Tafsir of Surah At-Taubah - Verse 118

The Three, Whose Decision was deferred by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ

Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Ka`b bin Malik, who used to guide Ka`b after he became blind, said that he heard Ka`b bin Malik narrate his story when he did not join the battle of Tabuk with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ka`b bin Malik said, "I did not remain behind Allah's Messenger ﷺ in any battle that he fought except the battle of Tabuk. I failed to take part in the battle of Badr, but Allah did not admonish anyone who did not participate in it, for in fact, Allah's Messenger ﷺ had gone out in search of the caravan of Quraysh, until Allah made the Muslims and their enemies meet without any appointment. I witnessed the night of Al-`Aqabah pledge with Allah's Messenger ﷺ when we pledged for Islam, and I would not exchange it for the Badr Battle, even though the Badr Battle is more popular among the people than the `Aqabah pledge. As for my news of this battle of Tabuk, I was never stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind Allah's Messenger ﷺ in that battle. By Allah, never had I two she-camels before, but I did at the time of that battle. Whenever Allah's Messenger ﷺ wanted to go to a battle, he used to hide his intention by referring to different battles, until it was the time of that battle (of Tabuk) which Allah's Messenger ﷺ fought in intense heat, facing a long journey, the desert, and the great number of enemy soldiers. So the Prophet clearly announced the destination to the Muslims, so that they could prepare for their battle, and he told them about his intent. Allah's Messenger ﷺ was accompanied by such a large number of Muslims that they could not be listed in a book by name, nor registered." Ka`b added, "Any man who intended not to attend the battle would think that the matter would remain hidden, unless Allah revealed it through divine revelation. Allah's Messenger ﷺ fought that battle at a time when the fruits had ripened and the shade was pleasant, and I found myself inclined towards that. Allah's Messenger ﷺ and his Companions prepared for the battle and I started to go out in order to get myself ready along with them, but I returned without doing anything. I would say to myself, `I can do that if I want.' So I kept on delaying it every now and then until the people were prepared, and Allah's Messenger ﷺ, and the Muslims along with him, departed. But I had not prepared anything for my departure. I said, `I will prepare myself (for departure) one or two days after him, and then join them.' In the morning following their departure, I went out to get myself ready but returned having done nothing. Then again, the next morning, I went out to get ready but returned without doing anything. Such was the case with me until they hurried away and I missed the battle. Even then I intended to depart to catch up to them. I wish I had done so! But such was not the case. So, after the departure of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, whenever I went out and walked among the people (who remained behind), it grieved me that I could see none around me, but one accused of hypocrisy or one of those weak men whom Allah had excused. Allah's Messenger ﷺ did not remember me until he reached Tabuk. So while he was sitting among the people in Tabuk, he said,

«مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟»

(What did Ka`b bin Malik do) A man from Banu Salimah said, `O Allah's Messenger! He has been stopped by his two Burdah (garments) and looking at his own flanks with pride.' Mu`adh bin Jabal said, `What a bad thing you have said! By Allah! O Allah's Messenger! We know nothing about him but that which is good.' Allah's Messenger ﷺ kept silent."' Ka`b bin Malik added, "When I heard that Allah's Messenger ﷺ was on his way back to Al-Madinah, I was overcome by concern and began to think of false excuses. I said to myself, `How can I escape from his anger tomorrow' I started looking for advice from wise members of my family in this matter. When it was said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ had approached (Al-Madinah) all evil and false excuses abandoned my mind and I knew well that I could never come out of this problem by forging a false statement. Then I decided firmly to speak the truth. Allah's Messenger ﷺ arrived in the morning, and whenever he returned from a journey, he used to visit the Masjid first, and offer a two Rak`ah prayer, then sit for the people. So when he had done all that (this time), those who failed to join the battle came and started offering (false) excuses and taking oaths before him. They were over eighty men. Allah's Messenger ﷺ accepted the excuses they expressed outwardly, asked for Allah's forgiveness for them and left the secrets of their hearts for Allah to judge. Then I came to him, and when I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person and then said,

«تَعَال»

(Come) So I came walking until I sat before him. He said to me,

«مَاخَلَّفَكَ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ قَدْ اشْتَرَيْتَ ظَهْرًا»

(What stopped you from joining us Had you not purchased an animal for carrying you) I answered, `Yes, O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, if I were sitting before any person from among the people of the world other than you, I would have escaped from his anger with an excuse. By Allah, I have been bestowed with the power of speaking fluently and eloquently, but by Allah, I knew well that if I tell you a lie today to seek your favor, Allah would surely make you angry with me in the near future. But if I tell you the truth, though you will get angry because of it, I hope for Allah's forgiveness. By Allah, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you. ' Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَ فَقُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِي اللهُ فِيك»

