Surah Al Imran ayat 156 Tafsir Quran 3:156

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا وَمَا قُتِلُوا لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴾
[ آل عمران: 156]

3:156 O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allah makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allah who gives life and causes death, and Allah is Seeing of what you do.

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 God may make that saying of theirs as a conclusion of their affair anguish in their hearts. For God gives life and He gives death and so no staying put can prevent death and God sees what you do ta‘malūna or ya‘malūna ‘they do’ and He will requite you for it.

O you who conformed to Islam, be not like those infidels who denied Allah and thought they could prevent what is fated to happen. On every occasion when they lost some of their fellow countrymen in journeys of trade or in wars, they expressed their thoughts in words: Had they been with us and remained here, they would not have died nor been slain. This feeling and thought did Allah infuse into them to actuate their hearts and minds with grief. It is Allah who gives life and occasions the moment of death and He is Alimun of all that you do

Prohibiting the Ideas of the Disbeleivers about Death and Predestination Allah forbids His believing servants from the disbelievers' false creed, seen in their statement about those who died in battle and during travel; "Had they abandoned these trips, they would not have met their demise." Allah said, يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقَالُواْ لإِخْوَنِهِمْ ( O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites ) and who say to their brethren), about their dead brethren, إِذَا ضَرَبُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( when they travel through the earth ) for the purpose of trading and otherwise, أَوْ كَانُواْ غُزًّى ( or go out to fight ), participating in battles, لَّوْ كَانُواْ عِنْدَنَا ( "If they had stayed with us," ) in our area, مَا مَاتُواْ وَمَا قُتِلُواْ ( "they would not have died or been killed," ) they would not have died while traveling or been killed in battle.
Allah's statement, لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( so that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts.
) means, Allah creates this evil thought in their hearts so that their sadness and the grief they feel for their loss would increase.
Allah refuted them by saying, وَاللَّهُ يُحْيىِ وَيُمِيتُ ( It is Allah that gives life and causes death. ) for the creation is under Allah's power, and the decision is His Alone.
No one lives or dies except by Allah's leave, and no one's life is increased or decreased except by His decree. وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ( And Allah is All-Seer of what you do, ) for His knowledge and vision encompasses all His creation and none of their affairs ever escapes Him.
Allah's statement, وَلَئِنْ قُتِلْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوْ مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ( And if you are killed or die in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they amass. ) 3:157, indicating that death and martyrdom in Allah's cause are a means of earning Allah's mercy, forgiveness and pleasure.
This, indeed, is better than remaining in this life with its short lived delights.
Furthermore, whoever dies or is killed will return to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, and He will reward him if he has done good deeds, or will punish him for his evil deeds.
Allah said, وَلَئِنْ مُّتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لإِلَى الله تُحْشَرُونَ ( And whether you die or are killed, verily, unto Allah you shall be gathered. ) 3:158.

(3:156) Believers, do not behave like those who disbelieved and say to their brothers (who meet some mishap) in the course of their journey for fighting: 'Had they remained with us, they would not have died nor been slain.' Allah makes such thoughts the cause of deep regrets in their hearts. *113 For in truth it is Allah alone who grants life and deals death. Allah sees all that you do.

O you who have believed, do not meaning

*113).
Such ideas had no solid ground.
God's decree regarding the time of one's death cannot be deferred.
Those who lack faith in God and think that everything is dependent on their own scheming and effort rather than on the overpowering Will of God become victims of perpetual remorse, since they never cease to reflect how a slightly different circumstance or slightly altered strategy could have led to an altogether different and wholesome result.

 

Prohibiting the Ideas of the Disbeleivers about Death and Predestination Allah forbids His believing servants from the disbelievers' false creed, seen in their statement about those who died in battle and during travel; "Had they abandoned these trips, they would not have met their demise." Allah said, يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقَالُواْ لإِخْوَنِهِمْ ( O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites ) and who say to their brethren), about their dead brethren, إِذَا ضَرَبُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( when they travel through the earth ) for the purpose of trading and otherwise, أَوْ كَانُواْ غُزًّى ( or go out to fight ), participating in battles, لَّوْ كَانُواْ عِنْدَنَا ( "If they had stayed with us," ) in our area, مَا مَاتُواْ وَمَا قُتِلُواْ ( "they would not have died or been killed," ) they would not have died while traveling or been killed in battle.
Allah's statement, لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( so that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts.
) means, Allah creates this evil thought in their hearts so that their sadness and the grief they feel for their loss would increase.
Allah refuted them by saying, وَاللَّهُ يُحْيىِ وَيُمِيتُ ( It is Allah that gives life and causes death. ) for the creation is under Allah's power, and the decision is His Alone.
No one lives or dies except by Allah's leave, and no one's life is increased or decreased except by His decree. وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ( And Allah is All-Seer of what you do, ) for His knowledge and vision encompasses all His creation and none of their affairs ever escapes Him.
Allah's statement, وَلَئِنْ قُتِلْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوْ مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ( And if you are killed or die in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they amass. ) 3:157, indicating that death and martyrdom in Allah's cause are a means of earning Allah's mercy, forgiveness and pleasure.
This, indeed, is better than remaining in this life with its short lived delights.
Furthermore, whoever dies or is killed will return to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, and He will reward him if he has done good deeds, or will punish him for his evil deeds.
Allah said, وَلَئِنْ مُّتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لإِلَى الله تُحْشَرُونَ ( And whether you die or are killed, verily, unto Allah you shall be gathered. ) 3:158.

Then Allah said to the Companions of Muhammad: ( O ye who believe! ) in Muhammad and the Qur’an. ( Be not ) in war ( as those who disbelieved ) in secret, i.e. ’Abdullah Ibn Ubayy and his followers who returned to Medina ( and said of their brethren ) the hypocrites ( who went abroad in the land ) who journeyed with the Companions of Muhammad ( or were fighting in the field ) or went with their Prophet in a fighting expedition: ( If they had been (here ) with us) in Medina ( they would not have died ) on their journey ( or been killed ) during the fighting expedition; ( that Allah may make it ) make that doubt ( anguish ) grief ( in their hearts. Allah giveth life ) on the journey ( and causeth death ) settlement; ( and Allah is Seer of what ye do ) of what you say.

O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who say to their brethren when they travel through the earth or go out to fight: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed," so that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. It is Allah that gives life and causes death. And Allah is All-Seer of what you do.

Page 70 English transliteration