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 [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 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 march out, certainly, they would have made some preparation for it, but Allah was averse to their being sent forth, so He made them lag behind, and it was said (to them), "Sit you among those who sit (at home)." 46 Had they gone forth among you they had added to you naught save trouble and had hurried to and fro among you, seeking to cause sedition among you; and among you there are some who would have listened to them. Allah is Aware of evil-doers. 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 is one who requests you that, “Grant me exemption (from fighting) and do not put me to test”; pay heed! They have indeed fallen into trial; and indeed hell surrounds the disbelievers. 49 If good befalls you they dislike it; and were some calamity to befall you, they would say, “We had resolved our matters in advance”, and would turn away rejoicing. 50 Say: 'Naught shall visit us but what God has prescribed for us; He is our Protector; in God let the believers put all 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, “Spend willingly or with a heavy heart, it will never be accepted from you; indeed you are a disobedient people.” 53 Nothing prevents the acceptance of what they spend except that they do not believe in God and His Apostle, and come to worship but languidly and spend only grudgingly. 54 Let not their property and children tempt you; God wants to punish them through their things in this life so that their souls will depart while they are unbelievers. 55 They swear by Allah that they are indeed of you; but they are not of you: yet they are afraid (to appear in their true colours). 56 They are so afraid of you that had there been a place for them to seek refuge, a cave or some entrance in which to hide themselves from you, they would have madly rushed therein. 57 And among them are men who slander thee in the matter of (the distribution of) the alms: if they are given part thereof, they are pleased, but if not, behold! they are indignant! 58 Would that they were pleased with that which Allah and His apostle had given them, and were to say: sufficient unto us is Allah, anon Allah will give us out of His grace and so will His apostle, verily unto Allah we lean. 59