May Allah forgive you*; why did you permit them** until the truthful ones had been manifested to you and the liars been exposed? (* This is an expression of love for the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him. ** The hypocrites had been permitted to stay back from the holy war.) 43 Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day ask no leave of thee lest they should strive with their wealth and their lives. Allah is Aware of those who keep their duty (unto Him). 44 only those seek exemption who do not truly believe in God and the Last Day, and whose hearts have become a prey to doubt. Because they doubt, they waver. 45 ۞ And had they intended the going forth, they would have made some preparation therefor; but Allah was averse to their wending, wherefore He withheld them, and the word was passed: stay at home with the stay-at-homes. 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 have already tried to sow dissension, and hatched plots against you, until the truth became manifest and God's will prevailed, much to their disgust. 48 And among them there was [many a one] who said," Grant me permission [to remain at home,] and do not put me to too hard a test!" Oh, verily, [by making such a request] they had [already failed in their test and] succumbed to a temptation to evil: and behold, hell will indeed encompass all who refuse to acknowledge the truth! 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 For us, you can anticipate nothing other than Paradise if we are killed or success if we triumph. However, what we can anticipate for you is either punishment by the hands of God or by ours. Wait and we, too, are waiting with you. 52 Tell them: "Whether you spend your money willingly or unwillingly, it shall not find acceptance (with Allah) for you are an evil-doing folk." 53 And naught prevents that their expendings should be accepted from them, but that they believe not in God and His Messenger, and perform not the prayer save lazily, and that they expend not without they are averse. 54 So let not their riches or their children surprise you; Allah only intends to punish them in the life of this world with these things and that they die only as disbelievers. 55 And they swear by Allah that they are most surely of you, and they are not of you, but they are a people who are afraid (of you). 56 If they could find a shelter, or some caverns, or any place to creep into, they would turn about and bolt away to it. 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 had been pleased with what God and His Messenger had given them and had said, "God is All-Sufficient for us. God and His Messenger will soon do us more favors and we have hope in God's mercy." 59