(As regards to this man, he has surely told the truth. So get up until Allah decides your case.) I got up, and many men of Banu Salimah followed me and said to me, `By Allah, we never witnessed you commit any sin before this! Surely, you failed to offer an excuse to Allah's Messenger ﷺ like the others who did not join him. The invocation of Allah's Messenger ﷺ to Allah to forgive you would have been sufficient for your sin.' By Allah, they continued blaming me so much that I intended to return (to the Prophet ) and accuse myself of having told a lie, but I said to them, `Is there anybody else who has met the same end as I have' They replied, `Yes, there are two men who have said the same thing as you have, and to both of them was given the same order as given to you.' I said, `Who are they' They replied, `Murarah bin Ar-Rabi` Al-`Amiri and Hilal bin Umayyah Al-Waqifi.' They mentioned to me two pious men who had attended the battle of Badr and in whom there was an example for me. So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me. Allah's Messenger ﷺ forbade all the Muslims from talking to us, the three aforesaid persons, out of all those who remained behind for that battle. So we kept away from the people and they changed their attitude towards us until the very land (where I lived) appeared strange to me as if I did not know it. We remained in that condition for fifty nights. As for my two companions, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest and the firmest of them. So I would go out and attend the prayer along with the Muslims and roam the markets, but none would talk to me. I would come to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and greet him while he was sitting in his gathering after the prayer, and I would wonder whether he even moved his lips in return of my greeting or not. Then I would offer my prayer near him and look at him carefully.

When I was busy with my prayer, he would turn his face towards me, but when I turned my face to him, he would turn his face away from me. When this harsh attitude and boycott of the people continued for a long time, I walked until I scaled the wall of the garden of Abu Qatadah who was my cousin and the dearest person to me. I offered my greeting to him. By Allah, he did not return my greetings. I said, `O Abu Qatadah! I beseech you by Allah! Do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger' He kept quiet. I asked him again, beseeching him by Allah, but he remained silent. I asked him again in the Name of Allah and he said, `Allah and His Messenger know better.' Thereupon my eyes flowed with tears and I returned and jumped over the wall. tWhile I was walking in the market of Al-Madinah, suddenly I saw that a Nabatean from Ash-Sham came to sell his grains in Al-Madinah, saying, `Who will lead me to Ka`b bin Malik' The people began to point (me) out for him, until he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan (who ruled Syria for Caesar), for I knew how to read and write. In that letter, the following was written: `To proceed, I have been informed that your friend (the Prophet) has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allah does not make you live in a place where you feel inferior and your right is lost. So, join us, and we will console you.' When I read it, I said to myself, `This is also a sort of test.' I took the letter to the oven and made a fire burning it. When forty out of the fifty nights elapsed, behold! There came to me a messenger of Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying `Allah's Messenger ﷺ orders you to keep away from your wife.' I said, `Should I divorce her; or else what should I do' He said, `No, only keep aloof from her and do not mingle with her.' The Prophet sent the same message to my two fellows. I said to my wife, `Go to your parents and remain with them until Allah gives His verdict in this matter."' Ka`b added, "The wife of Hilal bin Umayyah came to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and said, `O Allah's Messenger! Hilal bin Umayyah is a helpless old man who has no servant to attend on him. Do you dislike that I should serve him' He said,

«لَا وَلَكِنْ (لَا يَقْرَبَكَ)»

(`No (you can serve him), but he should not come near you sexually).' She said, `By Allah! He has no desire for anything. By Allah, he has never ceased weeping since his case began until this day of his.' On that, some of my family members said to me, `Will you also ask Allah's Messenger ﷺ to permit your wife (to serve you) as he has permitted the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah to serve him' I said, `By Allah, I will not ask permission of Allah's Messenger ﷺ regarding her, for I do not know what Allah's Messenger ﷺ would say if I asked him to permit her (to serve me) while I am a young man.' We remained in that state for ten more nights, until the period of fifty nights was completed, starting from the time when Allah's Messenger ﷺ prohibited the people from talking to us. When I had finished the Fajr prayer on the fiftieth morning on the roof of one of our houses, while sitting in the condition in which Allah described (in the Qur'an): my very soul seemed straitened to me and even the earth seemed narrow to me for all its spaciousness. There I heard the voice of a man who had ascended the mountain of Sal` calling with his loudest voice, `O Ka`b bin Malik! Be happy (by receiving good tidings).' I fell down in prostration before Allah, realizing that relief has come with His forgiveness for us. Allah's Messenger ﷺ announced the acceptance of our repentance by Allah after Fajr prayer. The people went out to congratulate us. Some bearers of good news went to my two companions, a horseman came to me in haste, while a man from Banu Aslam came running and ascended the mountain and his voice was swifter than the horse. When the man whose voice I had heard, came to me conveying the good news, I took off my garments and dressed him with them; and by Allah, I owned no other than them on that day. Then I borrowed two garments, wore them and went to Allah's Messenger ﷺ. The people started receiving me in batches, congratulating me on Allah's acceptance of my repentance, saying, `We congratulate you on Allah's acceptance of your repentance."' Ka`b further said, "When I entered the Masjid, I saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ sitting in the Masjid with the people around him. Talhah bin `Ubaydullah swiftly came to me, shook my hands and congratulated me. By Allah, none of the Muhajirun got up for me except Talhah; I will never forget Talhah for this." Ka`b added, "When I greeted Allah's Messenger ﷺ, his face was bright with joy. He said,

