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﴾.

﴿فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظّاً غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لاَنْفَضُّواْ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى الاٌّمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ - إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلاَ غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِى يَنصُرُكُم مِّنْ بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ - وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِىٍّ أَنْ يَغُلَّ وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ - أَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَنَ اللَّهِ كَمَن بَآءَ بِسَخْطٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ - هُمْ دَرَجَـتٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ واللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ - لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴾

(159. And by the mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pardon them, and ask forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).) (160. If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust.) (161. It is not for any Prophet to illegally take a part of the booty, and whosoever deceives his companions over the booty, he shall bring forth on the Day of Resurrection that which he took. Then every person shall be paid in full what he has earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.) (162. Is then one who follows (seeks) the pleasure of Allah like the one who draws on himself the wrath of Allah His abode is Hell, and worse indeed is that destination!) (163. They are in varying grades with Allah, and Allah is All-Seer of what they do.) (164. Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His verses (the Qur'an), and purifying them, and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah ﴿the wisdom and the Sunnah﴾, while before that they had been in manifest error.)