Fath al-Rabbani

It is narrated from Abdur Rahman bin Abdullah, who says: Abdullah bin Ka’b, who used to guide his father, Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), due to his father’s blindness, says: Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated his story when he stayed behind from the Battle of Tabuk. He said: I participated in all the battles with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), except for Tabuk and Badr; I stayed behind in those, but there was no reproach from Allah upon those who stayed behind from Badr. The purpose of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in that battle was to pursue the caravan of Quraysh, but Allah suddenly brought about a confrontation with the enemy and the battle took place. I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of Aqabah, when he took a pledge from everyone to remain steadfast on Islam, and that night of Aqabah is dearer to me than the Battle of Badr, even though the Battle of 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. Besides, it was the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he intended to go to war, he would not clearly indicate the destination, but would speak in ambiguous terms so that people would think of another place. When the time for battle came, the heat was very intense, the journey was long and through a waterless desert, and the enemy was numerous. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the Muslims clearly that we are going to Tabuk so that they could prepare. At that time, a large number of Muslims were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but there was no register or anything in which everyone’s names were written. There was no Muslim who did not want to participate in this battle, but each thought that the absence of anyone would not be known to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) unless revelation came. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began preparations for the battle, and it was a time when the fruit was ripe and sitting in the shade was pleasant. Everyone was preparing, but every morning I thought I would prepare, what’s the hurry? I can prepare at any time. Thus, the days passed. One morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 I could not, and I remained as I was. The same happened on the third day, and this continued, until everyone had gone far ahead. I tried several times to go and join the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but it was not destined. Alas! If only I had done so. After the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had left, when I walked around in Madinah, I would see only hypocrites or those who were weak, frail, and ill. I was very regretful. (When I later inquired, I found out that) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not remember me anywhere along the way, but when he reached Tabuk and was sitting among the people, he said: Where is Ka’b bin Malik? A man from Banu Salamah, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Unais (may Allah be pleased with him), said: O Messenger of Allah! He stayed behind because of his pride in his beauty and comfort. But Sayyiduna Mu’adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You have not spoken well. By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! We only know good of him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent upon hearing this. When I learned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was returning, I began to think of some excuse 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 his anger. In the morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah, and his practice was that when he returned from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and offer two units of 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted their excuses, took their pledge again, and prayed for their forgiveness, leaving the thoughts in their hearts to Allah. When I came, I said, “Assalamu Alaikum.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied with a smile of anger and said: Come. So I went and sat before him. He asked me: Ka’b, why did you stay behind, when you had arranged for a mount? I said: Your statement is correct. If I were before anyone else, I could have made excuses and gotten away, for I am eloquent, 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 are angry with me. In the future, I hope for Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. By Allah! I am at fault, though in wealth and means, no one is my equal, yet despite all this, I could not participate. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 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 fault in you until now. You could have made an excuse before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) like the others. The Prophet’s prayer for forgiveness would have been enough for you. They kept advising me thus, until I thought of going back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and retracting my earlier statement and making 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them what he said to you. I asked their names, and they said: One is Murarah bin Rabi’ al-Amiri and the other is Hilal bin Umayyah al-Waqifi. Both were righteous men and had participated in the Battle of Badr. I was pleased to meet them. Hearing their names, I felt reassured and left. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade all Muslims from speaking to these three men. This order was not given for the other absentees who made false excuses. Now, people began to avoid us, and we became as if no one knew us. It was as if 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 (peace and blessings be upon him), who would be sitting on his prayer mat. I would greet him, and I would feel as if his lips were moving, perhaps replying to my greeting. Then I would pray near him and glance at him stealthily to see what he was doing. When I was in prayer, he would look at me, and when I looked at him, he would turn away. This period passed in this state, and I became weary of people’s silence. One day, I went to my cousin, Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him), in his garden and greeted him, and I loved him very much. But by Allah, he did not reply to my greeting. I said: O Abu Qatadah! Do you know me as a supporter of Allah and His Messenger or not? He did not answer this question either. Then I swore and repeated the same, but still no answer. The third time, he only said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Then