المعجم الكبير للطبراني
Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir (Tabarani)
باب الكاف
Companions Whose Names Begin with Kaf (ك)
ابن كعب بن مالك، عن أبيه الزهري، عن ابن كعب
Ibn Kab bin Malik from his father Kab (may Allah be pleased with him) — al-Zuhri from Ibn Kab
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حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الدَّبَرِيُّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: «لَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا حَتَّى كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكٍ، إِلَّا بَدْرًا، وَلَمْ يَعْتِبِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحَدًا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ بَدْرٍ، إِنَّمَا خَرَجَ يُرِيدُ الْعِيرَ ? فَخَرَجَتْ قُرَيْشٌ مُغَوِّثِينَ لِعِيرِهِمْ، فَالْتَقَوْا عَنْ غَيْرِ مَوْعِدٍ كَمَا قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى، وَلَعَمْرِي إِنَّ أَشْرَفَ مَشَاهِدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي النَّاسِ لَبَدْرٌ، وَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ شَهِدْتُهَا مَكَانَ بَيْعَتِي لَيْلَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ، حَيْثُ تَوَافَيْنَا عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ»
: ثُمَّ لَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ بَعْدُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا حَتَّى كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكٍ، وَهِيَ آخِرُ غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا، وَآذَنَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاسَ بِالرَّحِيلِ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَأَهَّبُوا أُهْبَةَ غَزْوَتِهِمْ، وَذَلِكَ حِينَ طَابَ الظِّلَالُ وَطَابَتِ الثِّمَارُ، وَكَانَ قَلَّمَا أَرَادَ غَزْوَةً إِلَّا وَارَى خَبَرَهَا، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ : «الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ» ، فَأَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكٍ أَنْ يَتَأَهَّبَ النَّاسُ أُهْبَةً، وَأَنَا أَيْسَرُ مَا كُنْتُ، قَدْ جَمَعْتُ رَاحِلَتَيْنِ، وَأَنَا أَقْدَرُ شَيْءٍ فِي نَفْسِي عَلَى الْجِهَادِ وَخِفَّةِ الْحَاذِ، وَأَنَا فِي ذَلِكَ أَصْغُو إِلَى الظِّلَالِ وَطِيبِ الثِّمَارِ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَادِيًا بِالْغَدَاةِ، وَذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ، فَأَصْبَحَ غَادِيًا
فَقُلْتُ: أَنْطَلِقُ غَدًا إِلَى السُّوقِ فَأَشْتَرِي جَهَازِي، ثُمَّ أَلْحَقُ بِهِمْ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ مِنَ الْغَدِ، فَعَسُرَ عَلِيَّ بَعْضُ شَأْنِي، فَرَجَعْتُ، فَقُلْتُ: أَرْجِعُ غَدًا إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى الْتَبَسَ بِيَ الذَّنْبُ، وَتَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ وَأَطُوفُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَيُحْزِنُنِي أَنِّي لَا أَرَى أَحَدًا إِلَّا رَجُلًا تَخَلَّفَ مَغْمُوصًا عَلَيْهِ فِي النِّفَاقِ، وَكَانَ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ تَخَلَّفَ إِلَا رَأَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ سَيَخْفَى لَهُ، وَكَانَ النَّاسُ كَثِيرًا، لَا يَجْمَعُهُمْ دِيوَانٌ، وَكَانَ جَمِيعُ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِضْعَةٌ وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلًا، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْنِي النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ تَبُوكًا، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ تَبُوكًا، قَالَ: «مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟» ، قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي: خَلْفَهُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ بُرْدَاهُ، وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفَيْهِ، فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ: بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ، وَاللهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ مَا نَعْلَمُ إِلَّا خَيْرًا، فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا هُمْ بِرَجُلٍ يَزُولُ بِهِ السَّرَابُ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «كُنْ أَبَا خَيْثَمَةَ» ، فَإِذَا هُوَ أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَزْوَةَ تَبُوكٍ، وَقَفَلَ وَدَنَا مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ، جَعَلْتُ أَتَذَكَّرُ بِمَاذَا أَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخَطِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِكُلِّ ذِي رَأْيٍ مِنْ أَهْلِي، حَتَّى إِذَا قِيلَ: النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُصَبِّحُكُمْ غَدًا بِالْغَدَاةِ، زَاحَ عَنِّي الْبَاطِلُ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنِّي لَا أَنْجُو إِلَّا بِالصِّدْقِ، فَدَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ضُحًّى، فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا جَاءَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ فَجَعَلَ يَأْتِيَهِ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ وَيَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ، وَيَقْبَلُ عَلَانِيَتَهُمْ، وَيَكِلُ أَسْرَارَهُمْ إِلَى اللهِ، فَدَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ، فَلَمَّا رَآنِي تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ، فَجِئْتُ فَجَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: «أَلَمْ تَكُنِ ابْتَعْتَ ظَهْرَكَ؟» ، فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ، قَالَ: «فَمَا خَلَفَكَ؟» ، قُلْتُ: وَاللهِ لَوْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِي أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ غَيْرِكَ جَلَسْتُ خَرَجْتُ مِنْ سَخْطَتِهِ عَلِيَّ بِعُذْرٍ، وَلَقَدْ أُوتِيتُ جَدَلًا، وَلَكِنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَنِّي إِنْ أَخْبَرْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ بِقَوْلٍ تَجِدُ عَلِيَّ فِيهِ وَهُوَ حَقٌّ، فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو عُقْبَى اللهِ، وَإِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيثًا تَرْضَى عَنِّي فِيهِ وَهُوَ كَذِبٌ أَوْشَكَ اللهُ أَنْ يُطْلِعَكَ عَلَيَّ، وَاللهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَيْسَرَ، وَلَا أَخَفَّ حَاذًا مِنِّي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْكَ، قَالَ: «أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ الْحَدِيثَ، قُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللهُ فِيكَ» ، فَقُمْتُ فَثَارَ عَلَى أَثَرِي نَاسٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي يُؤَنِّبُونِي، فَقَالُوا: وَاللهِ مَا نَعْلَمُكَ أَذْنَبْتَ ذَنْبًا قَطُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا، فَهَلَّا اعْتَذَرْتَ إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِعُذْرٍ يَرْضَى عَنْكَ، وَكَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَيَأْتِي مِنْ وَرَاءِ ذَلِكَ، وَلِمَ تَقِفُ نَفْسَكَ مَوْقِفًا لَا تَدْرِي مَا يُقْضَى لَكَ فِيهِ؟، فَلَمْ يَزَالُوا يُؤَنِّبُونِي حَتَّى هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ فَأُكَذِّبَ نَفْسِي، فَقُلْتُ: هَلْ قَالَ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ أَحَدٌ غَيْرِي؟، قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، قَالَهُ هِلَالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، وَمَرَارَةُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، فَذَكَرُوا رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ قَدْ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا، لِي فِيهِمَا أُسْوَةٌ، فَقُلْتُ: وَاللهِ لَا أَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِ فِي هَذَا أَبَدًا وَلَا أُكَذِّبُ نَفْسِي، قَالَ: وَنَهَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلَاثَةُ، قَالَ: فَجَعَلْتُ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى السُّوقِ فَلَا يُكَلِّمُنِي أَحَدٌ، وَتَنَكَّرَ لَنَا النَّاسُ حَتَّى مَا هُمْ بِالَّذِينَ نَعْرِفُ، وَتَنَكَّرَتْ لَنَا الْحِيطَانُ حَتَّى مَا هِيَ بِالْحِيطَانِ الَّتِي نَعْرِفُ، وَتَنَكَّرَتْ لَنَا الْأَرْضُ حَتَّى مَا هِيَ بِالْأَرْضِ الَّتِي نَعْرِفُ، وَكُنْتُ أَقْوَى أَصْحَابِي، فَكُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ فَأَطُوفُ فِي السُّوقِ وَآتِي الْمَسْجِدَ فَأَدْخُلُ، وَآتِي النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَقُولُ: هَلْ حَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ بِالسَّلَامِ؟، فَإِذَا قُمْتُ أُصَلِّي إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ فَأَقْبَلْتُ قِبَلَ صَلَاتِي نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ بِمُؤَخَّرِ عَيْنَيْهِ، وَإِذَا نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ أَعْرَضَ عَنِّي، قَالَ: وَاسْتَكَانَ صَاحِبَايَ فَجَعَلَا يَبْكِيَانِ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يُطْلِعَانِ رُءُوسَهُمَا، فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَطُوفُ فِي السُّوقِ إِذَا رَجُلٌ نَصْرَانِيٌّ جَاءَ بِطَعَامٍ لَهُ يَبِيعُهُ يَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدُلُّنِي عَلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ؟، فَطَفِقَ النَّاسُ يُشِيرُونَ لَهُ إِلَيَّ، وَأَتَانِي بِصَحِيفَةٍ مِنْ مَلِكِ غَسَّانَ، فَإِذَا فِيهَا: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ صَاحِبَكَ قَدْ جَفَاكَ، وَأَقْصَاكَ، وَلَسْتَ بِدَارِ مَضْيَعَةٍ، وَلَا هَوَانٍ، فَالْحَقْ بِنَا نُوَاسِكَ، فَقُلْتُ: هَذَا أَيْضًا مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ، وَالشَّرِّ فَسَجَرْتُ لَهَا التَّنُّورَ وَأَحْرَقْتُهَا فيهِ، فَلَمَّا مَضَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً إِذَا رَسُولٌ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ أَتَانِي، فَقَالَ: اعْتَزَلِ امْرَأَتَكَ، فَقُلْتُ: أُطَلِّقُهَا؟، قَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنْ لَا تَقْرَبْهَا، فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ هِلَالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ هِلَالَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ ضَعِيفٌ، فَهَلْ تَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أَخْدُمَهُ؟