«أَبْشِرْ بَخَيْرِ يَومٍ مَرَّ عَلَيْكَ مُنْذُ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّك»

(`Be happy with the best day you have ever seen since your mother gave birth to you.) I said to the Prophet, `Is this forgiveness from you or from Allah' He said,

«لَا بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ الله»

(No, it is from Allah). Whenever Allah's Messenger ﷺ became happy, his face would shine as if it was a piece of the moon, and we all knew that characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said, `O Allah's Messenger! Because of the acceptance of my repentance I will give up all my wealth as alms for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.' Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ فَهْوَ خَيْرٌ لَك»

(Keep some of your wealth, as it will be better for you). I said, `So I will keep my share from Khaybar with me.' I added, `O Allah's Messenger! Allah has saved me for telling the truth; so it is part of my repentance not to tell but the truth as long as I am alive.' By Allah, I do not know of any Muslim, whom Allah has helped to tell the truth more than I. Ever since I have mentioned the truth to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, I have never intended to tell a lie, until today. I hope that Allah will also save me (from telling lies) the rest of my life. So Allah revealed the Ayah,

لَقَدْ تَابَ الله عَلَى النَّبِىِّ وَالْمُهَـجِرِينَ وَالاٌّنصَـرِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِى سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّهُ بِهِمْ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ - وَعَلَى الثَّلَـثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُواْ حَتَّى إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّواْ أَن لاَّ مَلْجَأَ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ - يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

(Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin and the Ansar who followed him in the time of distress, after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated, but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of kindness, Most Merciful. And the three who stayed behind, until for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened and their souls were straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah, and no refuge but with Him. Then, He forgave them, that they might beg for His pardon. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).) Ka`b said; "By Allah! Allah has never bestowed upon me, apart from His guiding me to Islam, a greater blessing than the fact that I did not tell a lie to Allah's Messenger ﷺ which would have caused me to perish, just as those who had told a lie have perished. Allah described those who told lies with the worst descriptions He ever attributed to anyone. Allah said,

سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُواْ عَنْهُمْ فَأَعْرِضُواْ عَنْهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَآءً بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ - يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْاْ عَنْهُمْ فَإِن تَرْضَوْاْ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَـسِقِينَ

(They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them. Surely, they are Rijs (impure), and Hell is their dwelling place -- a recompense for that which they used to earn. They swear to you that you may be pleased with them, but if you are pleased with them, certainly Allah is not pleased with the people who are rebellious.) Ka`b added, "We, the three persons, differed altogether from those whose excuses Allah's Messenger ﷺ accepted when they swore to him. He took their pledge and asked Allah to forgive them, but Allah's Messenger ﷺ left our case pending until Allah gave us His judgement about it. As for that Allah said,

وَعَلَى الثَّلَـثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُواْ

(And (He did forgive also) the three who stayed behind...) What Allah said does not discuss our failure to take part in the battle, but to the deferment of making a decision by the Prophet about our case, in contrast to the case of those who had taken an oath before him, and he excused them by accepting their excuses." This is an authentic Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) and as such, its authenticity is agreed upon. This Hadith contains the explanation of this honorable Ayah in the best, most comprehensive way. Similar explanation was given by several among the Salaf. For instance, Al-A`mash narrated from Abu Sufyan, from Jabir bin `Abdullah about Allah's statement,

وَعَلَى الثَّلَـثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُواْ

(And (He did forgive also) the three who stayed behind...) "They are Ka`b bin Malik, Hilal bin Umayyah and Murarah bin Ar-Rabi`, all of them from the Ansar."

The Order to speak the Truth

Allah sent His relief from the distress and grief that struck these three men, because Muslims ignored them for fifty days and nights, until they themselves, and the earth -- vast as it is -- were straitened for them. As vast as the earth is, its ways and paths were closed for them, and they did not know what action to take. They were patient for Allah's sake and awaited humbly for His decree. They remained firm, until Allah sent His relief to them since they told the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the truth about why they remained behind, declaring that they did not have an excuse for doing so. They were requited for this period, then Allah forgave them. Therefore, the consequence of being truthful was better for them, for they gained forgiveness. Hence Allah's statement next,

يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah, and be with those who are true.) The Ayah says, adhere to and always say the truth so that you become among its people and be saved from destruction. Allah will make a way for you out of your concerns and a refuge. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِن الصَّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ، وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ صِدِّيقًا، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ كَذَّابًا»

(Hold on to truth, for being truthful leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. Verily, a man will keep saying the truth and striving for truth, until he is written before Allah as very truthful (Siddiq). Beware of lying, for lying leads to sin, and sin leads to the Fire. Verily, the man will keep lying and striving for falsehood until he is written before Allah as a great liar.) This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs.

