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 God and the Day of Judgment do not ask you whether they should fight for the cause of God with their property and in person, or not. God knows all about the pious ones. 44 Only those who do not believe in God and the Day of Judgment ask you such questions because their hearts are full of doubts and they cannot make any final decisions. 45 ۞ And if they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it [some] preparation. But Allah disliked their being sent, so He kept them back, and they were told, "Remain [behind] with those who remain." 46 Had they joined you, they would have been of no help to you but would have just caused confusion and trouble among you by sneaking through the ranks where some of you would be ready to listen to them. God knows best the unjust. 47 They had already desired dissension before and had upset matters for you until the truth came and the ordinance of Allah appeared, while they were averse. 48 And among them is he who says: "Grant me leave to stay behind, and do not expose me to temptation." Lo! They have already fallen into temptation. Surely Hell encompasses the unbelievers. 49 If you gain success, it grieves them but if you suffer hardship, they turn away from you saying, "It's good that we took our affairs into our own hands". 50 Say: 'Nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained. He is our Guardian. In Allah, let the believers put 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: 'Expend willingly, or unwillingly, it shall not be accepted from you; you are surely a people ungodly.' 53 And their spending was not stopped being accepted, except because they disbelieved in Allah and His Noble Messenger, and they come to prayer with heavy hearts, and they do not spend except unwillingly. 54 Do not let their wealth and children impress you. For God seeks to punish them through these things in the life of this world, so that their souls shall depart while they are still denying the truth. 55 And they swear by Allah that they are surely of you, whereas they are not of you; but they are a people who dread. 56 If they could find any shelter or any cavern, or any retreat, they would turn around and rush headlong into it. 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 Would that they were wellpleased with what Allah and His Messenger have given them, and would say: 'Allah is sufficient for us. Allah will provide for us from His abundance, and so will His Messenger. To Allah, we hope' 59