The bedouins who lag behind in taking part in the battle say to you, "Ask forgiveness for us; we were busy with our property and household." They speak what is not in their hearts. (Muhammad), tell them, "Who will help you against God, if He intends to harm you, who will prevent Him from benefitting you? In fact, God is Well Aware of whatever you do". 11 "Nay, ye thought that the Messenger and the Believers would never return to their families; this seemed pleasing in your hearts, and ye conceived an evil thought, for ye are a people lost (in wickedness)." 12 And whoever does not believe in Allah and His Apostle, then surely We have prepared burning fire for the unbelievers. 13 To God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He forgives or punishes whomever He wants. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. 14 Those who had stayed behind will now say, “When you go to receive the war booty, let us also go with you”; they wish to change the Words of Allah; say “You shall never come with us – this is already decreed by Allah”; so they will now say, “But rather you envy us”; in fact they never understood except a little. 15 Say to the desert Arabs who stayed behind, "You shall be called against a mighty people; then shall you fight, unless they submit. Then if you prove obedient, God will grant you a good reward, but if You turn back as you did before, He will inflict on you a painful punishment -- 16 No blame attaches to the blind, nor does blame attach to the lame, nor does blame attach to the sick [for staying away from a war in God's cause]; but whoever heeds [the call of] God and His Apostle [in deed or in heart,] him will He admit into gardens through which running waters flow; whereas him who turns away will He chastise with grievous chastisement. 17