Verse 118 begins with the words: وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا (And [ He relented ] towards the three whose matter was deferred). Here, the word: خُلِّفُوا (khullifu) literally means ` those left behind.' It carries the sense of ` those the matter of whose repentance was deferred' - as opted for in the translation of the text. These three gentlemen: Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik, Murarah ibn Rabi' and Hilal ibn Umayyah ؓ were from the Ansar of Madinah and had a distinguished record in the service of Islam. Earlier, they had participated in the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah and in many battles with the Holy Prophet ﷺ . But, it was only by chance that they slipped in this manner. Then, there were those hypocrites who did not take part in this Jihad because of their hypocrisy, they gave them the kind of advises that dampened their courage. But, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ returned from this Jihad, all those hypocrites came to him, presented false excuses, took false oaths and tried to please the Holy Prophet ﷺ who entrusted the inward state of their hearts with Allah and simply accepted their outward declarations on oath. Thus, they went on living their normal lives. Some people gave the same suggestion to these Ansari gentlemen - that they should also establish their innocence by offering false excuses. But, their hearts admonished them. They knew that they had already committed a sin, that of remaining behind in Jihad. Now, how could they compound it with another sin, that of lying before the Holy Prophet ﷺ ? Therefore, they came up with a clean breast and confessed to their misconduct. In punishment, Muslims were asked not to greet or talk to them. In the end, the Holy Qur'an laid bare the reality of the whole thing. Those who had fortified their excuses with false oaths were exposed, the details of which appear in several earlier verses from: يَعْتَذِرُ‌ونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَ‌جَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ (They will make excuses to you - 94) عَلَيْهِمْ دَائِرَ‌ةُ السَّوْءِ (upon those is the evil cycle - 98). Regarding the truth told and confession made by these three gentlemen, it is enough to say that the fact of their Taubah was revealed in this verse. They faced fifty days of avoidance by the Holy Prophet ﷺ and a boycott of greeting and conversation by the Companions, a heart-rending experience indeed. Finally came the day when, amidst ecstatic scenes of having been so honorably acquitted and of exuberant congratulations for it, they regained the confidence of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and that of all Muslims.

Details of the event relating to these three Ansari elders from authentic Ahadith

In the two authentic collections of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and in most books of Hadith, there appears a lengthy Hadith narrated by Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ؓ in connection with this event. Since, it consists of many elements of guidance, solutions of religious problems and facts worthy of consideration, therefore, it seemed appropriate that a full translation of this Hadith should be reproduced here. Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ؓ alone of the three gentlemen, has described the details of this event as given below:

` Every battle in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ participated, I was with him, except the battle of Tabuk. However, the battle of Badr came all of a sudden, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ had also not asked everyone to participate in it, and was also not angry with those who had not participated in it. In this too, I was not present. And I was also present on the night of the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah where we had made the covenant of supporting and protecting Islam. And this presence of mine at the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah is dearer to me as compared to my (possible) presence at the battle of Badr - though, the battle of Badr is better known among people. As for the background of my absence from the battle of Tabuk, the truth is that I had never been so rich as I was at that time. By God, I never had two mounts before that which I then had.

While marching out from Madinah for his battles, the blessed habit of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was that he would conceal his intentions by advancing in a direction just the opposite of the direction in which he was to go for Jihad. The intention was to confuse spying hypocrites lest they sound off the enemy. And he used to say, in war, (such strategy of) deception (khudah`) is permissible.'

Then, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was ready to carry out his plan for the Jihad (of Tabuk, which was unusual for several reasons). The heat was intense. Muslim forces were short on supplies. The journey was long. Then, they were going to fight against an enemy stronger in strength and overwhelming in numbers. Therefore, the Holy Prophet ﷺ made the call for Jihad openly and publicly so that Muslims could make all necessary preparations for it in advance.'

According to the report in the Sahih of Muslim, the numerical strength of those who participated in this Jihad was more than ten thousand. Hakim reports from Sayyidna Mu` adh ؓ it who said, ` when we set out for this Jihad with the Holy Prophet ﷺ our number was more than thirty thousand.'

` Since no muster roll of those who set out for this Jihad was put on record in writing, therefore, those who did not wish to go out for this Jihad had an opportunity on hand. If they did not go, nobody would be able to find that out, they thought. The time when the Holy Prophet ﷺ set out for Jihad was a time when dates were ripe and the growers were busy. Such was the condition when the Holy Prophet ﷺ and common Muslims started getting ready for the journey. It was a Thursday when he set out for the journey. He liked to travel on a Thursday, whether it was for Jihad or for some other purpose.

