Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The Expedition of Tabuk took place in Rajab, 9 AH. In this expedition, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions had to confront the Romans, who felt the need for a decisive battle against them. It was a time of intense heat, the journey was long, people were afflicted with hardship and famine, the fruits had ripened, and the shade felt pleasant. Nevertheless, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) encouraged the wealthy companions to help prepare those who were needy, and they brought whatever they could.

On the other hand, the hypocrites and some Bedouins came with fabricated excuses and sought permission from the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to be absent from this expedition. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) granted them permission. Apart from them, some Muslims stayed behind merely out of laziness; these were three Muslims in total: Sayyiduna Ka‘b ibn Malik, Sayyiduna Murarah ibn Rabi‘, and Sayyiduna Hilal ibn Umayyah. All three were from the Ansar. The following hadith mentions this incident and others who made similar excuses.

Sayyiduna Ka‘b ibn Malik (radi Allahu anhu), while narrating his staying behind from the Expedition of Tabuk, says: I participated in all the battles alongside the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), except for Tabuk and Badr; I stayed behind from these two. However, those who stayed behind from Badr were not reproached by Allah. The purpose of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in that battle was to pursue the Quraysh caravan, but Allah placed the enemy unexpectedly between the caravan, and the battle took place. I was present with the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) on the night of ‘Aqabah, when he took the pledge from everyone to remain steadfast on Islam, and to me, that night of ‘Aqabah is dearer than the Battle of Badr, even though Badr is more famous and virtuous among the people. As for the incident of the Battle of Tabuk, never before had I possessed two mounts at the same time, but at the time of this expedition, I owned two mounts. Moreover, it was the practice of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that when he intended to go to battle, he would not clearly indicate the destination, but would speak in ambiguous terms so that people would think of another place. However, when the time for battle came, the heat was extremely severe, the journey was long and through barren land, and the enemy was numerous. Therefore, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) informed the Muslims fully that we are heading to Tabuk so that they could prepare themselves. At that time, a large number of Muslims were present with the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), but there was no register or anything in which all their names were written. There was no Muslim who did not wish to participate in this battle, but at the same time, they thought that the absence of anyone would not be known to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) unless revelation came. Thus, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) began preparations for battle, and this was a time when the fruits were ripening and sitting in the shade felt pleasant. Everyone was making preparations, but every morning I would think that I would prepare myself—what is the hurry? I can prepare at any time. In this way, the days passed. One morning, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) set out, and I thought, let him go; I will prepare in a day or two and join them on the way. The next morning, I tried to prepare, but could not, and so it continued on the third day and thereafter, until everyone had gone far ahead. I intended several times to go and join the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), but it was not decreed for me. Alas! If only I had done so. After the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had departed, whenever I walked around in Madinah, I would see only hypocrites or those who were weak, feeble, and ill. I felt great regret. (When I later inquired, I found out that) the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not remember me anywhere along the way. However, when he reached Tabuk and was sitting among the people, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) asked: Where is Ka‘b ibn Malik? A man from Banu Salamah, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Unays (radi Allahu anhu), said: O Messenger of Allah! He stayed behind because of pride in his beauty and comfort. But Sayyiduna Mu‘adh (radi Allahu anhu) said: You have not spoken well. By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! We only know him to be a good man. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) remained silent upon hearing this.

When I learned that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was returning, I began to think of some excuse or pretext that could save me from his anger. Then I consulted the wise people of my household about what to do in this matter. But when it became known that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was very close to Madinah, the thought of making an excuse left my heart, and I became certain that a lie would not save me from the anger of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). In the morning, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) arrived in Madinah, and his practice was that when he returned from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and perform two units of voluntary prayer. This time too, he did the same and sat in the mosque. Now those who had stayed behind began to come and present their excuses and swear oaths. They were about eighty (80) or a little more. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) accepted their excuses, took their pledge again, and prayed for their forgiveness, entrusting the thoughts of their hearts to Allah.