، قَالَ: «نَعَمْ، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَقْرَبَنَّكِ» ، قَالَتْ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ وَاللهِ مَا بِهِ مِنْ حَرَكَةٍ لِشَيْءٍ، مَا زَالَ مُتَّكِئًا يَبْكِي اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ مُنْذُ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا كَانَ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَلَمَّا طَالَ عَلِيَّ الْبَلَاءُ اقْتَحَمْتُ عَلَى أَبِي قَتَادَةَ حَائِطَهُ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّي، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلِيَّ، فَقُلْتُ: أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، فَسَكَتَ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ أَيْضًا: أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، فَسَكَتَ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ: أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، قَالَ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، فَلَمْ أَمْلِكْ نَفْسِي أَنْ بَكَيْتُ، ثُمَّ اقْتَحَمْتُ الْحَائِطَ خَارِجًا حَتَّى إِذَا مَضَتْ خَمْسُونَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ حِينِ نَهَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاسَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا، صَلَّيْتُ عَلَى ظَهْرِ بَيْتٍ لَنَا صَلَاةَ الْفَجْرِ، ثُمُّ جَلَسْتُ وَأَنَا فِي الْمَنْزِلَةِ الَّتِي قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: قَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا أَنْفُسُنَا، إِذْ سَمِعْتُ نِدَاءً مِنْ ذُرْوَةِ سَلْعٍ: أَنْ أَبْشِرْ يَا كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ جَاءَ بِالْفَرَجِ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يَرْكُضُ عَلَى فَرَسٍ يُبَشِّرُنِي، فَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ فَرَسِهِ، فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ ثَوْبِي بِشَارَةً وَلَبِسَتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ آخَرَيْنِ، قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ تَوْبَتُنَا أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ، فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَلَا نُبَشِّرُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ؟، قَالَ: «إِذَنْ يَخْصِمُكُمُ النَّاسُ وَيَمْنَعُونَكُمُ النَّوْمَ سَائِرَ اللَّيْلَةِ» ، قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ مُحْسِنَةً فِي شَأْنِي تَحْزَنُ بِأَمْرِي، فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَحَوْلَهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ، وَهُوَ يَسْتَنِيرُ كَاسْتِنَارَةِ الْقَمَرِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا سُرَّ بِالْأَمْرِ اسْتَنَارَ، فَجِئْتُ حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: «أَبْشِرْ يَا كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ أَتَى عَلَيْكَ مِنْ يَوْمِ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ» ، قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَمِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ أَمْ مِنْ عِنْدَكَ؟، قَالَ: «بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ» ، ثُمَّ تَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ: {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ} [التوبة: ١١٧] ، حَتَّى بَلَغَ {التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ} [التوبة: ١١٨] ، وَقَالَ: وَفِينَا أُنْزِلَتْ أَيْضًا: {اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ} [التوبة: ١١٩] ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ لَا أُحَدِّثَ إِلَّا صِدْقًا، وَأَنْ أُخْلَعَ مِنْ مَالِي كُلِّهِ صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ: «أَمْسَكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ» ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: فَإِنِّي أَمْسِكُ سَهْمِيَ الَّذِي بِخَيْبَرَ، قَالَ: فَمَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلِيَّ نِعْمَةً فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ صِدْقِي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ صَدَقْتُهُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبَايَ أَنْ لَا نَكُونَ كَذَبْنَاهُ فَهَلَكْنَا كَمَا هَلَكُوا، وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ اللهُ ابْتَلَى أَحَدًا فِي الصِّدْقِ مِثْلَ الَّذِي ابْتَلَانِي بِهِ، فَمَا تَعَمَّدْتُ بِكِذْبَةٍ بَعْدُ، وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَحْفَظَنِي اللهُ فِيمَا بَقِيَ. قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ: قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ: «فَهَذَا مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْنَا مِنْ حَدِيثِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ»
: ثُمَّ لَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ بَعْدُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا حَتَّى كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكٍ، وَهِيَ آخِرُ غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا، وَآذَنَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاسَ بِالرَّحِيلِ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَأَهَّبُوا أُهْبَةَ غَزْوَتِهِمْ، وَذَلِكَ حِينَ طَابَ الظِّلَالُ وَطَابَتِ الثِّمَارُ، وَكَانَ قَلَّمَا أَرَادَ غَزْوَةً إِلَّا وَارَى خَبَرَهَا، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ : «الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ» ، فَأَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكٍ أَنْ يَتَأَهَّبَ النَّاسُ أُهْبَةً، وَأَنَا أَيْسَرُ مَا كُنْتُ، قَدْ جَمَعْتُ رَاحِلَتَيْنِ، وَأَنَا أَقْدَرُ شَيْءٍ فِي نَفْسِي عَلَى الْجِهَادِ وَخِفَّةِ الْحَاذِ، وَأَنَا فِي ذَلِكَ أَصْغُو إِلَى الظِّلَالِ وَطِيبِ الثِّمَارِ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَادِيًا بِالْغَدَاةِ، وَذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ، فَأَصْبَحَ غَادِيًا
فَقُلْتُ: أَنْطَلِقُ غَدًا إِلَى السُّوقِ فَأَشْتَرِي جَهَازِي، ثُمَّ أَلْحَقُ بِهِمْ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ مِنَ الْغَدِ، فَعَسُرَ عَلِيَّ بَعْضُ شَأْنِي، فَرَجَعْتُ، فَقُلْتُ: أَرْجِعُ غَدًا إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى الْتَبَسَ بِيَ الذَّنْبُ، وَتَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ وَأَطُوفُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَيُحْزِنُنِي أَنِّي لَا أَرَى أَحَدًا إِلَّا رَجُلًا تَخَلَّفَ مَغْمُوصًا عَلَيْهِ فِي النِّفَاقِ، وَكَانَ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ تَخَلَّفَ إِلَا رَأَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ سَيَخْفَى لَهُ، وَكَانَ النَّاسُ كَثِيرًا، لَا يَجْمَعُهُمْ دِيوَانٌ، وَكَانَ جَمِيعُ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِضْعَةٌ وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلًا، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْنِي النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ تَبُوكًا، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ تَبُوكًا، قَالَ: «مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟» ، قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي: خَلْفَهُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ بُرْدَاهُ، وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفَيْهِ، فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ: بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ، وَاللهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ مَا نَعْلَمُ إِلَّا خَيْرًا، فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا هُمْ بِرَجُلٍ يَزُولُ بِهِ السَّرَابُ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «كُنْ أَبَا خَيْثَمَةَ» ، فَإِذَا هُوَ أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَزْوَةَ تَبُوكٍ، وَقَفَلَ وَدَنَا مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ، جَعَلْتُ أَتَذَكَّرُ بِمَاذَا أَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخَطِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِكُلِّ ذِي رَأْيٍ مِنْ أَهْلِي، حَتَّى إِذَا قِيلَ: النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُصَبِّحُكُمْ غَدًا بِالْغَدَاةِ، زَاحَ عَنِّي الْبَاطِلُ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنِّي لَا أَنْجُو إِلَّا بِالصِّدْقِ، فَدَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ضُحًّى، فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا جَاءَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ فَجَعَلَ يَأْتِيَهِ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ وَيَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ، وَيَقْبَلُ عَلَانِيَتَهُمْ، وَيَكِلُ أَسْرَارَهُمْ إِلَى اللهِ، فَدَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ، فَلَمَّا رَآنِي تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ، فَجِئْتُ فَجَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: «أَلَمْ تَكُنِ ابْتَعْتَ ظَهْرَكَ؟» ، فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ، قَالَ: «فَمَا خَلَفَكَ؟» ، قُلْتُ: وَاللهِ لَوْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِي أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ غَيْرِكَ جَلَسْتُ خَرَجْتُ مِنْ سَخْطَتِهِ عَلِيَّ بِعُذْرٍ، وَلَقَدْ أُوتِيتُ جَدَلًا، وَلَكِنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَنِّي إِنْ أَخْبَرْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ بِقَوْلٍ تَجِدُ عَلِيَّ فِيهِ وَهُوَ حَقٌّ، فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو عُقْبَى اللهِ، وَإِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيثًا تَرْضَى عَنِّي فِيهِ وَهُوَ كَذِبٌ أَوْشَكَ اللهُ أَنْ يُطْلِعَكَ عَلَيَّ، وَاللهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَيْسَرَ، وَلَا أَخَفَّ حَاذًا مِنِّي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْكَ، قَالَ: «أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ الْحَدِيثَ، قُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللهُ فِيكَ» ، فَقُمْتُ فَثَارَ عَلَى أَثَرِي نَاسٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي يُؤَنِّبُونِي، فَقَالُوا: وَاللهِ مَا نَعْلَمُكَ أَذْنَبْتَ ذَنْبًا قَطُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا، فَهَلَّا اعْتَذَرْتَ إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِعُذْرٍ يَرْضَى عَنْكَ، وَكَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَيَأْتِي مِنْ وَرَاءِ ذَلِكَ، وَلِمَ تَقِفُ نَفْسَكَ مَوْقِفًا لَا تَدْرِي مَا يُقْضَى لَكَ فِيهِ؟