As for myself, I went out every morning to prepare for Jihad, but came back without having done it. My heart said, ` I am capable of Jihad. I must go.' But, days passed and my intention kept being put off until a tomorrow - until the time the Holy Prophet ﷺ and common Muslims departed for Jihad. Still then, my heart kept urging me to leave and join up somewhere en route - alas, only if I were to do that! But, unfortunately, this could not be done.

When, after the departure of the Holy Prophet ﷺ wherever I went in Madinah, the surroundings put me to grief. At that time, what one saw throughout Madinah were sights of people who were either sunk in hypocrisy, or were sick and crippled absolutely unable to travel. On the other side, the Holy Prophet ﷺ did not think of me anywhere on this whole journey until he reached Tabuk. It was there in a gathering that he said, ` what happened to Ka'b ibn Malik?'

A man from (the tribe of) Banu Salimah said, ` ya rasulallah, he has been detained by his nice dress and his looking towards his shoulders (in self-admiration). Then, Sayyidna Mu'adh ibn Jabal ضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ told this man, ` what you have said is bad' - and then, turning to the Holy Prophet ﷺ he submitted- ` yarasulallah, by God, we know nothing about him except that which is good.' Thereupon, the Holy Prophet ﷺ became silent.

When I heard the news, says Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was coming back, I was concerned, almost close to concocting in a hurry some excuse for my absence and presenting things through which I could have escaped facing the displeasure of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . May be I could have asked my family and friends also to help me out of this predicament. (Scruples like these kept destabilizing my heart) until I heard that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had arrived. Then, all these confusing thoughts were blotted out of my heart and I realized that I could never escape his displeasure on grounds that are contaminated with a lie. Therefore, I resolved to tell him the truth for I was convinced that truth alone would rescue me (from this situation).

The Holy Prophet ﷺ entered Madinah. The time was Duha (Chasht in Urdu and Persian), that is, middle of morning after sunrise. It was the blessed habit of the Holy Prophet ﷺ that he generally used to return from his journeys at this time and his practice was first to go to the Masjid, offer two raka` at and then go to see Sayyidah Fatimah ؓ . After that, he went to meet his blessed wives.

This time too, as was his wont, he first went to the Masjid, offered two raka` at and sat down in the Masjid. Some more than eighty hypocrites who had not gone to the expedition of Tabuk came to him offering false excuses on equally false oaths. The Holy Prophet ﷺ accepted what was outwardly expressed through their statements on oath, approved of their allegiance, prayed for their forgiveness and entrusted what was in their hearts with Allah.

It was under this situation that I presented myself before him. When I offered my salam to him, he smiled, smiling like someone angry. Then he said, ` come.' So I walked towards him until I sat down before him.' According to some Hadith reports, the Holy Prophet ﷺ turned his face away from him. Thereupon, Sayyidna Ka'b said: Ya rasulallah, why would you turn your face away from me? By God, I have nothing to do with hypocrisy, nor have I ever suffered from any doubt about my religion, nor am I guilty of making any alter-ations to it. ` Then he said, ` why then, did you not go for Jihad? Is it not that you had already bought a mount for this purpose?

I said, ` Yes, Ya rasulallah. If I would have been sitting before anyone from common worldly people, other than you, I am confident that I would have invented some excuse and avoided his displeasure - because, I have been gifted with the art of debate. But, I swear by Allah that I have understood perfectly well that, should I tell you a lie - that may even please you temporarily - still, the day would not be far when Allah Ta` ala would tell you the whole truth and thus make you displeased with me. And if I were to tell you the truth - which may at this moment make you displeased with me - I hope, Allah Ta` ala will forgive me. The truth of the matter is that I had no excuse for remaining absent from the Jihad for I had never been stronger, both financially and physically, as I was at that time.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, ` this man has told the truth.' Then, he said, ` all right, go - until Allah Ta’ ala gives His decree in your case.' I rose to leave when some men from the tribe of Bani Salimah tailed me and started saying, ` As far as we know, you never committed a sin before this. Why did you act so dumb? You could have at the least come up with some excuse as was done by others who were left behind. Had you done that, the prayer made by the Holy Prophet ﷺ would have been sufficient to bring forgiveness for your sins. By God, these people kept admonishing me repeatedly, so much so that a thought crossed my mind urging me to go back and say that I was wrong about what I had said earlier and that I had the right excuse with me.

