156

O you who believe, be not as the disbelievers, that is, [as] the hypocrites, who say of their brothers, that is, regarding their affair, when they travel in the land, and then die, or are on raiding campaigns (ghuzzan, 'a raiding party', is the plural of ghāzin), and are then slain, 'Had they been with us, they would not have died and would not have been slain', in other words, do not say as they say - so that Allahu ta’ālā may make that, saying [of theirs], as a conclusion of their affair, anguish in their hearts. For Allahu ta’ālā gives life, and He gives death, and so no staying put can prevent death, and Allahu ta’ālā sees what you do (ta'malūna, or ya'malūna, 'they do'), and He will requite you for it.