May God forgive you! (Muhammad), why did you not let them join the army so that you could discern the liars from the truthful ones? 43 Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day will not ask your permission so that they may struggle with their wealth and their selves. Allah knows best the righteous. 44 They alone ask leave of thee who believe not in Allah and the Last Day, and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver. 45 ۞ If they had desired to go forth, they would have made some preparation for it; but God was averse that they should be aroused, so He made them pause, and it was said to them, 'Tarry you with the tarriers.' 46 Had they joined you, they would have been of no help to you but would have just caused confusion and trouble among you by sneaking through the ranks where some of you would be ready to listen to them. God knows best the unjust. 47 Indeed they had sought to cause turmoil at the outset, and O dear Prophet the scheme turned otherwise* for you, so much so that the truth came and the command of Allah appeared, and they disliked it. (* In your favour.) 48 Some of them ask you, "Make us exempt from taking part in the battle and do not try to tempt us by telling us what we may gain from the battle; many people have died in the battle." Hell certainly encompasses the unbelievers. 49 If good comes your way they are vexed, but if calamity befalls you, they say: "We had taken precautions in advance;" and pleased, turn away. 50 Say, "Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector." And upon Allah let the believers rely. 51 Say, "Are you waiting for anything to befall us except one of the two best things [Victory in this world or Paradise in the next]? But we expect that God will send His punishment to you either directly from Himself, or by our hands. So wait, if you will; we too, are waiting with you." 52 Say: 'Expend willingly, or unwillingly, it shall not be accepted from you; you are surely a people ungodly.' 53 And their spending was not stopped being accepted, except because they disbelieved in Allah and His Noble Messenger, and they come to prayer with heavy hearts, and they do not spend except unwillingly. 54 Let not their wealth nor their (following in) sons dazzle thee: in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in this life, and that their souls may perish in their (very) denial of Allah. 55 They swear by Allah that they are part of you whereas they are certainly not part of you. They are merely a people who dread you. 56 If they find a place of shelter or a cave or hole to hide, they will turn to it. 57 Among them there are some who find fault with you concerning the distribution of alms. If a share is given to them, they are pleased, but if they receive nothing, they grow resentful. 58 O were they well-pleased with what God and His Messenger have brought them, saying, 'Enough for us is God; God will bring us of His bounty, and His Messenger; to God we humbly turn.' 59