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 it not, but assuredly they said the word of infidelity and disbelieved after their profession of Islam and they resolved that to which they could not attain. And they avenged not except for this that Allah and His apostle had enriched them out of His grace. If then they repent, it will be better for them, and if they turn away, Allah will torment them with an afflictive torment in the world and the Hereafter, and theirs shall be on the earth no friend nor helper. 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 But when he gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused. 76 So He made hypocrisy to follow as a consequence into their hearts till the day when they shall meet Him because they failed to perform towards Allah what they had promised with Him and because they told lies. 77 Do they not know that God knows [all] their hidden thoughts and their secret confabulations, and that God knows fully all the things that are beyond the reach of human perception'? 78 As for those who taunt the believers who give charity voluntarily, and scoff at those who give according to their means, Allah will scoff at them. Theirs shall be a painful punishment. 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