May Allah pardon you, [O Muhammad]; why did you give them permission [to remain behind]? [You should not have] until it was evident to you who were truthful and you knew [who were] the liars. 43 Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day would not ask permission of you to be excused from striving with their wealth and their lives. And Allah is Knowing of those who fear Him. 44 Only those who ask your permission do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts are filled with doubt. And in their doubt, they waiver. 45 ۞ Had they intended to set forth with you, they would have prepared themselves for it. But Allah did not like their going forth and held them back, and it was said: 'Stay back with those who stay back' 46 Had these [hypocrites] set out with you, [O believers,] they would have added nothing to you save the evil of corruption, and would surely have scurried to and fro in your midst, seeking to stir up discord among you, seeing that there are in your midst such as would have lent them ear: but God has full knowledge of the evildoers. 47 They sought to stir up sedition already before, and turned things upside down for thee, until the truth came, and God's command appeared, though they were averse. 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 befalls thee, it grieves them; but if a misfortune befalls thee, they say, "We took indeed our precautions beforehand," and 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 thou: expend willingly or unwillingly, it will not be accepted of you; verily ye are ever a people ungodly. 53 The only reason their contributions are not accepted is that they have denied God and His Messenger, they come to the prayer half heartedly, and they offer contributions unwillingly. 54 Let not then their property and their children excite your admiration; Allah only wishes to chastise them with these in this world's life and (that) their souls may 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 Could they find a place of refuge or caverns or a retreating hole, they would turn round thereto rushing headlong. 57 And among them are such as find fault with thee [O Prophet] concerning [the distribution of] the offerings given for the sake of God: if they are given something thereof, they are well-pleased; but if they are not given anything thereof, lo! they are consumed with anger. 58 If only they had been content with what Allah and His Messenger gave them, and had said, "Sufficient unto us is Allah! Allah and His Messenger will soon give us of His bounty: to Allah do we turn our hopes!" (that would have been the right course). 59