Some Arabs of the desert who had an excuse came asking permission to stay behind; whilst those who belied Allah and His Messenger remained behind. A painful punishment shall fall on those of them that disbelieved. 90 There is no fault in the weak and the sick and those who find nothing to expend, if they are true to God and to His Messenger. There is no way against the good-doers -- God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate -- 91 Nor unto those whom, when they came to thee (asking) that thou shouldst mount them, thou didst tell: I cannot find whereon to mount you. They turned back with eyes flowing with tears, for sorrow that they could not find the means to spend. 92 ۞ The way is open only against those who ask leave of thee, being rich; they are well-pleased to be with those behind; God has set a seal on their hearts, so they know not. 93 They will put up excuses before you when you return to them. Tell them: "Make no excuses. We will not believe you. Allah has already informed us of the truth about you. Allah will observe your conduct, and so will His Messenger; then you will be brought back to Him Who knows alike what lies beyond perception and what lies in the range of perception and will let you know what you have done." 94 When you return to them, they will swear to you by Allah that you might turn aside from them. Let them alone, they are unclean. Gehenna shall be their refuge, a recompense for their earnings. 95 They will swear to you, that you may be well-pleased with them; but if you are well-pleased with them, God will surely not be well-pleased with the people of the ungodly. 96 The dwellers of the desert are the hardest in infidelity and hypocrisy and likeliest not to know the ordinances of that which Allah hath sent down unto His apostle. And Allah is Knowing, Wise. 97 Some of these rustics take whatever they spend in the way of God as a penalty, and wait for an adverse turn in your fortune. For them will be the adverse change, as God hears all and knows everything. 98 However, among the bedouin there are [also] such as believe in God and the Last Day, and regard all that they spend [in God's cause] as a means of drawing them nearer to God and of [their being remembered in] the Apostle's prayers. Oh, verily, it shall [indeed] be a means of [God's] nearness to them, [for] God will admit them unto His grace: verily, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace! 99