I did not remain behind Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) in any Ghazwa that he fought except the Ghazwa of Tabûk, and I failed to take part in the Ghazwa of Badr, but Allâh did not admonish anyone who had not participated in it, for in fact, Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) had gone out in search of the caravan of Quraish till Allâh made them (i.e. the Muslims) and their enemy meet without any appointment. I witnessed the night of Al-'Aqaba (pledge) with Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) when we pledged for Islâm, and I would not exchange it for the Badr Battle although the Badr Battle is more popular amongst the people than it (i.e. Al-'Aqaba Pledge). As for my news (in this battle of Tabûk), I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind the Prophet (ﷺ) in that Ghazwa. By Allâh, never had I two she-camels before, but I had then at the time of this Ghazwa. Whenever Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) wanted to make a Ghazwa, he used to hide his intention by apparently referring to different Ghazwa till it was the time of that Ghazwa (of Tabûk) which Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) fought in severe heat, facing a long journey, desert, and the great number of enemy. So the Prophet (ﷺ) announced to the Muslims clearly (their destination) so that they might get prepared for their Ghazwa. So he informed them clearly of the destination he was going to. Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) was accompanied by a large number of Muslims who could not be listed in a book namely, a register. Ka'b added, "Any man who intended to be absent would think that the matter would remain hidden unless Allâh revealed it through Divine Revelation. So Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) fought that Ghazwa at the time when the fruits had ripened and the shade looked pleasant. 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. ' So I kept on delaying it every now and then till the people got ready and Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) and the Muslims along with him departed, and I had not prepared anything for my departure, and 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 in the next morning, I went out to get ready but returned without doing anything. Such was the case with me till they hurried away and the battle was missed (by me). Even then I intended to depart to take them over. I wish I had done so ! But it was not in my luck. So, after the departure of Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) ' whenever I went out and walked amongst the people (i.e. the remaining persons), it grieved me that I could see none around me, but one accused of hypocrisy or one of those weak men whom Allâh had excused. Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) did not 1 remember me till he reached Tabûk. So while he was sitting amongst the people in Tabûk, he said, 'What did Ka'b do?" A man from Banû Salima said, 'O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)! He has been stopped by his two Burda (i.e. garments) and his looking at his own flanks with pride. ' Then Mu'âdh bin Jabal said, 'What a bad thing you have said ! By Allâh ! O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)! We know nothing about him but good. ' Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) kept silent." Ka'b bin Mâlik added, "When I heard that he (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ) was on his way back to Al-Madina. I got dipped in my concern, and began to think of false excuses, saying to myself, 'How can I avoid his anger tomorrow? ' And I took the advice of wise member of my family in this matter. When it was said that Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) had approached (Al-Madina) all the evil false excuses abandoned from 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. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) arrived in the morning, and whenever he returned from a journey, he used to visit the mosque first of all and offer a two-Rak'at prayer therein and then sit for the people. So when he had done all that (this time), those who had failed to join the battle (of Tabûk) came and started offering (false) excuses and taking oaths before him. They were something over eighty men; Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) accepted the excuses they had expressed, took their Bai'a (pledge) asked for Allâh's Forgiveness for them, and left the secrets of their hearts for Allâh to judge. Then I came to him, and when I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person and then said, 'Come on. ' So I came walking till I sat before him. He said to me, 'What stopped you from joining us. Had you not purchased an animal for carrying you? ' I answered, 'Yes, O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)! But by Allah, if I were sitting before any person from among the people of the world other than you, I would have avoided his anger with an excuse. By Allâh, I have been bestowed with the power of speaking fluently and eloquently, but by Allâh, I knew well that if today I tell you a lie to seek your favour, Allâh 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 Allâh's Forgiveness, really, by Allâh, there was no excuse for me. By Allâh, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you. ' Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'As regards this man, he has surely told the truth. So get up till Allâh decides your case. ' I got up, and many men of Banû Salima followed me and said to me. ' By Allâh, we never witnessed you doing any sin before this. Surely, you failed to offer excuse to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) as the others who did not join him, have offered. The invocation of Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) to Allâh to forgive you would have been sufficient for you. ' By Allah, they continued blaming me so much that I intended to return (to the Prophet ﷺ) and accuse myself of having told a lie, but I said to them, 'Is there anybody else who has met the same fate 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, 'Murâra bin Ar-Rabî ' Al-'Amrî and Hilal bin Umaiya Al-Waqifî. ' By that they mentioned to me two pious men who had attended the Ghazwa (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. Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade all the Muslims to talk to us, the three aforesaid persons out of all those who had remained behind in that Ghazwa. So we kept away from the people and they changed their attitude towards us till 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 regards my two fellows, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest of them and the firmest of them, so I used to go out and witness the Salât (prayers) along with the Muslims and roam about in the markets, but none would talk to me, and I would come to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) and greet him while he was sitting in his gathering after the Salât (prayer), and I would wonder whether the Prophet (ﷺ) did move his lips in return to my greetings or not. Then I would offer my (prayer) near to him and look at him stealthily. When I was busy with my Salât (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 of the people lasted long, I walked till I scaled the wall of the garden of Qatâda who was my cousin and dearest person to me, and I offered my greetings to him. By Allâh, he did not return my greetings. I said, O Qatâda ! I beseech you by Allâh ! Do you know that I love Allâh and His Messenger (ﷺ)? ' He kept quiet. I asked him again, beseeching him by Allâh, but he remained silent. Then I asked him again in the Name of Allâh. He said, "Allâh and His Messenger (ﷺ) know it better. ' Thereupon my eyes flowed with tears and I returned and jumped over the wall." Ka'b added, "While I was walking in the market of Al-Madina, suddenly I saw a Nabați (i.e. a Christian farmer) from the (plural of Nabați) of Shâm who came to sell his grains in Al-Madîna, saying, 'Who will lead me to Ka‘b bin Mâlik? The people began to point (me) out for him till he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassân in which the following was written: ' To proceed, I have been informed that your friend (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ) has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allâh does not let you live at 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. ' Then I took the letter to the oven and made a fire therein by burning it. When forty out of the fifty nights elapsed, behold ! There came to me the Messenger of Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'Allâh'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 cohabit her. ' The Prophet (ﷺ) sent the same message to my two fellows. Then I said to my wife. ' Go to your parents and remain with them till Allâh gives His Verdict in this matter." " Ka'b added, "The wife of Hilâl bin Umaiya came to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)! Hilâl bin Umaiya is a helpless old man who has no servant to attend on him. Do you dislike that I should serve him? ' He said, 'No (you can serve him) but he should not come near you. ' She said, 'By Allâh, he has no desire for anything. By Allâh, he has never ceased weeping till his case began till this day of his. ' On that, some of my family members said to me, 'Will you also ask Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) to permit your wife (to serve you) as he has permitted the wife of Hilâl bin Umaiya to serve him? I said, 'By Allâh, I will not ask the permission of Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) regarding her, for I do not know what Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) would say if I asked him to permit her (to serve me) while I am a young man. ' Then I remained in that state for ten more nights after that till the period of fifty nights was completed starting from the time when Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited the people from talking to us. When I had offered the Fajr prayer on the 50th morning on the roof of one of our houses and while I was sitting in the condition which Allâh described (in the Qur'ân) i.e. 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 one who had ascended the mountain of Sal calling with his loudest voice, 'O Ka'b bin Mâlik ! Be happy (by receiving good tidings). ' I fell down in prostration before Allâh, realizing that relief has come. Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) had announced the acceptance of our repentance by Allâh when he had offered the Fajr prayer. The people then went out to congratulate us. Some bringers of good tidings went out to my two fellows, and a horseman came to me in haste, and a man of Banû Aslam came running and ascended the mountain and his voice was swifter than the horse. When he (i.e. the man) whose voice I had heard, came to me conveying the good tidings, I took off my garments and dressed him with them; and by Allâh, I owned no other garments than them on that day. Then I borrowed two garments and wore them and went to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) The people started receiving me in batches, congratulating me on Allâh's Acceptance of my repentance, saying, 'We congratulate you on Allâh's Acceptance of your repentance. ' " Ka'b further said, "When I entered the mosque, I saw Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) sitting with the people around him. Talha bin ' Ubaidullâh swiftly came to me, shook hands with me and congratulated me. By Allâh, none of the Muhâjirîn (i.e. emigrants) got up for me except him (i.e.), and I will never forget this for. Ka'b added, When I greeted Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) he, his face being bright with joy, said, 'Be happy with the best day that you have got ever since your mother delivered you. 999 ' Ka'b added, "I said to the Prophet (ﷺ) ' Is this forgiveness from you or from Allâh? ' He said, 'No, it is from Allâh. ' Whenever Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) became happy, his face would shine as if it were a piece of moon, and we all knew that characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said, 'O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)! Because of the acceptance of my repentance I will give up all my wealth as alms for the sake of Allâh and His Messenger (ﷺ) Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Keep some of your wealth, as it will be better for you. ' I said, 'So I will keep my share from Khaibar with me, 'and added, O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)! Allâh has saved me for telling the truth; so it is a part of my repentance not to tell but the truth as long as I am alive. By Allâh, I do not know anyone of the Muslims whom Allâh has helped for telling the truth more than me, since I have mentioned that truth to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ), I have never intended to tell a lie eversince (I said that to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ)) till today. I hope that Allâh will also save me (from telling lies) the rest of my life. So Allâh revealed to His Messenger (ﷺ) the Verse:-' Allâh has forgiven the Prophet (ﷺ), the Muhajirîn (emigrants) and the (supporters) and be with those who are true (in words and deeds). ' (V.9:117-119). By Allâh, Allâh has never bestowed upon me, apart from His guiding me to Islâm, a greater blessing than the fact that I did not tell a lie to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) which would have caused me to perish as those who have told a lie perished, for Allâh described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else. Allâh said: ' They (i.e. the hypocrites) will swear by Allâh to you (Muslims) when you return to them ------- (up to His Saying) Certainly Allâh is not pleased with the people who are Al-Fâsiqûn (the rebellious, disobedient to Allâh) " " (V.9:95-96). Ka'b added, "We, the three persons, differed altogether from those whose excuses Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) accepted when they swore to him. He took their Bai'a (pledge) and asked Allâh to forgive them, but Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) left our case pending till Allâh gave His Judgment about it. As for that Allâh said: ' And (He did forgive also) the three who remained behind. ' (V.9:118). What Allâh said (in this Verse) does not indicate our failure to take part in the Ghazwa, but it refers to the deferment of making a decision by the Prophet (ﷺ) 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. [5:702-O.B]
