Those desert Arabs who remained behind will say to you, "Our belongings and our families kept us occupied, so ask forgiveness for us." They will say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say, "Who then has any power at all [to intervene] on your behalf with God, if His will is to do you harm, or if He intends to do you good? Indeed, God is well aware of all that you do." 11 No, you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families, and this was made to seem fair in your hearts so you harbored evil thoughts, and so you are a destroyed nation. 12 Whoso believes not in God and His Messenger, We have prepared for the unbelievers a Blaze. 13 To God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom He pleases, and punishes whom He pleases. And God is most forgiving and 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 Bedouins who were left behind: 'You shall be called against a people possessed of great might' to fight them, or they surrender. If you obey, God will give you a goodly wage; but if you turn your backs, as you turned your backs before, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement.' 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