، فَلَمْ يَزَالُوا يُؤَنِّبُونِي حَتَّى هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ فَأُكَذِّبَ نَفْسِي، فَقُلْتُ: هَلْ قَالَ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ أَحَدٌ غَيْرِي؟، قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، قَالَهُ هِلَالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، وَمَرَارَةُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، فَذَكَرُوا رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ قَدْ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا، لِي فِيهِمَا أُسْوَةٌ، فَقُلْتُ: وَاللهِ لَا أَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِ فِي هَذَا أَبَدًا وَلَا أُكَذِّبُ نَفْسِي، قَالَ: وَنَهَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلَاثَةُ، قَالَ: فَجَعَلْتُ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى السُّوقِ فَلَا يُكَلِّمُنِي أَحَدٌ، وَتَنَكَّرَ لَنَا النَّاسُ حَتَّى مَا هُمْ بِالَّذِينَ نَعْرِفُ، وَتَنَكَّرَتْ لَنَا الْحِيطَانُ حَتَّى مَا هِيَ بِالْحِيطَانِ الَّتِي نَعْرِفُ، وَتَنَكَّرَتْ لَنَا الْأَرْضُ حَتَّى مَا هِيَ بِالْأَرْضِ الَّتِي نَعْرِفُ، وَكُنْتُ أَقْوَى أَصْحَابِي، فَكُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ فَأَطُوفُ فِي السُّوقِ وَآتِي الْمَسْجِدَ فَأَدْخُلُ، وَآتِي النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَقُولُ: هَلْ حَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ بِالسَّلَامِ؟، فَإِذَا قُمْتُ أُصَلِّي إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ فَأَقْبَلْتُ قِبَلَ صَلَاتِي نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ بِمُؤَخَّرِ عَيْنَيْهِ، وَإِذَا نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ أَعْرَضَ عَنِّي، قَالَ: وَاسْتَكَانَ صَاحِبَايَ فَجَعَلَا يَبْكِيَانِ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يُطْلِعَانِ رُءُوسَهُمَا، فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَطُوفُ فِي السُّوقِ إِذَا رَجُلٌ نَصْرَانِيٌّ جَاءَ بِطَعَامٍ لَهُ يَبِيعُهُ يَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدُلُّنِي عَلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ؟، فَطَفِقَ النَّاسُ يُشِيرُونَ لَهُ إِلَيَّ، وَأَتَانِي بِصَحِيفَةٍ مِنْ مَلِكِ غَسَّانَ، فَإِذَا فِيهَا: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ صَاحِبَكَ قَدْ جَفَاكَ، وَأَقْصَاكَ، وَلَسْتَ بِدَارِ مَضْيَعَةٍ، وَلَا هَوَانٍ، فَالْحَقْ بِنَا نُوَاسِكَ، فَقُلْتُ: هَذَا أَيْضًا مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ، وَالشَّرِّ فَسَجَرْتُ لَهَا التَّنُّورَ وَأَحْرَقْتُهَا فيهِ، فَلَمَّا مَضَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً إِذَا رَسُولٌ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ أَتَانِي، فَقَالَ: اعْتَزَلِ امْرَأَتَكَ، فَقُلْتُ: أُطَلِّقُهَا؟، قَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنْ لَا تَقْرَبْهَا، فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ هِلَالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ هِلَالَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ ضَعِيفٌ، فَهَلْ تَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أَخْدُمَهُ؟، قَالَ: «نَعَمْ، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَقْرَبَنَّكِ» ، قَالَتْ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ وَاللهِ مَا بِهِ مِنْ حَرَكَةٍ لِشَيْءٍ، مَا زَالَ مُتَّكِئًا يَبْكِي اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ مُنْذُ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا كَانَ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَلَمَّا طَالَ عَلِيَّ الْبَلَاءُ اقْتَحَمْتُ عَلَى أَبِي قَتَادَةَ حَائِطَهُ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّي، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلِيَّ، فَقُلْتُ: أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، فَسَكَتَ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ أَيْضًا: أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، فَسَكَتَ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ: أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، قَالَ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، فَلَمْ أَمْلِكْ نَفْسِي أَنْ بَكَيْتُ، ثُمَّ اقْتَحَمْتُ الْحَائِطَ خَارِجًا حَتَّى إِذَا مَضَتْ خَمْسُونَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ حِينِ نَهَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاسَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا، صَلَّيْتُ عَلَى ظَهْرِ بَيْتٍ لَنَا صَلَاةَ الْفَجْرِ، ثُمُّ جَلَسْتُ وَأَنَا فِي الْمَنْزِلَةِ الَّتِي قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: قَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا أَنْفُسُنَا، إِذْ سَمِعْتُ نِدَاءً مِنْ ذُرْوَةِ سَلْعٍ: أَنْ أَبْشِرْ يَا كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ جَاءَ بِالْفَرَجِ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يَرْكُضُ عَلَى فَرَسٍ يُبَشِّرُنِي، فَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ فَرَسِهِ، فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ ثَوْبِي بِشَارَةً وَلَبِسَتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ آخَرَيْنِ، قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ تَوْبَتُنَا أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ، فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَلَا نُبَشِّرُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ؟، قَالَ: «إِذَنْ يَخْصِمُكُمُ النَّاسُ وَيَمْنَعُونَكُمُ النَّوْمَ سَائِرَ اللَّيْلَةِ» ، قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ مُحْسِنَةً فِي شَأْنِي تَحْزَنُ بِأَمْرِي، فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَحَوْلَهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ، وَهُوَ يَسْتَنِيرُ كَاسْتِنَارَةِ الْقَمَرِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا سُرَّ بِالْأَمْرِ اسْتَنَارَ، فَجِئْتُ حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقَالَ: «أَبْشِرْ يَا كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ أَتَى عَلَيْكَ مِنْ يَوْمِ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ» ، قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَمِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ أَمْ مِنْ عِنْدَكَ؟، قَالَ: «بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ» ، ثُمَّ تَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ: {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ} [التوبة: ١١٧] ، حَتَّى بَلَغَ {التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ} [التوبة: ١١٨] ، وَقَالَ: وَفِينَا أُنْزِلَتْ أَيْضًا: {اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ} [التوبة: ١١٩] ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ لَا أُحَدِّثَ إِلَّا صِدْقًا، وَأَنْ أُخْلَعَ مِنْ مَالِي كُلِّهِ صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ: «أَمْسَكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ» ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: فَإِنِّي أَمْسِكُ سَهْمِيَ الَّذِي بِخَيْبَرَ، قَالَ: فَمَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلِيَّ نِعْمَةً فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ صِدْقِي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ صَدَقْتُهُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبَايَ أَنْ لَا نَكُونَ كَذَبْنَاهُ فَهَلَكْنَا كَمَا هَلَكُوا، وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ اللهُ ابْتَلَى أَحَدًا فِي الصِّدْقِ مِثْلَ الَّذِي ابْتَلَانِي بِهِ، فَمَا تَعَمَّدْتُ بِكِذْبَةٍ بَعْدُ، وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَحْفَظَنِي اللهُ فِيمَا بَقِيَ. قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ: قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ: «فَهَذَا مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْنَا مِنْ حَدِيثِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ»
Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I did not stay behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in any expedition in which he (peace and blessings be upon him) himself took part, except the expedition of Tabuk; though I did not take part in Badr either. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not blame anyone who stayed behind from Badr, because he (peace and blessings be upon him) had only set out intending the (trade) caravan of Quraysh, and Quraysh came out to rescue their caravan, and the two sides met without any appointment, as Allah Almighty has described (in the Qur'an). By my life, the most honourable of the battles of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the eyes of people is Badr, yet I would not like to have taken part in it at the cost of losing that pledge on the night of al-Aqabah, where we pledged loyalty (to one another) upon Islam. Then after that I did not stay behind from any expedition in which he (peace and blessings be upon him) took part, until the expedition of Tabuk came, and it was his (peace and blessings be upon him) last expedition. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the people of the departure so that they could prepare for their expedition, and that was at the time when the shade was pleasant and the fruits had ripened. It was his (peace and blessings be upon him) practice that whenever he intended an expedition, he would seldom disclose its real direction, and he used to say: "War is deception." So in the expedition of Tabuk he (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted the people to prepare fully. At that time I was in the best condition I had ever been; I had gathered two mounts, and I felt myself most capable in terms of jihad and being lightly burdened. Yet in that very state I was inclining towards the pleasantness of the shade and the fruits. I remained like that until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out early in the morning; it was a Thursday, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) liked to set out on Thursday, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) left early in the morning.
