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 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 They alone ask leave of thee who believe not in Allah and the Last Day, and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver. 45 ۞ Had they truly intended to march forth to fight, they would have certainly made some preparation for it. But Allah was averse to their going forth, so He made them lag behind, and they were told: "Stay behind with those that are staying behind." 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 Surely they sought even earlier to stir up sedition, and turned things upside down to frustrate you until the Truth came and the decree of Allah appeared, however hateful this may have been to them. 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 good befalls you (O Muhammad SAW), it grieves them, but if a calamity overtakes you, they say: "We took our precaution beforehand," and they turn away rejoicing. 50 Say: Naught befalleth us save that which Allah hath decreed for us. He is our Protecting Friend. In Allah let believers put their trust! 51 Say: 'Are you waiting for anything to befall us except one of the two excellent things (victory or martyrdom)? We are waiting for the punishment of Allah to smite you, either from Him or at our hands. Wait if you will, we are waiting' 52 Say: Pay (your contribution), willingly or unwillingly, it will not be accepted from you. Lo! ye were ever froward folk. 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 Let not their wealth nor their (following in) sons dazzle thee: in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in this life, and that their souls may perish in their (very) denial of Allah. 55 They swear by God that they are believers like you; but they are not. They are afraid [to appear in their true colours]: 56 if they could find a place of refuge, or a cave or any hiding-place, they would run there with frantic haste. 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 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