When I came, I greeted with salam. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) replied with a smile of anger and said: Come. So I went and sat before him. He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) asked me: Ka‘b, why did you stay behind, when you had arranged for a mount? I replied: Your statement is correct. If I were before anyone else, I could have made excuses and gotten away, for I am eloquent in speech. But Allah is my witness, I know that if today I lie to please you, tomorrow Allah will make you angry with me. Therefore, I will speak the truth, even if you become angry with me. In the future, I will hope for Allah’s forgiveness and pardon. By Allah! I am at fault, even though in wealth and means, no one is my equal, yet despite all this, I could not participate. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said upon hearing this: Ka‘b has spoken the truth. Go, and wait for Allah’s command regarding you. I got up and left. The people of Banu Salamah followed me and said: We have never seen any sin from you before. You could have presented an excuse before the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) like the others; the Prophet’s prayer for forgiveness would have sufficed for you. They kept advising me thus, until I began to think of returning to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and retracting my earlier statement and presenting an excuse. Then I asked them: Is there anyone else who has admitted his fault as I have? They said: Yes, there are two other men who have confessed, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has said to them what he said to you. I asked their names, and they said: One is Murarah ibn Rabi‘ ‘Amri and the other is Hilal ibn Umayyah Waqifi. Both were righteous men and had participated in the Battle of Badr. I felt comforted upon hearing their names and left.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade all Muslims from speaking to these three men. This command was not given for the other absentees and those who made false excuses. Now, what happened was that people began to avoid us, and we became as if no one knew us. It was as if the heavens and the earth had changed for us. Fifty nights passed in this state. My two companions stayed at home, but I was strong-willed; I would go out, join the congregational prayers, go to the market, but no one would speak to me. I would also come to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), who would be seated on his prayer mat. I would greet him with salam, and I would suspect that his lips were moving, perhaps replying to my salam. Then I would pray near him and glance at him stealthily to see what he was doing. When I was in prayer, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would look at me, and when I looked at him, he would turn away from me. This period passed in this state, and I became weary of people’s silence.

One day, I went to my cousin, Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (radi Allahu anhu), in his orchard and greeted him with salam. I loved him very much, but by Allah, he did not reply to my salam. I said: O Abu Qatadah! Do you know me to be a supporter of Allah and His Messenger or not? He did not answer this question either. I swore and repeated the question, but still no answer. The third time, Abu Qatadah only replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. Then I could not restrain myself and began to weep and left.

One day, I was walking in the market when a Christian farmer from Syria, who had come to sell grain, was asking people about me. They pointed me out, saying: This is Ka‘b ibn Malik. He came to me and handed me a letter from the Christian king of Ghassan. It said: I have learned that your Prophet has treated you harshly, whereas Allah has not disgraced or humiliated you. You are a man of worth. Come to us, and we will treat you well. I thought to myself: This is a double trial. Then I threw the letter into the oven and burned it.

Forty days had passed, ten remained, when the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) messenger, Sayyiduna Khuzaymah ibn Thabit (radi Allahu anhu), came to me and said: The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) commands you to separate from your wife. I asked: What does that mean? Should I divorce her or something else? He said: Just separate and do not have marital relations. The same command was given to my two companions. So I told my wife: Go and stay with your relatives until Allah decides my matter.

Meanwhile, the wife of Sayyiduna Hilal ibn Umayyah (radi Allahu anhu) came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and said: O Messenger of Allah! Hilal ibn Umayyah, my husband, is very old. If I serve him, is there any harm? The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: There is no harm, just do not let him have marital relations. She said: O Messenger of Allah! He has no such desire, and since this matter began, he has been weeping continuously. When this was known about him, my relatives said to me: You too should go to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and seek similar permission for your wife, so she may serve you as Hilal’s wife was permitted. I said: By Allah! I will never do so. I do not know what the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) will say. I am a young man, not weak like Hilal.

After that, those ten nights also passed. On the morning of the fiftieth night, after the dawn prayer, I was sitting near my house, feeling that life had become unbearable and the earth, despite its vastness, had become constricted for me. Suddenly, a caller from Mount Sal‘a called out: O Ka‘b ibn Malik! Glad tidings for you! Upon hearing this voice, I fell in prostration out of joy and became certain that the difficulty had been lifted, because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had announced after the dawn prayer that Allah had forgiven you. Now people began to come to me and my two companions with congratulations and glad tidings. One man, Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam, came to me riding his horse, and another man from Banu Salamah climbed Mount Sal‘a and called out; his voice reached me quickly. At that moment, I was so happy that I took off my two garments and gave them to him, even though I had no other clothes. I borrowed two garments from Abu Qatadah (radi Allahu anhu) and wore them, then set out to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). On the way, there was a crowd of people congratulating me and saying: May this blessing of Allah be blessed for you. When I entered the mosque, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was sitting, and others were present. Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah saw me, ran to me, shook my hand, and congratulated me. Among the Muhajirun, only Talhah (radi Allahu anhu) did this. By Allah, I will never forget his kindness. When I greeted the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), his face was shining with joy. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: O Ka‘b! Rejoice in this day, which is the best day for you since your birth. I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Is this forgiveness from Allah or from you? He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: It is from Allah. And when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was happy, his blessed face would shine like the moon, and we would recognize his happiness.

