O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination. 73 They swear by Allah that they said nothing. Yet they did utter the word of disbelief and disbelieved after they had submitted. They intended what they never attained to, and took revenge only that Allah enriched them, and His Messenger, of His Bounty. If they repent, it will indeed be better for them; but if they turn away, Allah will sternly punish them both in this world and in the Everlasting Life. They have none on earth to protect or help them. 74 ۞ And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous." 75 But when He gave them of His bounty they became greedy, and then turned away. 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 Knew they not that Allah knoweth their secret and their whisper, and that Allah is the Knower of Things Hidden! 78 [It is these hypocrites] who find fault with such of the believers as give for the sake of God more than they are duty-bound to give, as well as with, such as find nothing [to give] beyond [the meagre fruits of] their toil, and who scoff at them [all]. God will cause their scoffing to rebound on themselves and grievous suffering awaits them. 79 Ask forgiveness for them, [O Muhammad], or do not ask forgiveness for them. If you should ask forgiveness for them seventy times - never will Allah forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger, and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people. 80