(O Prophet), the bedouins who were left behind say to you: “We were occupied with our goods and families. So ask forgiveness for us.” They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say to them: “Who can be of any avail to you against Allah if He should intend to cause you any harm or confer upon you any benefit?” Allah is well aware of all that you do. 11 Nay! you rather thought that the Apostle and the believers would not return to their families ever, and that was made fairseeming to your hearts and you thought an evil thought and you were a people doomed to perish. 12 And so for him who believeth not in Allah and His messenger - Lo! We have prepared a flame for disbelievers. 13 To Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom He will and punishes whom He will. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. 14 As soon as you [O believers] are about to set forth on a war that promises booty, those who stayed behind [aforetime] will surely say: "Allow us to go with you" - [thus showing that] they would like to alter the Word of God. Say: "By no means shall you go with us: God has declared aforetime [to whom all spoils shall belong]." Thereupon they will [surely] answer, "Nay, but you begrudge us [our share of booty]!" Nay, they can grasp but so little of the truth! 15 Say to the desert Arabs who had stayed behind: "You will be called against a formidable people. You will fight them till they surrender. If you obey, then He will give you a good reward; but if you turn back, as you had done before, He will punish you with a grievous affliction." 16 It is not an offense for the blind, the lame, or the sick not to take part in the battle. Whoever obeys God and His Messenger will be admitted to the gardens wherein streams flow. God will make whoever turns away suffer a painful torment. 17