their anger and forgive men:  for God loveth the beneficent.[57] And who, after they have committed a crime, or dealt unjustly with their own souls, remember God, and ask pardon for their sins (for who forgiveth sins except God?) and persevere not in what they have done knowingly:  their reward shall be pardon from their Lord, and gardens wherein rivers flow, they shall remain therein forever:  and how excellent is the reward of those who labor!  There have already been before you examples of punishment of infidels, therefore go through the earth, and behold what hath been the end of those who accuse God’s apostles of imposture.  This book is a declaration unto men, and a direction and an admonition to the pious.  And be not dismayed, neither be ye grieved; for ye shall be superior to the unbelievers if ye believe.  If a wound hath happened unto you in war, a like wound hath already happened unto the unbelieving people:  and we cause these days of different success interchangeably to succeed each other among men; that God may know those who believe, and may have martyrs from among you (God loveth not the workers of iniquity); and that God might prove those who believe, and destroy the infidels.  Did ye imagine that ye should enter paradise, when as yet God knew not those among you who fought strenuously in his cause; nor knew those who persevered with patience?  Moreover ye did some time wish for death before that ye met it; but ye have now seen it, and ye looked on, but retreated from it.  Mohammed is no more than an apostle; the other apostles have already deceased before him:  if he die therefore, or be slain, will ye turn back on your heels? but he who turneth back on his heels, will not hurt God at all; and God will surely reward the thankful.  No soul can die unless by the permission of God, according to what is written in the book containing the determinations of things.  And whoso chooseth the reward of this world, we will give him thereof:  but whoso chooseth the reward of the world to come, we will give him thereof; and we will surely reward the thankful.  How many prophets have encountered those who had many myriads of troops:  and yet they desponded not in their mind for what had befallen them in fighting for the religion of God, and were not weakened, neither behaved themselves in an abject manner?  God loveth those who persevere patiently.  And their speech was no other than that they said, Our Lord forgive us our offences, and our transgressions in our business; and confirm our feet, and help us against the unbelieving people.  And God gave them the reward of this world, and a glorious reward in the life to come; for God loveth the well-doers.  O ye who believe, if ye obey the infidels, they will cause you to turn back on your heels, and ye will be turned back and perish:  but God is your Lord; and he is the best helper.  We will surely cast a dread into the hearts of the unbelievers, because they have associated with God that concerning which