But, it occurred to me that I should not add another sin to the one I have done before. I have already committed a sin when I remained behind in the Jihad. How could I venture into another sin, that of lying? Then, I asked those people if there was anyone like me who had confessed to his misconduct. They told me that there were two others who had done what I did and they too were given the same reply as was given to me (that they should wait for the decree of Allah). I asked them as to who those two were. They told me that one of them was Murarah ibn Rabi' al-"Umariy while the other, Hilal ibn Umayyah al-Waqifiy.'

According to a report carried by Ibn Abi Hatim, the reason why the first of the two (that is, Murarah) was left behind is that he had a date farm where the fruit was ripening. He said to himself, ` you have taken part in many battles before this. If you do not go for Jihad this year, how would that become a crime?' Later, when he was alerted to his sinful thought, he promised to Allah that he has given this date farm in the way of Allah as a sadaqah from him.

As for the other gentleman, Sayyidna Hilal ibn ` Umayyah ؓ his family has been living scattered since long. At that time, they had assembled all together. He thought of not going to Jihad that year and spending some time with his family. He too, when reminded of his sin, promised that he would stay away from his family from that time onwards.

Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ؓ says, ` these people mentioned two blessed souls who were from among the mujahidin of the battle of Badr. I said, ` that is it. What these two did is worth following for me.' Saying this, I went home.

On the other side, the Holy Prophet ﷺ prohibited his Companions ؓ from greeting or talking to the three of us. As for us, we loved all Muslims as usual, but they were the ones who had turned away from us.'

It appears in a report of Ibn Abi Shaibah that ` now we were in a condition that we would go to people, but they would not talk to us, nor greet us, nor respond to our greetings.'

Musnad ` Abd al-Razzaq reports the statement of Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ؓ as follows: ` what a time that was when the small world around us had changed totally. It seemed as if the people who used to be there are not there anymore, nor our fruit farms, nor our homes, none of these were what they used to be. Everything looked strange. I became seriously concerned about myself. If I die in this state of mine, I thought, the Holy Prophet ﷺ would not say the Salah of Janazah (funeral prayer) for me. Or, if the Holy Prophet ﷺ were to breath his last during this period, I shall be running around just like this all my life, condemned and disgraced before everyone. For this reason, as far as I was concerned, the whole Earth started appearing indifferent and desolate. So, we lived like that for fifty nights. At that time, the two companions of mine (Murarah and Hilal) lost heart, sat home and wept. But, I was younger. I went out, walked around and made my Salah in the Masjid with other Muslims and roamed in the bazaars but nobody would talk to me nor respond to my salam greetings. I used to attend the customary sitting of the Holy Prophet ﷺ after the Salah was over. When I said my salam to him, I tried to figure out whether or not the blessed lips of the Holy Prophet ﷺ moved to respond to my salam. Then I tried to offer my Salah just about close to him from where I would steal a glance towards him and discover that he looks at me when I get busy with my Salah, and when I look towards him, he turns his face away.

When this (considered) indifference of these people dragged longer, I went to my cousin Abu Qatadah who was the dearest of my friends. I jumped a wall to enter his farm and said my salam to him. By God, he too did not respond to my salam. I asked, ` O Abu Qatadah, do you not know that I love Allah Ta` ala and His rasul?' Even then, Abu Qatadah observed silence. He did not respond. When I repeated my question again and again, then - probably, the third or the fourth time – he only said, ` Allah and His rasul know best.' I broke into tears and came out of the farm jumping over the compound wall as I had done earlier. During those days, once I was walking through a bazaar of Madinah when, all of a sudden, I noticed a farmer from Syria who had come to Madinah to sell grains. I saw him asking people if anyone there could tell him the address of Ka'b ibn Malik? When they saw me right there, they pointed out to me. The man came to me and gave me a letter from the king of Ghassan that was written on a silk handkerchief. It said:

After salutations, I have come to know that your Prophet has betrayed you and that he has made you stay away from him. (I assure you) God has not chosen to put you in a place of disgrace and destruction. If you like to come to us, come. We shall help you.'

When I read this letter, I said to myself, ` here comes another test and trial for me when, of all the people, the partisans of disbelief (kufr) have now been tempted to expect such things from me (that I go and join them) !' Taking this letter in my hands, I stepped forward. There was a bread-baking shop with a heated oven. I threw the letter down into it.

Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ عنہ says, ` when forty out of the fifty nights had passed, I was given a surprise by Khuzaymah ibn Thabit ؓ a message bearer of the Holy Prophet ﷺ who came towards me and said, ` the Holy Prophet ﷺ has ordered that you should stay apart from your wife as well.' I said, ` should I divorce her? Or, do what?' He told me, ` no, just do not go near her.' The same order was communicated to my two companions also. I told my wife, ` go to the home of your parents and stay there till Allah Ta` ala opens a way for us.'

