آل عمران

and distinguish the ˹true˺ believers and destroy the disbelievers.

Do you think you will enter Paradise without Allah proving which of you ˹truly˺ struggled ˹for His cause˺ and patiently endured?

You certainly wished ˹for the opportunity˺ for martyrdom before encountering it, now you have seen it with your own eyes.

Muḥammad is no more than a messenger; other messengers have gone before him. If he were to die or to be killed, would you regress into disbelief? Those who do so will not harm Allah whatsoever. And Allah will reward those who are grateful.

No soul can ever die without Allah’s Will at the destined time. Those who desire worldly gain, We will let them have it, and those who desire heavenly reward, We will grant it to them. And We will reward those who are grateful.

˹Imagine˺ how many devotees fought along with their prophets and never faltered despite whatever ˹losses˺ they suffered in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or give in! Allah loves those who persevere.

And all they said was, “Our Lord! Forgive our sins and excesses, make our steps firm, and grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”

So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. For Allah loves the good-doers.

O believers! If you yield to the disbelievers, they will drag you back to disbelief—and you will become losers.

But no! Allah is your Guardian, and He is the best Helper.

We will cast horror into the hearts of the disbelievers for associating ˹false gods˺ with Allah—a practice He has never authorized. The Fire will be their home—what an evil place for the wrongdoers to stay!

Indeed, Allah fulfilled His promise to you when you ˹initially˺ swept them away by His Will, then your courage weakened and you disputed about the command and disobeyed,¹ after Allah had brought victory within your reach. Some of you were after worldly gain while others desired a heavenly reward. He denied you victory over them as a test, yet He has pardoned you. And Allah is Gracious to the believers.

˹Remember˺ when you were running far away ˹in panic˺—not looking at anyone—while the Messenger was calling to you from behind! So Allah rewarded your disobedience with distress upon distress. Now, do not grieve over the victory you were denied or the injury you suffered. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Then after distress, He sent down serenity in the form of drowsiness overcoming some of you, while others were disturbed by evil thoughts about Allah—the thoughts of ˹pre-Islamic˺ ignorance. They ask, “Do we have a say in the matter?” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “All matters are destined by Allah.” They conceal in their hearts what they do not reveal to you. They say ˹to themselves˺, “If we had any say in the matter, none of us would have come to die here.” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Even if you were to remain in your homes, those among you who were destined to be killed would have met the same fate.” Through this, Allah tests what is within you and purifies what is in your hearts. And Allah knows best what is ˹hidden˺ in the heart.

Indeed, those ˹believers˺ who fled on the day when the two armies met were made to slip by Satan because of their misdeeds. But Allah has pardoned them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.

O believers! Do not be like the unfaithful¹ who say about their brothers who travel throughout the land or engage in battle, “If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed.” Allah makes such thinking a cause of agony in their hearts. It is Allah who gives life and causes death. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

Should you be martyred or die in the cause of Allah, then His forgiveness and mercy are far better than whatever ˹wealth˺ those ˹who stay behind˺ accumulate.

Whether you die or are martyred—all of you will be gathered before Allah.

It is out of Allah’s mercy that you ˹O Prophet˺ have been lenient with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you. So pardon them, ask Allah’s forgiveness for them, and consult with them in ˹conducting˺ matters. Once you make a decision, put your trust in Allah. Surely Allah loves those who trust in Him.

If Allah helps you, none can defeat you. But if He denies you help, then who else can help you? So in Allah let the believers put their trust.