لَّقَد تَّابَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلْأَنصَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُ فِى سَاعَةِ ٱلْعُسْرَةِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِهِمْ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Laqat taabal laahu 'alan nabiyyi wal Muhaajireena wal Ansaaril lazeenat taba'oohu fee saa'atil 'usrati mim ba'di maa kaada yazeeghu quloobu fareeqim minhum summma taaba 'alaihim; innahoo bihim Ra'oofur Raheem
Sesungguhnya Allah telah menerima tobat nabi, orang-orang muhajirin, dan orang-orang ansar yang mengikuti nabi dalam masa kesulitan setelah hati segolongan dari mereka hampir berpaling, kemudian Allah menerima tobat mereka itu. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang kepada mereka,
God has turned in mercy to the Prophet, and to the emigrants and the helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship, after the hearts of some among them had nearly swerved. Then he turned to them in mercy — indeed, he is tender toward them, most merciful.
Mercy here reaches people who did go: the verse describes hearts that nearly turned back on the march, and covers them anyway. The turning is named twice in one sentence, and the Prophet heads the list, which early readers found striking, since the verb usually follows a lapse — some tied it to the leave he granted at verse 43, others read his inclusion as honour. The tradition identifies the hardship named here as the summer march to Tabuk.