أَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضوانَ اللَّهِ كَمَن باءَ بِسَخَطٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَأواهُ جَهَنَّمُ ۚ وَبِئسَ المَصيرُ
Is one who follows God’s approval like one who incurred God’s wrath and whose dwelling is Hell—a miserable destination?
هُم دَرَجاتٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بَصيرٌ بِما يَعمَلونَ
These are distinct positions before God, and God sees what they do.
لَقَد مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى المُؤمِنينَ إِذ بَعَثَ فيهِم رَسولًا مِن أَنفُسِهِم يَتلو عَلَيهِم آياتِهِ وَيُزَكّيهِم وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الكِتابَ وَالحِكمَةَ وَإِن كانوا مِن قَبلُ لَفي ضَلالٍ مُبينٍ
God has been gracious to the believers when He sent a Messenger from among them, who conveys His verses to them, purifies them, and teaches them the Scripture and wisdom. Before this, they were clearly astray.
أَوَلَمّا أَصابَتكُم مُصيبَةٌ قَد أَصَبتُم مِثلَيها قُلتُم أَنّىٰ هـٰذا ۖ قُل هُوَ مِن عِندِ أَنفُسِكُم ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ
When tragedy befell you, even though you had inflicted twice as much, you asked, “How did this happen?” Say, “It is from your own selves.” God has power over all things.
وَما أَصابَكُم يَومَ التَقَى الجَمعانِ فَبِإِذنِ اللَّهِ وَلِيَعلَمَ المُؤمِنينَ
What transpired on the day the two armies met was, by God’s decree, to test the believers.
وَلِيَعلَمَ الَّذينَ نافَقوا ۚ وَقيلَ لَهُم تَعالَوا قاتِلوا في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادفَعوا ۖ قالوا لَو نَعلَمُ قِتالًا لَاتَّبَعناكُم ۗ هُم لِلكُفرِ يَومَئِذٍ أَقرَبُ مِنهُم لِلإيمانِ ۚ يَقولونَ بِأَفواهِهِم ما لَيسَ في قُلوبِهِم ۗ وَاللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِما يَكتُمونَ
And to expose the hypocrites. They were told, “Come, fight in the path of God, or at least defend.” They responded, “If we knew how to fight, we would follow you.” On that day, they were nearer to disbelief than to belief. They say with their mouths what’s not in their hearts. God is fully aware of what they conceal.
الَّذينَ قالوا لِإِخوانِهِم وَقَعَدوا لَو أَطاعونا ما قُتِلوا ۗ قُل فَادرَءوا عَن أَنفُسِكُمُ المَوتَ إِن كُنتُم صادِقينَ
Those who stayed behind said of their brothers, “If they had obeyed us, they wouldn’t have been killed.” Say, “Then fend off death from yourselves, if you are sincere.”
وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ الَّذينَ قُتِلوا في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ أَمواتًا ۚ بَل أَحياءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِم يُرزَقونَ
Don’t consider those who were killed in God’s cause as dead. Instead, they are alive, in the presence of their Lord, being provided for.
فَرِحينَ بِما آتاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضلِهِ وَيَستَبشِرونَ بِالَّذينَ لَم يَلحَقوا بِهِم مِن خَلفِهِم أَلّا خَوفٌ عَلَيهِم وَلا هُم يَحزَنونَ
Rejoicing in what God bestowed upon them of His bounty, they are glad for those who haven’t yet joined them, because they will have no fear or sadness.
يَستَبشِرونَ بِنِعمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضلٍ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضيعُ أَجرَ المُؤمِنينَ
They rejoice in God’s favor and bounty, and that God won’t let the reward of the believers go to waste.
الَّذينَ استَجابوا لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسولِ مِن بَعدِ ما أَصابَهُمُ القَرحُ ۚ لِلَّذينَ أَحسَنوا مِنهُم وَاتَّقَوا أَجرٌ عَظيمٌ
Those who respond to God and the Messenger, even in the face of adversity, and maintain their righteousness and devotion, are promised a grand reward.