan who urges you to fear his followers; do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are true believers.
176 [Prophet], do not be grieved by those who are quick to disbelieve. They will not harm God in the least; it is God’s will that they will have no share in the Hereafter– a terrible torment awaits them. 177 Those who sell their faith for disbelief will not harm God in any way; agonizing torment awaits them. 178 The disbelievers should not think that it is better for them that We give them more time: when We give them more time they become more sinful– a shameful torment awaits them. 179 Nor was it God’s aim to leave you as you were, with no separation between the bad and the good. [a] God would not show you [people] what is hidden; God chooses as His messengers whoever He will. So believe in God and His messengers: if you believe and stay mindful of God, you will have a great reward.
Footnotes
a. With hypocrites mixing with them (Razi). See verses 166–7.
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an / a new translation by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, copyright © 2004 Oxford World's Classics (Oxford University Press). Used by permission. All rights reserved.