religion of God; verily pardon
from God, and mercy, is better than what they heap together of worldly
riches. And if ye die, or be slain, verily unto God shall ye be
gathered. And as to the mercy granted unto the disobedient from God,
thou, O Mohammed, hast been mild towards them; but if thou hadst been
severe and hard-hearted, they had surely separated themselves from about
thee. Therefore forgive them, and ask pardon for them: and consult them
in the affair of war; and after thou hast deliberated, trust in God; for
God loveth those who trust in him. If God help you, none shall conquer
you; but if he desert you, who is it that will help you after him?
Therefore in God let the faithful trust. It is not the part of a prophet
to defraud, for he who defraudeth, shall bring with him what he hath
defrauded anyone of, on the day of the resurrection.[58] Then shall
every soul be paid what he hath gained; and they shall not be treated
unjustly. Shall he therefore who followeth that which is well pleasing
unto God, be as he who bringeth on himself wrath from God, and whose
receptacle is hell? an evil journey shall it be thither. There shall be
degrees of rewards and punishments with God, for God seeth what they do.
Now hath God been gracious unto the believers when he raised up among
them an apostle of their own nation,[59] who should recite his signs
unto them, and purify them, and teach them the book of the Koran and
wisdom; whereas they were before in manifest error. After a misfortune
hath befallen you at Ohod (ye had already obtained two equal
advantages), do ye say, Whence cometh this? Answer, This is from
yourselves: for God is almighty. And what happened unto you, on the day
whereon the two armies met, was certainly by the permission of God; and
that he might know the faithful, and that he might know the ungodly. It
was said unto them, Come, fight for the religion of God, or drive back
the enemy: they answered, If we had known ye went out to fight, we had
certainly followed you. They were on that day nearer unto unbelief than
they were to faith; they spake with their mouths what was not in their
hearts; but God perfectly knew what they concealed; who said of their
brethren, while themselves stayed at home, if they had obeyed us, they
had not been slain. Say, Then keep back death from yourselves, if ye say
truth. Thou shalt in no wise reckon those who have been slain at Ohod in
the cause of God, dead; nay, they are sustain