May God pardon you! Why did you permit them to do so before it had become clear to you which ones were truthful, so that you might recognize the liars? 43 Those who [truly] believe in God and the Last Day do not ask thee for exemption from struggling with their possessions and their lives [in God's cause] - and God has full knowledge as to who is conscious of Him: 44 It is only those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts doubt who ask thy leave, so in their doubt they are tossed to and fro. 45 ۞ Had they (the hypocrites) wanted to join your army, they would have prepared themselves, but God did not wish to motivate them, so He caused them to linger behind with those whose joining you in battle would be of no use. 46 Had they gone forth among you, they would only have increased you in trouble, and run to and fro in your midst, seeking to stir up sedition between you; and some of you would listen to them; and God knows the evildoers. 47 Indeed they had plotted sedition before, and upset matters for thee, until,- the Truth arrived, and the Decree of Allah became manifest much to their disgust. 48 Some of them there are that say, 'Give me leave and do not tempt me.' Have not such men fallen into temptation? And surely Gehenna 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 Tell them: "Nothing can befall us except what God decrees. Our protector is He, and in God should the faithful place their trust." 51 Say, “What do you wait for to happen to us, except one of the two good things?* And for you, we look forward to Allah afflicting you with a punishment from Himself or by our hands; so wait – we too await with you.” (*Death in Allah’s way or victory.) 52 Say: Pay (your contribution), willingly or unwillingly, it will not be accepted from you. Lo! ye were ever froward folk. 53 What prevents their offerings from being accepted is their disbelief in God and His Messenger, their lack of interest in prayer and spending for the cause of God reluctantly. 54 Let not then their property and their children excite your admiration; Allah only wishes to chastise them with these in this world's life and (that) their souls may depart while they are unbelievers. 55 They swear by Allah that they are part of you whereas they are certainly not part of you. They are merely a people who dread you. 56 If they could find a place to flee to, or caves, or a place of concealment, they would turn straightaway thereto, with an obstinate rush. 57 (O Prophet), some of them find fault with you in the distribution of alms. If they are given something of it they are pleased, and if they are given nothing they are angry. 58 Would that they were contented with what Allah and His Messenger (SAW) gave them and had said: "Allah is Sufficient for us. Allah will give us of His Bounty, and (also) His Messenger (from alms, etc.). We implore Allah (to enrich us)." 59