﴿ وَلَئِن قُتِلْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌۭ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ﴾

“And if indeed you are slain or die in God's cause, then surely forgiveness from God and His grace are better than all that one could amass [in this world]:”

The saying of the hypocrites in verse 156 here is an extension of what was cited in verse 154 earlier: لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ‌ شَيْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا :"If we had any say in the matter, we would have not been killed here." Since there were chances that sincere Muslims may be affected by such doubt-creating devices used by hypocrites, Muslims were asked through these verses to remain unconcerned with such sayings and doings and adhere to the belief that the span of life and the time of death are ordained by Allah alone.