Then I sat before the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and said: O Messenger of Allah! In gratitude for this salvation and forgiveness, should I not give all my wealth in charity for Allah and His Messenger? The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Give some, and keep some for yourself, for that will be better for you. I said: Yes, I will keep my share in Khaybar. Then I said: O Messenger of Allah! I was saved because I spoke the truth, so I will always speak the truth for the rest of my life. By Allah! I do not know if Allah has ever shown such kindness to anyone for speaking the truth as He has to me. Since that time until today, I have never lied, and I hope that Allah will protect me from lying for the rest of my life.

At that time, Allah revealed these verses to His Prophet: {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللّٰہُ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ وَالْمُہَاجِرِینَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ الَّذِینَ اتَّبَعُوہُ فِی سَاعَۃِ الْعُسْرَۃِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا کَادَ یَزِیغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِیقٍ مِنْہُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَیْہِمْ إِنَّہُ بِہِمْ رَئُ وْفٌ رَحِیمٌ۔ وَعَلَی الثَّلَاثَۃِ الَّذِینَ خُلِّفُوا حَتّٰی إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَیْہِمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَیْہِمْ أَنْفُسُہُمْ وَظَنُّوا أَنْ لَا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ إِلَّا إِلَیْہِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَیْہِمْ لِیَتُوبُوْا إِنَّ اللّٰہَ ہُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِیمُ۔ یَاأَیُّہَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوْا اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَکُوْنُوْا مَعَ الصَّادِقِینَ} … Indeed, Allah has turned in mercy to the Prophet and the Muhajirun and the Ansar who followed him in the hour of difficulty, after the hearts of a party of them almost inclined [to doubt], but then He turned to them in mercy. Indeed, He is to them Kind and Merciful. And [He also turned in mercy] to the three who were left behind, until, when the earth, despite its vastness, became constricted for them and their souls became constricted, and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him, then He turned to them in mercy so that they would repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. O you who have believed! Fear Allah and be with those who are true. (Surah al-Tawbah: 117–119)

Sayyiduna Ka‘b (radi Allahu anhu) says: I have never seen a greater favor and blessing than that Allah granted me the ability to speak the truth before the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and saved me from destruction, otherwise I too would have been ruined like the others who lied to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and swore false oaths. Regarding them, these verses were revealed: {سَیَحْلِفُونَ بِاللّٰہِ لَکُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَیْہِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوْا عَنْہُمْ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْہُمْ إِنَّہُمْ رِجْسٌ وَمَأْوَاہُمْ جَہَنَّمُ جَزَائً بِمَا کَانُوْا یَکْسِبُونَ۔ یَحْلِفُونَ لَکُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا عَنْہُمْ فَإِنْ تَرْضَوْا عَنْہُمْ، فَإِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَرْضٰی عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِینَ۔} … They will swear to you by Allah when you return to them so that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them; indeed, they are impure, and their abode is Hell as recompense for what they used to earn. They will swear to you so that you may be pleased with them, but if you are pleased with them, indeed, Allah is not pleased with the defiantly disobedient people. (Surah al-Tawbah: 95, 96)

Sayyiduna Ka‘b (radi Allahu anhu) says: We three are separate from those hypocrites who made countless excuses and swore false oaths, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) accepted their excuses, took their pledge, and prayed for their forgiveness, but left our matter pending until Allah revealed this verse: {وَّعَلَی الثَّلٰثَۃِ الَّذِیْنَ خُلِّفُوْا حَتّٰی اِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَیْہِمُ الْاَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَیْہِمْ اَنْفُسُھُمْ وَظَنُّوْٓا اَنْ لَّا مَلْجَاَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ اِلَّآ اِلَیْہِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَیْہِمْ لِیَتُوْبُوْا اِنَّ اللّٰہَ ھُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِیْمُ۔ } … And [He also turned in mercy] to the three who were left behind, until, when the earth, despite its vastness, became constricted for them and their souls became constricted, and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him, then He turned to them in mercy so that they would repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. (Surah al-Tawbah: 118)

The Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) delaying of our matter and postponing our case, as mentioned, was not due to our staying behind from the expedition, but rather it was to defer our case from those who had sworn oaths and presented excuses before the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and he accepted their excuses (i.e., he accepted the excuses of those who swore false oaths and entrusted our matter to Allah). (Sahih Bukhari: 3889, 4676, 4677, 6690; Sahih Muslim: 2769; and the wording is from Ahmad)