After having heard this order, Khawlah bint ` Asim, the wife of Hi1al ibn Umayyah came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ with the plea that Hilal ibn Umayyah was old and weak and that he had no servant to look after him. It also appears in a report of Ibn Abi Shaybah that she also said, ` he is weak-sighted as well. Would you not like to allow me to continue serving him?' He said, ` serving him is no problem, however, he should not seek to be near you.' She said, ` as for that, He is into a state wherein he has no such desire and, by God, he keeps weeping day and night.'

Ka'b ibn Malik says, ` some of my relatives and friends suggested to me too that I should also ask the Holy Prophet ﷺ to allow me to keep my wife with me - similar to the permission he has given to Hilal. I said, ` I will not do that. Who knows what the Holy Prophet ﷺ would say in reply? In addition to that, I am young (that is, living with one's wife was against precaution).' In this condition, I passed ten more nights until the count of fifty nights became complete.' The narrative of Musnad ` Abd al-Razzaq says, ` At that stage, the Divine decree about our Taubah (repentance) was revealed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ at the hour when one third of the night had passed. The Mother of the Faithful, Sayyidah Umm Salamah ؓ who was there at that time said, ` If you wish, Ka'b ibn Malik can be informed about it right now.' He said, ` That will bring a crowd of people here right now. It would become impossible to sleep for the rest of the night.'

Ka'b ibn Malik says, ` when the fiftieth night passed, I made my Fajr Salah and went to the roof. While I sat there my condition was a mirror of what Allah Ta` ala has said in the Qur'an - that the Earth was straitened for me despite all its vastness, and my own soul was straitened for me. (118) All of a sudden came the voice of a caller calling from the heights of the hill of Sal' loudly announcing: ` 0 Ka'b ibn Malik, 'Be happy with the good news'.

In a report from Muhammad ibn ` Amr, it is said that the caller was Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ who went up the hill of Sal' to announce that Allah Ta` ala had accepted the Taubah of Ka'b and offered congratulations for his success. And narration of 'Uqbah says that two men ran to give this good news to Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ .When one ran ahead of the other, the one who had remained behind turned, climbed the hill of Sal', and announced the good news from there. It is said that the blessed souls who ran in that manner were Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ .

Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ؓ says, ` Hearing this voice, I fell down prostrating in Sajdah. So happy was I that I broke into tears. I had learnt that my good days have come back. The Holy Prophet ﷺ had told the Sahabah after the Salah of Fajr that our Taubah was accepted. Everyone ran out to congratulate the three of us. Some of them rode on horses to reach me. But, the voice of the person calling from the hill was quicker than the horse.

When I came out to present myself before the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، I saw that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was sitting there. There was a cordon of his Sahabah around him. When Talhah ibn ` Ubaidullah ؓ saw me, he was the first to rise and rush towards me. Shaking my hands, he congratulated me for the acceptance of my Taubah. I cannot forget the good Talhah did to me on that day. When I said my salam to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، his blessed face was radiant with delight. He said, ` 0 Ka'b, I congratulate you for this day of bliss for you, the best day of your life since you were born.' I said, ` Ya rasulallah, is this order from you or is it from Allah Ta` ala?"No,' he said, ` this order is from Allah Ta` ala. You had told the truth. Allah Ta` ala made your truthfulness come out in the open.'

When I sat down before the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، I said to him, ` Ya rasulallah, I wish to walk out of all my wealth and property and give it as sadaqah in the way of Allah. This will be a part of my Taubah."No,' he said, ` hold some of it for your needs. This is better.' I said, ` all right, can I give half of it as sadaqah?' He rejected that too. Then, I asked his permission to give one-third of it. This he accepted. I said, ` Ya rasulallah, I have been delivered from my predicament by Allah because I told the truth, therefore, I pledge before you that, as long as I live, I shall not say anything but the truth.' Then, says Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ ، ` since the time I had given this pledge to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، al-hamdulillah, no word of lie was uttered by me up to this day - and I hope Allah Ta'ala shall protect me from it for the rest of my life.' Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ also says, ` By God, after the blessing of Islam, I cannot think of having received a blessing greater than this. I mean that I told the truth before the Holy Prophet ﷺ and that I did not lie - because, had I lied, I would have been ruined like those who took false oaths. About them the Qur'an said سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّـهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ : (They will swear by Allah before you, so that you may ignore their misdeeds - 95) up to فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَرْ‌ضَىٰ عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ (Allah will not be pleased with the sinning people - 96).