I thought: "Tomorrow I will go to the market, buy my provisions for the journey, and then catch up with the army." The next day I went to the market, but some of my affairs became difficult (and I was delayed), so I came back and thought: "Tomorrow, if Allah wills, I will go." It kept happening like that until the sin (in its full form) overtook me and I stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So I would walk in the markets and go around Madinah, and it grieved me that I saw no one besides myself who had stayed behind (like this) except someone accused of hypocrisy. Everyone who stayed behind hoped that his matter would remain hidden. The people were very many, and no register (diwan) gathered them, and all those who stayed behind from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were some eighty-odd men. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not mention me until he reached Tabuk. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Tabuk, he said: "What has Ka'b bin Malik done?" A man from my people said: "O Prophet of Allah! His two cloaks and his looking at his own sides (meaning his self-admiration) have held him back." Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "What an evil thing you have said! By Allah, O Prophet of Allah, we know nothing of him but good." While they were in that state, they suddenly saw a man whom the mirage kept hiding and revealing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Be Abu Khaythamah (meaning, it is hoped that this is Abu Khaythamah)." And it turned out to be Abu Khaythamah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the expedition of Tabuk and turned back and drew near Madinah, I began to think about what excuse would get me out of the displeasure of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I sought help in that from every person of sound opinion among my family. Then, when it was said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would reach you tomorrow morning, the thought of falsehood left me, and I became certain that nothing but the truth could save me. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered in the forenoon and prayed two rak'ahs in the mosque. It was his (peace and blessings be upon him) practice, whenever he returned from a journey, to do the same: come to the mosque, pray two rak'ahs in it, and then sit down. Then those who had stayed behind began coming to him (peace and blessings be upon him), swearing oaths to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and making excuses, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would seek forgiveness for them, accept their outward state, and leave their inner state to Allah. I entered the mosque while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw me, he smiled the smile of an angry person. I came and sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Had you not bought your mount?" I said: "Certainly, O Prophet of Allah!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then what held you back?" I said: "By Allah! If I had been sitting before anyone else in the world besides you, I would have hoped to get out of his displeasure with some excuse, for I have been given skill (in argument). But, O Prophet of Allah, I know that if today I tell you something for which you become displeased with me but which is the truth, then I hope for a (good) outcome from Allah; and if today I tell you something with which you become pleased with me but which is a lie, then soon Allah will inform you of my reality. By Allah, O Prophet of Allah! I was never so well off or so lightly burdened as I was when I stayed behind from you." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As for this man, he has told you the truth. Now get up until Allah decides about you." So I got up, and some people of my tribe followed me, reproaching me and saying: "By Allah! We do not know that you ever committed a sin before this. Why did you not offer the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) an excuse with which he would have been pleased with you? The seeking of forgiveness by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for you would have sufficed after that. And why did you put yourself in a position where you do not know what will be decided about you?" They kept reproaching me until I wanted to go back and belie myself. Then I asked them: "Has anyone besides me said the same thing?" They said: "Yes, Hilal bin Umayyah and Murarah bin Rabi'ah also said the same." They mentioned two righteous men who had taken part in Badr, in whom there was an example (of consolation) for me. So I said: "By Allah! I will never go back in this matter, nor will I belie myself." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade (people) from speaking to the three of us. So I kept going to the market, but no one would speak to me. The people became strangers to us until it was as though they did not know us at all; the walls too became strange to us until they did not seem like the walls we knew; and the land too became strange to us until it did not seem like the land we knew. I was the strongest of my companions, so I would go out and walk around in the market, come to the mosque and go inside, and go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and say (in my heart): "Did he (peace and blessings be upon him) move his lips in reply to the greeting?" When I stood to pray near a pillar and turned to my prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would look at me from the corner of his eyes, and when I looked at him (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) would turn his face away. My two companions became dejected and sat in their homes, weeping day and night, not even raising their heads. While I was walking in the market in this state, a Christian man came to sell his foodstuffs, saying: "Who will direct me to Ka'b bin Malik?" The people began pointing him to me, and he brought me a letter from the king of Ghassan. In it was written: "To proceed: News has reached me that your companion (meaning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) has treated you harshly and kept you away. You are certainly not one to be left to waste or to be humiliated, so come to us, and we will stand by you." I said: "This too is another trial and evil." So I lit the oven for the letter and burned it in it. When forty nights had passed, a messenger from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me and said: "Keep away from your wife." I asked: "Should I divorce her?" He said: "No, but do not go near her." Then the wife of 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 is an old, weak man; will you permit me to serve him?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, but he must not come near you." She said: "O Prophet of Allah! By Allah, he has no movement left towards anything; ever since this matter of his happened, he has done nothing but weep day and night." Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When this trial became prolonged for me, I went (climbing over the wall) into the garden of my paternal cousin Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) and greeted him, but he did not return my greeting. I said: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He remained silent. I said again: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He again remained silent. I said once more: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." I could not control myself and burst into tears, then climbed back over the wall to the outside. Then, when fifty nights had passed since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade (people) from speaking to us, I prayed the Fajr prayer on the roof of one of our houses and then sat down, in the very state that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has mentioned: "The earth, despite its vastness, became narrow for us, and our souls too became constricted for us." Suddenly I heard a voice from the top of Mount Sal': "Rejoice, O Ka'b bin Malik!" So I fell down in prostration, and I became certain that relief had come from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Then a man came galloping on a horse to give me the good news, but the voice had reached me faster than his horse. So I gave him my garment in return for the good news and put on two other garments. Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Our repentance had been revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a third of the night remained. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Prophet of Allah! Shall we not give the good news to Ka'b bin Malik?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then the people will crowd upon you and will not let you sleep for the rest of the night." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) was very kind in my affair and used to grieve over my condition. So I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and saw that he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in the mosque with the Muslims around him (peace and blessings be upon him), and his (peace and blessings be upon him) face was shining like the moon. It was his (peace and blessings be upon him) way that when he was pleased with something, (his face) would light up. I came and sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ka'b bin Malik! Rejoice at the best day that has come upon you since the day your mother gave birth to you." I said: "O Prophet of Allah! Is this from Allah or from you?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Rather, from Allah." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited these verses to the people: "Allah has certainly turned in mercy to the Prophet, the Muhajirun and the Ansar" [Surah al-Tawbah: 117] up to "the One who accepts repentance much, the Most Merciful" [Surah al-Tawbah: 118]. And he said: This verse too was revealed about us: "Fear Allah and be with the truthful" [Surah al-Tawbah: 119]. I said: "O Prophet of Allah! Part of my repentance is that from now on I will speak nothing but the truth, and that I will give away all my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you." I said: "Then I will keep my share at Khaybar." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah did not bestow on me any blessing in Islam greater than this: that I and my two companions spoke the truth to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and that it did not happen that we lied to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and were destroyed as the others (the liars) were destroyed. And I hope that Allah has not tested anyone in truthfulness with a trial like the one with which He tested me. Since then I have never deliberately told a lie, and I hope that Allah will protect me for the rest of my life. Ma'mar said: Al-Zuhri said: This is what has reached us of the hadith of Ka'b bin Malik.
I thought: "Tomorrow I will go to the market, buy my provisions for the journey, and then catch up with the army." The next day I went to the market, but some of my affairs became difficult (and I was delayed), so I came back and thought: "Tomorrow, if Allah wills, I will go." It kept happening like that until the sin (in its full form) overtook me and I stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So I would walk in the markets and go around Madinah, and it grieved me that I saw no one besides myself who had stayed behind (like this) except someone accused of hypocrisy. Everyone who stayed behind hoped that his matter would remain hidden. The people were very many, and no register (diwan) gathered them, and all those who stayed behind from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were some eighty-odd men. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not mention me until he reached Tabuk. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Tabuk, he said: "What has Ka'b bin Malik done?" A man from my people said: "O Prophet of Allah! His two cloaks and his looking at his own sides (meaning his self-admiration) have held him back." Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "What an evil thing you have said! By Allah, O Prophet of Allah, we know nothing of him but good." While they were in that state, they suddenly saw a man whom the mirage kept hiding and revealing, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Be Abu Khaythamah (meaning, it is hoped that this is Abu Khaythamah)." And it turned out to be Abu Khaythamah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the expedition of Tabuk and turned back and drew near Madinah, I began to think about what excuse would get me out of the displeasure of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I sought help in that from every person of sound opinion among my family. Then, when it was said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would reach you tomorrow morning, the thought of falsehood left me, and I became certain that nothing but the truth could save me. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered in the forenoon and prayed two rak'ahs in the mosque. It was his (peace and blessings be upon him) practice, whenever he returned from a journey, to do the same: come to the mosque, pray two rak'ahs in it, and then sit down. Then those who had stayed behind began coming to him (peace and blessings be upon him), swearing oaths to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and making excuses, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would seek forgiveness for them, accept their outward state, and leave their inner state to Allah. I entered the mosque while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw me, he smiled the smile of an angry person. I came and sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Had you not bought your mount?" I said: "Certainly, O Prophet of Allah!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then what held you back?" I said: "By Allah! If I had been sitting before anyone else in the world besides you, I would have hoped to get out of his displeasure with some excuse, for I have been given skill (in argument). But, O Prophet of Allah, I know that if today I tell you something for which you become displeased with me but which is the truth, then I hope for a (good) outcome from Allah; and if today I tell you something with which you become pleased with me but which is a lie, then soon Allah will inform you of my reality. By Allah, O Prophet of Allah! I was never so well off or so lightly burdened as I was when I stayed behind from you." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As for this man, he has told you the truth. Now get up until Allah decides about you." So I got up, and some people of my tribe followed me, reproaching me and saying: "By Allah! We do not know that you ever committed a sin before this. Why did you not offer the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) an excuse with which he would have been pleased with you? The seeking of forgiveness by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for you would have sufficed after that. And why did you put yourself in a position where you do not know what will be decided about you?" They kept reproaching me until I wanted to go back and belie myself. Then I asked them: "Has anyone besides me said the same thing?" They said: "Yes, Hilal bin Umayyah and Murarah bin Rabi'ah also said the same." They mentioned two righteous men who had taken part in Badr, in whom there was an example (of consolation) for me. So I said: "By Allah! I will never go back in this matter, nor will I belie myself." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade (people) from speaking to the three of us. So I kept going to the market, but no one would speak to me. The people became strangers to us until it was as though they did not know us at all; the walls too became strange to us until they did not seem like the walls we knew; and the land too became strange to us until it did not seem like the land we knew. I was the strongest of my companions, so I would go out and walk around in the market, come to the mosque and go inside, and go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and say (in my heart): "Did he (peace and blessings be upon him) move his lips in reply to the greeting?" When I stood to pray near a pillar and turned to my prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would look at me from the corner of his eyes, and when I looked at him (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) would turn his face away. My two companions became dejected and sat in their homes, weeping day and night, not even raising their heads. While I was walking in the market in this state, a Christian man came to sell his foodstuffs, saying: "Who will direct me to Ka'b bin Malik?" The people began pointing him to me, and he brought me a letter from the king of Ghassan. In it was written: "To proceed: News has reached me that your companion (meaning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) has treated you harshly and kept you away. You are certainly not one to be left to waste or to be humiliated, so come to us, and we will stand by you." I said: "This too is another trial and evil." So I lit the oven for the letter and burned it in it. When forty nights had passed, a messenger from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me and said: "Keep away from your wife." I asked: "Should I divorce her?" He said: "No, but do not go near her." Then the wife of 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 is an old, weak man; will you permit me to serve him?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, but he must not come near you." She said: "O Prophet of Allah! By Allah, he has no movement left towards anything; ever since this matter of his happened, he has done nothing but weep day and night." Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When this trial became prolonged for me, I went (climbing over the wall) into the garden of my paternal cousin Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) and greeted him, but he did not return my greeting. I said: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He remained silent. I said again: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He again remained silent. I said once more: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." I could not control myself and burst into tears, then climbed back over the wall to the outside. Then, when fifty nights had passed since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade (people) from speaking to us, I prayed the Fajr prayer on the roof of one of our houses and then sat down, in the very state that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has mentioned: "The earth, despite its vastness, became narrow for us, and our souls too became constricted for us." Suddenly I heard a voice from the top of Mount Sal': "Rejoice, O Ka'b bin Malik!" So I fell down in prostration, and I became certain that relief had come from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Then a man came galloping on a horse to give me the good news, but the voice had reached me faster than his horse. So I gave him my garment in return for the good news and put on two other garments. Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Our repentance had been revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a third of the night remained. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Prophet of Allah! Shall we not give the good news to Ka'b bin Malik?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then the people will crowd upon you and will not let you sleep for the rest of the night." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) was very kind in my affair and used to grieve over my condition. So I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and saw that he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in the mosque with the Muslims around him (peace and blessings be upon him), and his (peace and blessings be upon him) face was shining like the moon. It was his (peace and blessings be upon him) way that when he was pleased with something, (his face) would light up. I came and sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ka'b bin Malik! Rejoice at the best day that has come upon you since the day your mother gave birth to you." I said: "O Prophet of Allah! Is this from Allah or from you?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Rather, from Allah." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited these verses to the people: "Allah has certainly turned in mercy to the Prophet, the Muhajirun and the Ansar" [Surah al-Tawbah: 117] up to "the One who accepts repentance much, the Most Merciful" [Surah al-Tawbah: 118]. And he said: This verse too was revealed about us: "Fear Allah and be with the truthful" [Surah al-Tawbah: 119]. I said: "O Prophet of Allah! Part of my repentance is that from now on I will speak nothing but the truth, and that I will give away all my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you." I said: "Then I will keep my share at Khaybar." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah did not bestow on me any blessing in Islam greater than this: that I and my two companions spoke the truth to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and that it did not happen that we lied to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and were destroyed as the others (the liars) were destroyed. And I hope that Allah has not tested anyone in truthfulness with a trial like the one with which He tested me. Since then I have never deliberately told a lie, and I hope that Allah will protect me for the rest of my life. Ma'mar said: Al-Zuhri said: This is what has reached us of the hadith of Ka'b bin Malik.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو شُعَيْبٍ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، ثنا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ النُّفَيْلِيُّ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ: فَذَكَرَ الزُّهْرِيُّ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ ثُمَّ السُّلَمِيِّ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ: وَكَانَ قَائِدَ أَبِيهِ كَعْبٍ حِينَ أُصِيبَ بِبَصَرِهِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي كَعْبًا يُحَدِّثُ حَدِيثَهُ حِينَ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكٍ وَحَدِيثَ صَاحِبَيْهِ، قَالَ: " مَا تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَيْرَهَا قَطُّ، غَيْرَ أَنِّي قَدْ كُنْتُ قَدْ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْهُ فِي غَزْوَةِ بَدْرٍ وَلَمْ يُعَاتِبِ اللهُ وَلَا رَسُولُهُ أَحَدًا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّمَا خَرَجَ يُرِيدُ عِيرَ قُرَيْشٍ، حَتَّى جَمَعَ اللهُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ عَدُوِّهِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مِيعَادٍ
: " وَلَقَدْ شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ حِينَ تَوَاثَقْنَا عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِهَا مَشْهَدَ بَدْرٍ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ بَدْرٍ أَذَكَرَ فِي النَّاسِ مِنْهَا
كَانَ مِنْ حَدِيثِي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْهُ فِي تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَلَّمَا يَخْرُجُ فِي غَزْوَةٍ يَغْزُوهَا إِلَّا وَرَّى بِغَيْرِهَا، حَتَّى كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ فَغَزَاهَا فِي حَرٍّ شَدِيدٍ، وَاسْتَقْبَلَ عَدُوًّا كَثِيرًا، فَحَكَى لِلنَّاسِ أَمَرَهُمْ لِيَتَأَهَّبُوا لِذَلِكَ أُهْبَةَ غَزْوِهِمْ، فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِوَجْهِهِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ، وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَنْ تَبِعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَبِيرٌ لَا يَجْمَعُهُمْ كِتَابٌ حَافَظٌ يَعْنِي بِذَلِكُ كَعْبٌ الدِّيوَانَ، يَقُولُ: لَا يَجْمَعُهُمْ دِيوَانٌ مَكْتُوبٌ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَقَلَّ رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَغِيبَ إِلَّا ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ مُسْتَخْفٍ لَهُ ذَلِكَ مَا لَمْ يَنْزِلْ فِيهِ وَحْيٌ مِنَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَغَزَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةَ حِينَ طَابَتِ الثِّمَارُ وَرَاحَتِ الظِّلَالُ، فَتَجَهَّزَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتَجَهَّزَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَهُ، وَجَعَلْتُ أَغْدُو لِأَتَجَهَّزَ مَعَهُمْ فَأَرْجِعَ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ حَاجَةً، وَأَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي: إِنِّي قَادِرٌ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِذَا أَرَدْتُ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ يَتَمَادَى بِي حَتَّى شَمَّرَ النَّاسُ لِلْغَدِ، فَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَادِيًا وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَهُ، لَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ غَدَوْتُ فَرَجَعْتُ، وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى أَسْرَعُوا فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَرْتَحِلَ فَأُدْرِكُهُمْ وَلَيْتَنِي فَعَلْتُ، وَلَمْ أَفْعَلْ وَجَعَلْتُ إِذَا خَرَجْتُ فِي النَّاسِ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَحْزِنُنِي أَنْ لَا أَرَى إِلَّا رَجُلًا مَغْمُوصًا عَلَيْهِ فِي النِّفَاقِ أَوْ رَجُلًا مِمَّنْ عُذِّرَ أَنَّهُ فِي الضُّعَفَاءِ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ تَبُوكًا ، قَالَ، وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي الْقَوْمِ: «أَتَدْرُونَ مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟» ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ: نَعَمْ، حَبَسَهُ بُرْدَاهُ وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفِهِ، فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ: تَدْرِي مَا قُلْتَ؟، وَاللهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا خَيْرًا. فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ تَوَجَّهَ قَافِلًا مِنْ تَبُوكٍ حَضَرَنِي شَرٌّ فَجَعَلْتُ أَتَذَكَّرُ الْكَذِبَ وَأَقُولُ: بِمَاذَا أَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخَطِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَدًا؟، وَأَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِكُلِّ مَنْ أَرَى مِنْ أَهْلِي، فَلَمَّا قِيلَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ أَظَلَّ قَادِمًا زَاحَ عَنِّي الْبَاطِلُ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ لَا أَنْجُوَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا بِالصِّدْقِ، فَأَجْمَعْتُ أَنْ أَصْدُقَهُ، فَصَبَّحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ، وَكَانَ إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ بَدَأَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ فَرَكَعَ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ لِلنَّاسِ، فَلَمَّا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ جَاءَهُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ فَجَعَلُوا يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ، وَكَانُوا بِضْعَةً وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلًا، فَقَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَانِيَتَهُمْ وَإِيمَانَهُمْ، فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ، وَجَعَلَ سَرَائِرَهُمْ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، حَتَّى جِئْتُ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «تَعَالَ» ، فَجِئْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لِي: «مَا خَلَفَكَ؟، أَلَمْ تَكُنِ ابْتَعْتَ ظَهْرًا؟» ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَاللهِ لَوْ جَلَسْتُ عِنْدَ غَيْرِكِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا لَرَأَيْتُ أَنِّي سَأَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخْطَتِهِ، لَقَدْ أُعْطِيتُ جَدَلًا، وَلَكِنِّي وَاللهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ لَئِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ كَذِبًا لِتَرْضَى عَنِّي لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يُسْخِطَكَ عَلَيَّ، وَلَئِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثًا صَادِقًا تَجِدُ عَلِيَّ فِيهِ إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو عَفْوَ اللهِ فِيهِ، وَاللهِ مَا كَانَ لِي عُذْرٌ، وَاللهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَقْوَى وَلَا أَيْسَرَ مِنِّي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْكَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمْ، قُمْ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ فِيكَ أَمَرَهُ» ، فَقُمْتُ وَقَامَ مَعِي رِجَالٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ فَاتَّبَعُونِي، فَقَالُوا: وَاللهِ مَا عَلِمْنَاكَ أَذْنَبْتَ ذَنْبًا قَبْلَ هَذَا، وَلَقَدْ عَجَزْتَ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ اعْتَذَرْتَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمَا اعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُنَافِقُونَ، قَدْ كَانَ كَافِيَكَ مِنْهُ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَوَاللهِ مَا زَالُوا يُؤَنِّبُونَنِي حَتَّى أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأُكَذِّبَ نَفْسِي، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُمْ: هَلْ لَقِيَ هَذَا أَحَدٌ غَيْرِي؟، فَقَالُوا: نَعَمْ، رَجُلَانِ قَالَا مِثْلَ مَقَالِكَ، وَقِيلَ لَهُمَا مِثْلُ مَا قِيلَ لَكَ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هُمَا؟، قَالُوا: مُرَارَةُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ ? وَهِلَالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ الْوَاقِفِيُّ، فَذَكَرُوا رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ فِيهِمَا أُسْوَةٌ، فَصَمَّمْتُ حِينَ ذَكَرُوهُمَا لِي، وَنَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلَاثَةُ مِنْ بَيْنِ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهُ، فَاجْتَنَبَنَا النَّاسُ وَتَغَيَّرُوا لَنَا، حَتَّى تَنَكَّرَتْ لِي نَفْسِي وَالْأَرْضُ، فَمَا هِيَ بِالْأَرْضِ الَّتِي كُنْتُ، فَلَبِثْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ خَمْسِينَ لَيْلَةً، أَمَا صَاحِبَايَ فَاسْتَكَنَّا وَقَعَدَا فِي بُيُوتِهِمَا، وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَكُنْتُ أَشَدَّ الرَّهْطِ وَأَجْلَدَهُمْ، وَكُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ وَأَشْهَدُ الصَّلَاةَ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَطُوفُ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ فَلَا يُكَلِّمُنِي أَحَدٌ، وَإِنِّي آتِي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ فَأُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي: هَلْ حَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ بَرَدِّ السَّلَامِ عَلِيَّ أَمْ لَا؟، ثُمَّ أُصَلِّي قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ فَأُسَارِقُهُ النَّظَرَ، فَإِذَا أَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ، فَإِذَا الْتَفَتُّ نَحْوَهُ أَعْرَضَ عَنِّي، حَتَّى إِذَا طَالَ عَلِيَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ جَفْوَةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَشَيْتُ حَتَّى تَسَوَّرْتُ جِدَارَ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّي وَأَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَيَّ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَوَاللهِ مَا رَدَّ عَلِيَّ السَّلَامَ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ، هَلْ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، فَسَكَتَ، فَعُدْتُ لَهُ فَنَاشَدْتُهُ، فَسَكَتَ، فَعُدْتُ لَهُ فَنَاشَدْتُهُ، فَقَالَ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَايَ، وَرُحْتُ فَتَسَوَّرْتُ الْجِدَارَ، ثُمَّ غَدَوْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ، فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي فِي السُّوقِ فَإِذَا بِنَبَطِيٍّ مِنْ نَبَطِ الشَّامِ يَسْأَلُ عَنِّي مِمَّنْ قَدِمَ بِبَيْعِ الطَّعَامِ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، يَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدُلُّنِي عَلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يُشِيرُونَ إِلَيَّ، حَتَّى جَاءَنِي فَدَفَعَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابًا مِنْ مَلَكِ غَسَّانَ، وَكَتَبَ كِتَابًا فِي سَرَقَةٍ مِنْ حَرِيرٍ، فَإِذَا فِيهِ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ صَاحِبَكَ قَدْ جَفَاكَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْكَ اللهُ بَدَارَ هَوَانٍ، وَلَا مَضْيَعَةً، فَالْحَقْ بِنَا نُوَاسِكَ، فَقُلْتُ حِينَ قَرَأْتُهَا: هَذَا أَيْضًا مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ، قَدْ بَلَغَ بِي مَا قَدْ وَقَعَتُ فِيهِ أَنْ طَمَعَ فِيَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ، فَعَمَدْتُ بِهَا إِلَى تَنُّورٍ فَسَجَرْتُهُ بِهَا، فَأَقَمْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى مَضَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً، إِذَا رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْتِينِي، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلَ امْرَأَتَكَ، قُلْتُ: أَطَلَاقًا أَمْ مَاذَا؟، قَالَ: بَلِ اعْتَزِلْهَا وَلَا تَقْرَبْهَا، وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى صَاحِبَيَّ بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ، فَقُلْتُ لِامْرَأَتِي: الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ، وَكُونِي عِنْدَهُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللهُ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ مَا هُوَ قَاضٍ، قَالَ: فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ هِلَالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ هِلَالَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ ضَائِعٌ لَا خَادِمَ لَهُ، أَفَتَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَخْدُمَهُ؟، قَالَ: «لَا، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَقْرَبَنَّكِ» ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا بِهِ مِنْ حَرَكَةٍ إِلَيَّ، وَاللهِ مَا زَالَ يَبْكِي مُنْذُ كَانَ أَمْرُهُ مَا كَانَ إِلَى يَوْمِهِ هَذَا، وَلَقَدْ تَخَوَّفْتُ عَلَى بَصَرَهِ، قَالَ: فَقَالَ لِي بَعْضُ أَهْلِي: لَوِ اسْتَأْذَنْتَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِامْرَأَتِكَ، فَقَدْ أَذِنَ لِامْرَأَةِ هِلَالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ أَنْ تَخْدُمَهُ، قُلْتُ: لَا وَاللهِ، لَا أَسْتَأْذِنَهُ فِيهَا، مَا يُدْرَى مَا يَقُولُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي ذَلِكَ إِنِ اسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِيهَا وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ شَابٌّ، قَالَ: فَبِتْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ عَشْرَ لَيَالٍ، فَكَمُلَ لَنَا خَمْسُونَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ حِينِ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا، حَتَّى صَلَّيْتُ الصُّبْحَ صُبْحَ خَمْسِينَ لَيْلَةٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِ بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِنَا عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ اللهُ، وَقَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلِيَّ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ، وَضَاقَتْ عَلِيَّ نَفْسِي، وَقَدْ كُنْتُ ابْتَنَيْتُ خَيْمَةً فِي ظَهْرِ سَلْعٍ، فَكُنْتُ أَكُونُ فِيهَا، إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَارِخًا بِأَعْلَى سَلْعٍ، يَقُولُ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهِ: يَا كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَبْشِرْ، فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ الْفَرَجُ، قَالَ: فَأَخْبَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاسَ بِتَوْبَةِ اللهِ عَلَيْنَا حِينَ اطَّلَعَ الْفَجْرُ، وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ أُنَاسٌ يُبَشِّرُونَنَا، فَذَهَبَ نَحْوَ صَاحِبَيَّ مُبَشِّرٌ، وَرَكَضَ رَجُلٌ إِلَيَّ فَرَسًا، وَسَعَى سَاعٍ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ حَتَّى أَوْفَى عَلَى الْجَبَلِ، وَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنَ الْفَارِسِ ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَنِي الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَهُ يُبَشِّرُنِي، نَزَعَتُ ثَوْبَيَّ فَكَسَوْتُهُ إِيَّاهُمَا بِشَارَةً، وَاللهِ مَا أَمْلِكُ غَيْرَهُمَا يَوْمَئِذٍ، وَاسْتَعَرْتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ فَلَبِسْتُهُمَا، وَانْطَلَقْتُ أَتَيَمَّمُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَتَلَقَّانِي النَّاسُ يُهَنِّئُونَنِي بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَيَقُولُونَ: لِيَهْنَئْكَ تَوْبَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ، حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ، وَرَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسٌ وَحَوْلَهُ النَّاسُ، فَقَامَ إِلَيَّ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ فَحَيَّانِي وَهَنَّأَنِي، وَاللهِ مَا قَامَ إِلَيَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ غَيْرُهُ، قَالَ: فَكَانَ كَعْبٌ لَا يَنْسَاهَا لَهُ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَوَجْهُهُ مُشْرِقٌ مِنَ السُّرُورِ، وَقَالَ: «أَبْشِرْ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ مَرَّ عَلَيْكَ مُنْذُ يَوْمِ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ» ، قُلْتُ: مِنْ عِنْدِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى؟، قَالَ: «بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ» ، قَالَ: وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا سُرَّ اسْتَبْشَرَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّ وَجْهَهُ قِطْعَةٌ مِنْ قَمَرٍ، وَكُنَّا نَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ، فَلَمَّا جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ» ، قُلْتُ: إِنِّي أُمْسِكُ سَهْمِي مِنْ خَيْبَرَ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ أَنْجَانِي بِالصِّدْقِ، وَإِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي إِلَى اللهِ أَنْ لَا أُحَدِّثَ إِلَّا صِدْقًا مَا بَقِيتُ، وَاللهِ مَا أَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا مِنَ النَّاسِ أَبْلَاهُ اللهُ فِي صِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ مَا أَبْلَانِي مُنْذُ ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى يَوْمِي هَذَا، وَأَنَا أَرْجُو أَنْ يَحْفَظَنِي اللهُ فِيمَا بَقِيَ، وَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّهُ بِهِمْ رَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ، وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا حَتَّى إِذَا} [التوبة: ١١٨] ، إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: {وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ} [التوبة: ١١٩] ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَوَاللهِ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلِيَّ نِعْمَةً بَعْدَ أَنْ هَدَانِي لِلْإِسْلَامِ كَانَتْ أَعْظَمَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ صِدْقِي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ، إِلَّا أَنْ أَكُونَ كَذَبْتُهُ فَأَهْلَكَ كَمَا هَلَكَ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوهُ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ قَالَ فِي الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوهُ حِينَ أُنْزِلَ الْوَحْيُ شَرَّ مَا قَالَ لِأَحَدٍ، قَالَ: {سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ فَإِنْ تَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ} [التوبة: ٩٥] ، قَالَ: وَكُنَّا خَلَفَنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلَاثَةُ عَنْ أَمَرِ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ قَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ حَلَفُوا لَهُ فَصَدَّقَهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمْ، وَأَرْجَأَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَنَا حَتَّى قَضَى اللهُ فِيهِ مَا قَضَى، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا} [التوبة: ١١٨] ، وَلَيْسَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللهُ لِتَخَلُّفِنَا عَنِ الْغَزْوِ، وَلَكِنْ لِتَخْلِيفِهِ إِيَّانَا وَإِرْجَائِهِ أَمَرَنَا عَنْ مَنْ حَلَفَ لَهُ وَاعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ.
