AND THERE came [unto the Apostle] such of the bedouin as had some excuse to offer, [with the request] that they be granted exemption, whereas those who were bent on giving the lie to God and His Apostle [simply] remained at home. [And] grievous suffering is bound to befall such of them as are bent on denying the truth! 90 There is no fault for the weak, the sick, and those lacking the means to spend (to stay behind), if they are true to Allah and His Messenger. There is no way against the righteous; Allah is Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 91 Nor (is there blame) on those who came to thee to be provided with mounts, and when thou saidst, "I can find no mounts for you," they turned back, their eyes streaming with tears of grief that they had no resources wherewith to provide the expenses. 92 ۞ The ground (of complaint) is only against those who are rich, and yet ask exemption. They are content to be with (the women) who sit behind (at home) and Allah has sealed up their hearts (from all kinds of goodness and right guidance) so that they know not (what they are losing). 93 They will put up excuses before you when you return to them. Tell them: "Make no excuses. We will not believe you. Allah has already informed us of the truth about you. Allah will observe your conduct, and so will His Messenger; then you will be brought back to Him Who knows alike what lies beyond perception and what lies in the range of perception and will let you know what you have done." 94 They will beg you in the name of God, on your return, to forgive them; but you keep away from them: They are scum; their abode is Hell: Requital for what they had done. 95 They will swear to you in order to please you. But even if you become pleased with them, Allah will not be pleased with such an evil-doing folk. 96 The dwellers of the desert are very hard in unbelief and hypocrisy, and more disposed not to know the limits of what Allah has revealed to His Apostle; and Allah is Knowing, Wise. 97 Some of the Bedouins take what they expend for a fine, and await the turns of fortune to go against you. Theirs shall be the evil turn; God is All-hearing, All-knowing. 98 However, among the bedouin there are [also] such as believe in God and the Last Day, and regard all that they spend [in God's cause] as a means of drawing them nearer to God and of [their being remembered in] the Apostle's prayers. Oh, verily, it shall [indeed] be a means of [God's] nearness to them, [for] God will admit them unto His grace: verily, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace! 99