May God pardon thee [O Prophet]! Why didst thou grant them permission [to stay at home] ere it had become obvious to thee as to who was speaking the truth, and [ere] thou camest to know [who were] the liars? 43 Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day would not ask thy leave to be excused from striving hard with their riches and their lives; and Allah is Knower of the God-fearing. 44 They only ask leave of you who do not believe in Allah and the latter day and their hearts are in doubt, so in their doubt do they waver. 45 ۞ Had they intended to set forth with you, they would have prepared themselves for it. But Allah did not like their going forth and held them back, and it was said: 'Stay back with those who stay back' 46 If they had gone forth among you, you would then not gain any increase from them except trouble, and seeking to cause turmoil they would run rumours among you; and their spies are among you; and Allah well knows 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 good comes your way they are vexed, but if calamity befalls you, they say: "We had taken precautions in advance;" and pleased, turn away. 50 Say, "Nothing can befall us, except what God has ordained for us. He is our Supreme Lord. In God let the faithful put their trust." 51 Say: Do you await for us but one of two most excellent things? And we await for you that Allah will afflict you with punishment from Himself or by our hands. So wait; we too will wait with you. 52 Say: 'Whether you spend voluntarily or reluctantly it shall not be accepted from you; for you are a wicked nation' 53 And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allah and in His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend except while they are unwilling. 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 God that they do indeed belong to you - the while they do not belong to you, but are [only] people ridden by fear: 56 if they could but find a place of refuge, or any cavern, or a crevice [in the earth,] they would turn towards it in headlong haste. 57 Some of them find fault with thee touching the freewill offerings; if they are given a share of them they are well-pleased, but if they are given none then they are angry. 58 O were they well-pleased with what God and His Messenger have brought them, saying, 'Enough for us is God; God will bring us of His bounty, and His Messenger; to God we humbly turn.' 59