: " وَلَقَدْ شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ حِينَ تَوَاثَقْنَا عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِهَا مَشْهَدَ بَدْرٍ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ بَدْرٍ أَذَكَرَ فِي النَّاسِ مِنْهَا
كَانَ مِنْ حَدِيثِي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْهُ فِي تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَلَّمَا يَخْرُجُ فِي غَزْوَةٍ يَغْزُوهَا إِلَّا وَرَّى بِغَيْرِهَا، حَتَّى كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ فَغَزَاهَا فِي حَرٍّ شَدِيدٍ، وَاسْتَقْبَلَ عَدُوًّا كَثِيرًا، فَحَكَى لِلنَّاسِ أَمَرَهُمْ لِيَتَأَهَّبُوا لِذَلِكَ أُهْبَةَ غَزْوِهِمْ، فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِوَجْهِهِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ، وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَنْ تَبِعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَبِيرٌ لَا يَجْمَعُهُمْ كِتَابٌ حَافَظٌ يَعْنِي بِذَلِكُ كَعْبٌ الدِّيوَانَ، يَقُولُ: لَا يَجْمَعُهُمْ دِيوَانٌ مَكْتُوبٌ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَقَلَّ رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَغِيبَ إِلَّا ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ مُسْتَخْفٍ لَهُ ذَلِكَ مَا لَمْ يَنْزِلْ فِيهِ وَحْيٌ مِنَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَغَزَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةَ حِينَ طَابَتِ الثِّمَارُ وَرَاحَتِ الظِّلَالُ، فَتَجَهَّزَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتَجَهَّزَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَهُ، وَجَعَلْتُ أَغْدُو لِأَتَجَهَّزَ مَعَهُمْ فَأَرْجِعَ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ حَاجَةً، وَأَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي: إِنِّي قَادِرٌ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِذَا أَرَدْتُ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ يَتَمَادَى بِي حَتَّى شَمَّرَ النَّاسُ لِلْغَدِ، فَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَادِيًا وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَهُ، لَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ غَدَوْتُ فَرَجَعْتُ، وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى أَسْرَعُوا فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَرْتَحِلَ فَأُدْرِكُهُمْ وَلَيْتَنِي فَعَلْتُ، وَلَمْ أَفْعَلْ وَجَعَلْتُ إِذَا خَرَجْتُ فِي النَّاسِ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَحْزِنُنِي أَنْ لَا أَرَى إِلَّا رَجُلًا مَغْمُوصًا عَلَيْهِ فِي النِّفَاقِ أَوْ رَجُلًا مِمَّنْ عُذِّرَ أَنَّهُ فِي الضُّعَفَاءِ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ تَبُوكًا ، قَالَ، وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي الْقَوْمِ: «أَتَدْرُونَ مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟» ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ: نَعَمْ، حَبَسَهُ بُرْدَاهُ وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفِهِ، فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ: تَدْرِي مَا قُلْتَ؟، وَاللهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا خَيْرًا. فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ تَوَجَّهَ قَافِلًا مِنْ تَبُوكٍ حَضَرَنِي شَرٌّ فَجَعَلْتُ أَتَذَكَّرُ الْكَذِبَ وَأَقُولُ: بِمَاذَا أَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخَطِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَدًا؟، وَأَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِكُلِّ مَنْ أَرَى مِنْ أَهْلِي، فَلَمَّا قِيلَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ أَظَلَّ قَادِمًا زَاحَ عَنِّي الْبَاطِلُ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ لَا أَنْجُوَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا بِالصِّدْقِ، فَأَجْمَعْتُ أَنْ أَصْدُقَهُ، فَصَبَّحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ، وَكَانَ إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ بَدَأَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ فَرَكَعَ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ لِلنَّاسِ، فَلَمَّا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ جَاءَهُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ فَجَعَلُوا يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ، وَكَانُوا بِضْعَةً وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلًا، فَقَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَانِيَتَهُمْ وَإِيمَانَهُمْ، فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ، وَجَعَلَ سَرَائِرَهُمْ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، حَتَّى جِئْتُ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «تَعَالَ» ، فَجِئْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لِي: «مَا خَلَفَكَ؟، أَلَمْ تَكُنِ ابْتَعْتَ ظَهْرًا؟» ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَاللهِ لَوْ جَلَسْتُ عِنْدَ غَيْرِكِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا لَرَأَيْتُ أَنِّي سَأَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخْطَتِهِ، لَقَدْ أُعْطِيتُ جَدَلًا، وَلَكِنِّي وَاللهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ لَئِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ كَذِبًا لِتَرْضَى عَنِّي لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يُسْخِطَكَ عَلَيَّ، وَلَئِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثًا صَادِقًا تَجِدُ عَلِيَّ فِيهِ إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو عَفْوَ اللهِ فِيهِ، وَاللهِ مَا كَانَ لِي عُذْرٌ، وَاللهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَقْوَى وَلَا أَيْسَرَ مِنِّي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْكَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمْ، قُمْ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ فِيكَ أَمَرَهُ» ، فَقُمْتُ وَقَامَ مَعِي رِجَالٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ فَاتَّبَعُونِي، فَقَالُوا: وَاللهِ مَا عَلِمْنَاكَ أَذْنَبْتَ ذَنْبًا قَبْلَ هَذَا، وَلَقَدْ عَجَزْتَ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ اعْتَذَرْتَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمَا اعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُنَافِقُونَ، قَدْ كَانَ كَافِيَكَ مِنْهُ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَوَاللهِ مَا زَالُوا يُؤَنِّبُونَنِي حَتَّى أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأُكَذِّبَ نَفْسِي، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُمْ: هَلْ لَقِيَ هَذَا أَحَدٌ غَيْرِي؟، فَقَالُوا: نَعَمْ، رَجُلَانِ قَالَا مِثْلَ مَقَالِكَ، وَقِيلَ لَهُمَا مِثْلُ مَا قِيلَ لَكَ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ هُمَا؟، قَالُوا: مُرَارَةُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ ? وَهِلَالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ الْوَاقِفِيُّ، فَذَكَرُوا رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ فِيهِمَا أُسْوَةٌ، فَصَمَّمْتُ حِينَ ذَكَرُوهُمَا لِي، وَنَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلَاثَةُ مِنْ بَيْنِ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهُ، فَاجْتَنَبَنَا النَّاسُ وَتَغَيَّرُوا لَنَا، حَتَّى تَنَكَّرَتْ لِي نَفْسِي وَالْأَرْضُ، فَمَا هِيَ بِالْأَرْضِ الَّتِي كُنْتُ، فَلَبِثْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ خَمْسِينَ لَيْلَةً، أَمَا صَاحِبَايَ فَاسْتَكَنَّا وَقَعَدَا فِي بُيُوتِهِمَا، وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَكُنْتُ أَشَدَّ الرَّهْطِ وَأَجْلَدَهُمْ، وَكُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ وَأَشْهَدُ الصَّلَاةَ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَطُوفُ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ فَلَا يُكَلِّمُنِي أَحَدٌ، وَإِنِّي آتِي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ فَأُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي: هَلْ حَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ بَرَدِّ السَّلَامِ عَلِيَّ أَمْ لَا؟، ثُمَّ أُصَلِّي قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ فَأُسَارِقُهُ النَّظَرَ، فَإِذَا أَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ، فَإِذَا الْتَفَتُّ نَحْوَهُ أَعْرَضَ عَنِّي، حَتَّى إِذَا طَالَ عَلِيَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ جَفْوَةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَشَيْتُ حَتَّى تَسَوَّرْتُ جِدَارَ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّي وَأَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَيَّ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَوَاللهِ مَا رَدَّ عَلِيَّ السَّلَامَ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ، هَلْ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، فَسَكَتَ، فَعُدْتُ لَهُ فَنَاشَدْتُهُ، فَسَكَتَ، فَعُدْتُ لَهُ فَنَاشَدْتُهُ، فَقَالَ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَايَ، وَرُحْتُ فَتَسَوَّرْتُ الْجِدَارَ، ثُمَّ غَدَوْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ، فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي فِي السُّوقِ فَإِذَا بِنَبَطِيٍّ مِنْ نَبَطِ الشَّامِ يَسْأَلُ عَنِّي مِمَّنْ قَدِمَ بِبَيْعِ الطَّعَامِ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، يَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدُلُّنِي عَلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يُشِيرُونَ إِلَيَّ، حَتَّى جَاءَنِي فَدَفَعَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابًا مِنْ مَلَكِ غَسَّانَ، وَكَتَبَ كِتَابًا فِي سَرَقَةٍ مِنْ حَرِيرٍ، فَإِذَا فِيهِ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ صَاحِبَكَ قَدْ جَفَاكَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْكَ اللهُ بَدَارَ هَوَانٍ، وَلَا مَضْيَعَةً، فَالْحَقْ بِنَا نُوَاسِكَ، فَقُلْتُ حِينَ قَرَأْتُهَا: هَذَا أَيْضًا مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ، قَدْ بَلَغَ بِي مَا قَدْ وَقَعَتُ فِيهِ أَنْ طَمَعَ فِيَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ، فَعَمَدْتُ بِهَا إِلَى تَنُّورٍ فَسَجَرْتُهُ بِهَا، فَأَقَمْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى مَضَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً، إِذَا رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْتِينِي، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلَ امْرَأَتَكَ، قُلْتُ: أَطَلَاقًا أَمْ مَاذَا؟