his hastening.” It was also said: He led them into the lapse, which is sin. And it was said: azalla (caused to slip) and istazalla (sought to cause to slip) have one and the same meaning. “Because of some of what they had earned,” that is, because of the evil consequence of their sins. Some said: because they abandoned their positions. Al-Hasan said: What they had earned was their acceptance of Satan’s whispering to them about defeat. “Yet Allah has certainly pardoned them. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.”

“O you who believe, do not be like those who disbelieve and say of their brethren, when they travel through the land or go forth to fight, ‘Had they remained with us, they would not have died or been killed,’ so that Allah may make this a regret in their hearts. Allah gives life and causes death, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do. (156) And if you are killed in the way of Allah or die, then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than all that they amass. (157)”