O Herald of the Hidden! Fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them; and their destination hell; and what an evil place to return! 73 They swear by Allah that they said nothing (evil), but indeed they uttered blasphemy, and they did it after accepting Islam; and they meditated a plot which they were unable to carry out: this revenge of theirs was (their) only return for the bounty with which Allah and His Messenger had enriched them! If they repent, it will be best for them; but if they turn back (to their evil ways), Allah will punish them with a grievous penalty in this life and in the Hereafter: They shall have none on earth to protect or help them. 74 ۞ Some of them made a covenant with Allah: "If Allah gives us out of His bounty, we will give alms and act righteously." 75 Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakat or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse. 76 whereupon He causes hypocrisy to take root in their hearts, [therein to remain] until the Day on which they shall meet Him" - because they have failed to fulfil the vow which they had made unto God, and because they were wont to lie. 77 Know they not that Allah doth know their secret (thoughts) and their secret counsels, and that Allah knoweth well all things unseen? 78 As for those who ridicule such believers as give alms freely for the sake of God and taunt those who find nothing to give save that which they earn through their toil, God will cause their ridicule to rebound on them: they shall have a painful punishment. 79 (Muhammad), whether you ask God to forgive them or not, He will never do so, even if you were to beg seventy times; they have disbelieved in God and His Messenger and God does not guide the evil-doers. 80