It has been said that the continuation of the boycott of these three gentlemen was, perhaps, based on the wisdom that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had spent exactly fifty days during the expedition of Tabuk. (The entire narration of this Hadith and the related event has been taken from Tafsir Mazhari)

Points of Guidance from the Hadith of Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik

The clarity and detail with which Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ has described his story contains many elements of guidance for Muslims. Therefore, this Hadith has been presented here in full. These are as follows:

1\. This Hadith tells us that it was the customary practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in his usual battle plans that he would march out of Madinah in a (feigned) direction that was opposite to the direction he was to go actually. The objective was to keep enemies of Islam in the dark about where to and against whom he was going to carry out his Jihad. This is what he defined as: اَلحربُ خدعۃُ (al-harbu khuda'ah) that is, ` in war, deception is permissible.' Some people fall in doubt about the drift of this statement. They think that deceiving the adversary by lying in war or Jihad is permissible. This is not correct. In fact, it means the kind of deception whereby one acts in a manner that succeeds in deceiving enemies. For instance, marching out for Jihad from the opposite direction does not mean deceiving by lying blandly - something not permissible even in war. Similarly, it should also be understood that this practical deception, which has been declared permissible, has no bearing on abiding by a pledge or treaty. Breaking of a pledge or treaty, whether in peace or war, is not permissible under any situation.

2\. For his journeys, the Holy Prophet ﷺ liked a Thursday, whether it was for Jihad or for some other purpose.

3\. Telling a lie to please some elder or spiritual guide or teacher or father is neither permissible nor does it end well. As for the Holy Prophet ﷺ he was informed of the truth through revelation, therefore, the ultimate outcome of lying was evil - as clarified through the event relating to Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ؓ and to others who remained behind. After the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، no saint or savant or pious elder or spiritual guide can claim to be a recipient of revelation. Then, getting to know things through inspiration (ilham) and illumination (kashf) is not necessary either. But, experience shows that lying has an aura of evil about it, something that brings bad consequences in its wake. Causes converge naturally, so much so that this respected elder ultimately becomes displeased with the liar.

4\. From this event we learn that the Amir (the executive head) of Muslims also has the right to order them to stop greeting and talking to someone as a punishment for some sinful misconduct of his - as it happened with these three gentlemen in the event concerned.

5\. This event is a mirror of the love his Companions had for the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The depth and extent of this love compelled them to continue staying in his company even during the days when he was displeased with them and they were subjected to a social boycott by the Companions ؓ who would neither greet, nor acknowledge greetings nor talk to them. A careful reader through the narration of the event would hardly miss their affection and concern for him particularly when they would look at their master with the corners of their eyes and try to assess the warmth of his attention and the emotional level of the bond between them. They were really tuned to him under all circumstances.

6\. As for the attitude of Sayyidna Abu Qatadah ؓ cousin and friend of Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ who did not respond to the later's salam nor talked to him, it is fairly obvious that he did not do so because of some enmity, hostility or malice. In fact, this was done for the sole reason that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had ordered him to do so and that he was duty-bound to follow it. This tells us that the law given by the Holy Prophet ﷺ was not only enforced on the physical exterior of people but was also implemented inwardly as well. The law ruled over their hearts. They would not do anything against it under any condition, present or absent - even if they had to act against the dearest of their friends and relatives.

7\. The episode relating to the king of the Ghassan who wrote a letter to Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ who threw it down into a heated oven shows how staunch as believers the Sahabah were. Here is one of them, terribly nervous about the displeasure of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the boycott by fellow Muslims, yet the tempting offer made by a King fails to move his heart in that direction.

8\. That Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna ` Umar and other noble Companions ؓ ran to congratulate Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ؓ ، as soon as they heard about the acceptance of his Taubah is significant. Let us keep in mind that they had avoided the social graces of greeting and talking before this happened. This shows that the love for Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ was very much present in their hearts even during the days of the boycott - though, they had to surrender it in favor of carrying out the command of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . When the 'Ayah of Taubah (the verse of repentance) was revealed, their deep mutual affection became manifest.

9\. From the conduct of the noble Sahabah who went to disclose the good news to and congratulate Sayyidna Ka'b ؓ ، we learn that congratulating friends on a happy occasion has its basis in Sunnah.

10\. When repenting from a sin, taking out a sadaqah from one's assets helps to do away with the effects of sin, but it is not good to give away the whole of it in charity. Giving more than one third of what one owns in sadaqah was not liked by the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

A third group consisted of those who were left behind. These were three youths, Ka‘b ibn Malik, Mararah ibn Rubay and Hilal ibn Umayyah. Though they regarded their inability to proceed on this journey as a shortcoming, their feelings of repentance and turning towards God had not been as intense as was required in this first stage. That is why they were punished by a social boycott. Now even with this boycott these three had a number of options. They could have remained happy and contented; they could have remained engrossed in their homes and gardens; they could have become rebellious; they could have formed their own separate group in collaboration with disgruntled elements, thus forming an island, a happy world cut off from the general body of Muslims. But they refrained from doing so. The thought of having earned the displeasure of God and His Prophet disturbed their minds so greatly that they failed to find a moment’s peace. For them this was an option, not a compulsion. For they could have escaped by rebelling against this boycott and joining any other group. But their response being positive, they naturally turned to God for forgiveness. They repented and prayed to God. Their hearts were truly softened. After a period of 50 days of prayer God showed them His mercy and they were pardoned.