I could not control myself, I 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 bin Malik. He came to me and gave me a letter from the Christian king of Ghassan. It said: I have learned that your Prophet is treating you harshly, though Allah has not disgraced or humiliated you. You are a useful man. Come to us, and we will treat you well. I thought this was a double trial, and I threw the letter into the oven fire. Forty days had passed, ten remained, when the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) messenger, Sayyiduna Khuzaymah bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him), came to me and said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: 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 relations. The same order was given to my two companions. So I told my wife: Go to your family and stay there until Allah decides my case. Meanwhile, the wife of Sayyiduna Hilal bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! Hilal bin Umayyah, my husband, is very old. If I serve him, is there any harm? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There is no harm, just do not let him have relations. She said: O Messenger of Allah! He has no such desire, and since this happened, he has been weeping continuously. When this was known about him, my relatives said to me: Go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and seek similar permission for your wife, so she may serve you as Hilal’s wife was allowed. I said: By Allah! I will never do so. I do not know what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 Fajr prayer, I was sitting on the roof of my house, feeling that life had become unbearable and the earth, despite its vastness, had become constricted for me. Suddenly, a caller from Mount Sala’ called out: O Ka’b bin Malik! Glad tidings for you! As soon as I heard this voice, I fell in prostration out of joy and became certain that the difficulty had been removed, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had announced after Fajr prayer that Allah had forgiven us. Now people began to come to me and my two companions with congratulations and glad tidings. A man, Zubair bin al-Awwam, came to me riding his horse, and another man from Banu Salamah climbed Mount Sala’ and called out. His voice reached me quickly. At that time, I was so happy that I took off my two garments and gave them to him, though I had no other clothes. I borrowed two garments from Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him), put them on, and went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting, and others were present. Talhah bin Ubaydullah ran to me, shook my hand, and congratulated me. Among the Muhajirun, only Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) did this. By Allah, I will never forget his kindness. When I greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his face was shining with happiness. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Ka’b! Rejoice in the best day you have had since your birth. I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Is this forgiveness from Allah or from you? He said: It is from Allah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was happy, his face would shine like the moon, and we would recognize his happiness. Then I sat before him 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Give some, and keep some for yourself, for that is 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 day, I have never lied, and I hope Allah will protect me from lying for the rest of my life. At that time, Allah revealed this verse to His Prophet: {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللّٰہُ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ وَالْمُہَاجِرِینَ وَالْأَ نْصَارِ الَّذِینَ اتَّبَعُوہُ فِی سَاعَۃِ الْعُسْرَۃِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا کَادَیَزِیغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِیقٍ مِنْہُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَیْہِمْ إِنَّہُ بِہِمْ رَئُ وْفٌ رَحِیمٌ۔ وَعَلَی الثَّلَاثَۃِ الَّذِینَ خُلِّفُوا حَتّٰی إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَیْہِمْ الْأَ رْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَیْہِمْ أَنْفُسُہُمْ وَظَنُّوا أَ نْ لَا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ إِلَّا إِلَیْہِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَیْہِمْ لِیَتُوبُوْا إِنَّ اللّٰہَ ہُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِیمُ۔ یَا أَ یُّہَا 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], then He turned to them in mercy. Surely, He is to them Most Kind, Most Merciful. And [He also turned in mercy] to the three who were left behind, until the earth, vast as it is, became constricted for them, and their souls became constricted for them, and they realized that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them in mercy so that they would repent. Surely, Allah is the Most Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful. O you who have believed! Fear Allah and be with those who are true. (Surah At-Tawbah: 117-119) Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I have never seen a greater favor and blessing than that Allah enabled me to speak the truth before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and saved me from destruction, otherwise I would have been destroyed like those who lied to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), swore false oaths, and about whom this verse was revealed: {سَیَحْلِفُونَ بِاللّٰہِ لَکُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَیْہِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوْا عَنْہُمْ فَأَ عْرِضُوا 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 At-Tawbah: 95, 96) Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We three are separate from those hypocrites who made many excuses and swore false oaths, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 the earth, vast as it is, became constricted for them, and their souls became constricted for them, and they realized that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them in mercy so that they would repent. Surely, Allah is the Most Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful. (Surah At-Tawbah: 118) The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) keeping us behind and delaying our matter, as mentioned, was not because we stayed behind from the expedition, but rather to separate us from those who swore oaths and made excuses before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he accepted their excuses.