صفحة 195

Indeed, they had tried before that to stir up discord: they devised plots against you [Prophet] until the truth was exposed and God’s will triumphed, much to their disgust.

Some of them said, ‘Give me permission to stay at home: do not trouble me.’ They are already in trouble: Hell will engulf the disbelievers.

If you [Prophet] have good fortune, it will grieve them, but if misfortune comes your way, they will say to themselves, ‘We took precautions for this,’ and go away rejoicing.

Say, ‘Only what God has decreed will happen to us. He is our Master: let the believers put their trust in God.’

Say, ‘Do you expect something other than one of the two best things to happen to us? Well, we expect God to inflict punishment on you, either from Himself or at our hands. So wait; we too are waiting.’

Say, ‘Whether you give willingly or unwillingly, what you give will not be accepted, for you are disobedient people.’

The only thing that prevents what they give from being accepted is the fact that they defy God and His Messenger, perform the prayer only lazily, and give only grudgingly.