And came the ignorant* who make excuses seeking exemption, and those who lied to Allah and His Noble Messenger remained seated; a painful punishment will soon reach the disbelievers among them. (* of faith) 90 There is no reproach upon the old nor upon the sick nor upon those who do not have the means to spend, provided they remain faithful to Allah and His Noble Messenger; and there is no way of reproach against the virtuous; and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. 91 Nor [does any blame] attach to those who came to you to be provided with mounts, and when you said, "I can find no mounts for you," they went back, and tears welled up in their eyes with sadness, since they could not find any way to contribute. 92 ۞ But the blame is to be laid on those who asked permission of you whilst they are rich. They are content to remain with those who stay behind. Allah has set a seal upon their hearts so they do not know. 93 They will excuse themselves unto you when ye return to them. Say thou: excuse not yourselves, we shall by no means believe you: Allah hath already declared unto us some tidings of you, and Allah will behold your work and so will His apostle; and thereafter ye will be brought back unto Him who knoweth the hidden and the manifest, who will then declare unto you that which ye have been working. 94 They will swear to you by Allah, when ye return to them, that ye may leave them alone. So leave them alone: For they are an abomination, and Hell is their dwelling-place,-a fitting recompense for the (evil) that they did. 95 They will swear to you that you may be pleased with them; but if you are pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people. 96 The Bedouins are more stubborn in unbelief and hypocrisy, and apter not to know the bounds of what God has sent down on His Messenger; and God is All-knowing, All-wise. 97 And of the dwellers of the desert are those who take what they spend to be a fine, and they wait (the befalling of) calamities to you; on them (will be) the evil calamity; and Allah is Hearing, 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