May God forgive you. Why did you allow them (to stay behind) without ascertaining who spoke the truth and who were liars? 43 Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day would not ask thy leave to be excused from striving hard with their riches and their lives; and Allah is Knower of the God-fearing. 44 Only those would ask permission of you who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts have doubted, and they, in their doubt, are hesitating. 45 ۞ If they had intended to go out (to fight) they would surely have made preparations. But God did not like their setting forth, and they were held back and told: "Stay at home with those who stay behind." 46 Had they gone forth with you, they would have only added to your trouble, and would have run about in your midst seeking to stir up sedition among you, whereas there are among you some who are prone to lend ears to them. Allah knows well the wrong-doers. 47 They had already desired dissension before and had upset matters for you until the truth came and the ordinance of Allah appeared, while they were averse. 48 Some of them say, "Give us leave to stay behind and do not put us to trial." Surely, they have already fallen into trial. Surely, Hell shall engulf those who deny the truth. 49 If good befalls you, it grieves them, but if a misfortune befalls you, they say, "We took our precautions beforehand!" They turn away rejoicing. 50 Say: 'Naught shall visit us but what God has prescribed for us; He is our Protector; in God let the believers put all their trust.' 51 Say: "Are you, perchance, hopefully waiting for something [bad] to happen to us - [the while nothing can happen to us] save one of the two best things? But as far as you are concerned, we are hopefully waiting for God to inflict chastisement upon you, [either] from Himself or by our hands! Wait, then, hopefully; behold, we shall hopefully wait with you!" 52 Say: "Spend (for the cause) willingly or unwillingly: not from you will it be accepted: for ye are indeed a people rebellious and wicked." 53 Nothing prevents that their expendings be accepted except that they disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger, and whenever they come to the Prayer they do so lazily, and whenever they spend they do so grudgingly. 54 Let neither their wealth nor their children please you. Through these Allah seeks to punish them in this life, and that their souls depart while they are unbelievers. 55 They swear by God they are with you, though in fact they are not. They are only a frightened lot. 56 They are so afraid of you that had there been a place for them to seek refuge, a cave or some entrance in which to hide themselves from you, they would have madly rushed therein. 57 And among them are some who criticize you concerning the [distribution of] charities. If they are given from them, they approve; but if they are not given from them, at once they become angry. 58 They should rather have been pleased with what God and His Prophet had given them, and said: "God is sufficient for us; He will give us of His largesse as will His Apostle. We supplicate no one but God." 59