وَإِذا أُنزِلَت سورَةٌ أَن آمِنوا بِاللَّهِ وَجاهِدوا مَعَ رَسولِهِ استَأذَنَكَ أُولُو الطَّولِ مِنهُم وَقالوا ذَرنا نَكُن مَعَ القاعِدينَ

When a chapter is revealed, stating: “Believe in God and strive with His Messenger,” the affluent among them ask for your exemption, saying, “Let us be with those who stay behind.”

رَضوا بِأَن يَكونوا مَعَ الخَوالِفِ وَطُبِعَ عَلىٰ قُلوبِهِم فَهُم لا يَفقَهونَ

They are content to be with those who stay behind; their hearts were sealed, so they don’t understand.

لـٰكِنِ الرَّسولُ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا مَعَهُ جاهَدوا بِأَموالِهِم وَأَنفُسِهِم ۚ وَأُولـٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الخَيراتُ ۖ وَأُولـٰئِكَ هُمُ المُفلِحونَ

However, the Messenger and those who believed with him strive with their wealth and their lives. For these will be the good things, and it is they who will be successful.

أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم جَنّاتٍ تَجري مِن تَحتِهَا الأَنهارُ خالِدينَ فيها ۚ ذٰلِكَ الفَوزُ العَظيمُ

God has prepared for them gardens under which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That’s the supreme success.

وَجاءَ المُعَذِّرونَ مِنَ الأَعرابِ لِيُؤذَنَ لَهُم وَقَعَدَ الَّذينَ كَذَبُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسولَهُ ۚ سَيُصيبُ الَّذينَ كَفَروا مِنهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ

Some Desert Arabs came with excuses, seeking an exemption, and those who lied to God and His Messenger sat. A painful punishment will strike those among them who disbelieved.

وَلا عَلَى الَّذينَ إِذا ما أَتَوكَ لِتَحمِلَهُم قُلتَ لا أَجِدُ ما أَحمِلُكُم عَلَيهِ تَوَلَّوا وَأَعيُنُهُم تَفيضُ مِنَ الدَّمعِ حَزَنًا أَلّا يَجِدوا ما يُنفِقونَ

Nor on those who, when they came to you asking to be transported, and you said, “I have nothing to transport you on,” they turned away, their eyes overflowing with tears out of sadness that they couldn’t find the means to spend.

إِنَّمَا السَّبيلُ عَلَى الَّذينَ يَستَأذِنونَكَ وَهُم أَغنِياءُ ۚ رَضوا بِأَن يَكونوا مَعَ الخَوالِفِ وَطَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلىٰ قُلوبِهِم فَهُم لا يَعلَمونَ

The blame lies only with those who ask your permission while they are wealthy. They prefer to remain with those who stay behind, and God has sealed their hearts, leaving them devoid of understanding.

يَعتَذِرونَ إِلَيكُم إِذا رَجَعتُم إِلَيهِم ۚ قُل لا تَعتَذِروا لَن نُؤمِنَ لَكُم قَد نَبَّأَنَا اللَّهُ مِن أَخبارِكُم ۚ وَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُم وَرَسولُهُ ثُمَّ تُرَدّونَ إِلىٰ عالِمِ الغَيبِ وَالشَّهادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِما كُنتُم تَعمَلونَ

They will make excuses to you when you return to them. Say, “Don’t make excuses; we won’t believe you. God has informed us of your intentions. God and His Messenger will observe your actions, and you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, who will inform you of everything you did.”

سَيَحلِفونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُم إِذَا انقَلَبتُم إِلَيهِم لِتُعرِضوا عَنهُم ۖ فَأَعرِضوا عَنهُم ۖ إِنَّهُم رِجسٌ ۖ وَمَأواهُم جَهَنَّمُ جَزاءً بِما كانوا يَكسِبونَ

Upon your return to them, they will swear by God, hoping you will accept their excuses. Distance yourself from them, for they are impure, and their dwelling is Hell—a just compensation for their actions.

يَحلِفونَ لَكُم لِتَرضَوا عَنهُم ۖ فَإِن تَرضَوا عَنهُم فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَرضىٰ عَنِ القَومِ الفاسِقينَ

They swear to you to gain your approval, but even if you approve of them, God doesn’t approve of the sinful people.