، قَالَ: بَلِ اعْتَزِلْهَا وَلَا تَقْرَبْهَا، وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى صَاحِبَيَّ بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ، فَقُلْتُ لِامْرَأَتِي: الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ، وَكُونِي عِنْدَهُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللهُ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ مَا هُوَ قَاضٍ، قَالَ: فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ هِلَالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ هِلَالَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ ضَائِعٌ لَا خَادِمَ لَهُ، أَفَتَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَخْدُمَهُ؟، قَالَ: «لَا، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَقْرَبَنَّكِ» ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا بِهِ مِنْ حَرَكَةٍ إِلَيَّ، وَاللهِ مَا زَالَ يَبْكِي مُنْذُ كَانَ أَمْرُهُ مَا كَانَ إِلَى يَوْمِهِ هَذَا، وَلَقَدْ تَخَوَّفْتُ عَلَى بَصَرَهِ، قَالَ: فَقَالَ لِي بَعْضُ أَهْلِي: لَوِ اسْتَأْذَنْتَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِامْرَأَتِكَ، فَقَدْ أَذِنَ لِامْرَأَةِ هِلَالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ أَنْ تَخْدُمَهُ، قُلْتُ: لَا وَاللهِ، لَا أَسْتَأْذِنَهُ فِيهَا، مَا يُدْرَى مَا يَقُولُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي ذَلِكَ إِنِ اسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِيهَا وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ شَابٌّ، قَالَ: فَبِتْنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ عَشْرَ لَيَالٍ، فَكَمُلَ لَنَا خَمْسُونَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ حِينِ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا، حَتَّى صَلَّيْتُ الصُّبْحَ صُبْحَ خَمْسِينَ لَيْلَةٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِ بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِنَا عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ اللهُ، وَقَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلِيَّ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ، وَضَاقَتْ عَلِيَّ نَفْسِي، وَقَدْ كُنْتُ ابْتَنَيْتُ خَيْمَةً فِي ظَهْرِ سَلْعٍ، فَكُنْتُ أَكُونُ فِيهَا، إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَارِخًا بِأَعْلَى سَلْعٍ، يَقُولُ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهِ: يَا كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَبْشِرْ، فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ الْفَرَجُ، قَالَ: فَأَخْبَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاسَ بِتَوْبَةِ اللهِ عَلَيْنَا حِينَ اطَّلَعَ الْفَجْرُ، وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ أُنَاسٌ يُبَشِّرُونَنَا، فَذَهَبَ نَحْوَ صَاحِبَيَّ مُبَشِّرٌ، وَرَكَضَ رَجُلٌ إِلَيَّ فَرَسًا، وَسَعَى سَاعٍ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ حَتَّى أَوْفَى عَلَى الْجَبَلِ، وَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنَ الْفَارِسِ ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَنِي الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَهُ يُبَشِّرُنِي، نَزَعَتُ ثَوْبَيَّ فَكَسَوْتُهُ إِيَّاهُمَا بِشَارَةً، وَاللهِ مَا أَمْلِكُ غَيْرَهُمَا يَوْمَئِذٍ، وَاسْتَعَرْتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ فَلَبِسْتُهُمَا، وَانْطَلَقْتُ أَتَيَمَّمُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَتَلَقَّانِي النَّاسُ يُهَنِّئُونَنِي بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَيَقُولُونَ: لِيَهْنَئْكَ تَوْبَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ، حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ، وَرَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسٌ وَحَوْلَهُ النَّاسُ، فَقَامَ إِلَيَّ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ فَحَيَّانِي وَهَنَّأَنِي، وَاللهِ مَا قَامَ إِلَيَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ غَيْرُهُ، قَالَ: فَكَانَ كَعْبٌ لَا يَنْسَاهَا لَهُ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَوَجْهُهُ مُشْرِقٌ مِنَ السُّرُورِ، وَقَالَ: «أَبْشِرْ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ مَرَّ عَلَيْكَ مُنْذُ يَوْمِ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ» ، قُلْتُ: مِنْ عِنْدِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَمْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى؟، قَالَ: «بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ» ، قَالَ: وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا سُرَّ اسْتَبْشَرَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّ وَجْهَهُ قِطْعَةٌ مِنْ قَمَرٍ، وَكُنَّا نَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ، فَلَمَّا جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ» ، قُلْتُ: إِنِّي أُمْسِكُ سَهْمِي مِنْ خَيْبَرَ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ أَنْجَانِي بِالصِّدْقِ، وَإِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي إِلَى اللهِ أَنْ لَا أُحَدِّثَ إِلَّا صِدْقًا مَا بَقِيتُ، وَاللهِ مَا أَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا مِنَ النَّاسِ أَبْلَاهُ اللهُ فِي صِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ مَا أَبْلَانِي مُنْذُ ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى يَوْمِي هَذَا، وَأَنَا أَرْجُو أَنْ يَحْفَظَنِي اللهُ فِيمَا بَقِيَ، وَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّهُ بِهِمْ رَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ، وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا حَتَّى إِذَا} [التوبة: ١١٨] ، إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: {وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ} [التوبة: ١١٩] ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَوَاللهِ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلِيَّ نِعْمَةً بَعْدَ أَنْ هَدَانِي لِلْإِسْلَامِ كَانَتْ أَعْظَمَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ صِدْقِي رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ، إِلَّا أَنْ أَكُونَ كَذَبْتُهُ فَأَهْلَكَ كَمَا هَلَكَ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوهُ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ قَالَ فِي الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوهُ حِينَ أُنْزِلَ الْوَحْيُ شَرَّ مَا قَالَ لِأَحَدٍ، قَالَ: {سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ فَإِنْ تَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ} [التوبة: ٩٥] ، قَالَ: وَكُنَّا خَلَفَنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلَاثَةُ عَنْ أَمَرِ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ قَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ حَلَفُوا لَهُ فَصَدَّقَهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمْ، وَأَرْجَأَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَنَا حَتَّى قَضَى اللهُ فِيهِ مَا قَضَى، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا} [التوبة: ١١٨] ، وَلَيْسَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللهُ لِتَخَلُّفِنَا عَنِ الْغَزْوِ، وَلَكِنْ لِتَخْلِيفِهِ إِيَّانَا وَإِرْجَائِهِ أَمَرَنَا عَنْ مَنْ حَلَفَ لَهُ وَاعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِ، فَقَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ.
Abdullah bin Ka'b (may Allah have mercy on him), who used to guide his father Sayyiduna Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) after he became blind, said: I heard my father Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate his story of staying behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the expedition of Tabuk, and the story of his two companions. He said:
I never stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in any expedition other than this one, except the expedition of Badr, and Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not blame anyone for staying behind from it, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had only set out intending the trade caravan of Quraysh, until Allah brought him (peace and blessings be upon him) and his (peace and blessings be upon him) enemy together without any appointment. And I was present with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of al-Aqabah when we made a firm covenant upon Islam, and I would not like to have had presence at Badr in exchange for it, even though the expedition of Badr is more famous among people than it.
My story, when I stayed behind from that expedition, is this: whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out on an expedition, it seldom happened that he (peace and blessings be upon him) disclosed its real objective; rather, he usually alluded to something else. Until this expedition came: he (peace and blessings be upon him) undertook it in intense heat, and a large enemy had to be faced, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) explained their situation clearly to the people so that they could prepare fully for it, and he told them the direction he intended. The Muslims who went with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were so many that no written list gathered them (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him, meant the military register (diwan), that is, no written register gathered them). For this reason there was seldom a man who wanted to stay behind and hide, except that he thought his hiding would remain concealed only as long as no revelation about him came down from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) undertook this expedition when the fruits had ripened and the shade had become pleasant. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prepared, and the Muslims prepared along with him (peace and blessings be upon him). I too would go out in the morning to prepare with them, then come back without having accomplished anything, saying to myself: "I can do this whenever I want." This went on like that until the people were fully ready for the next day, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out early in the morning, and the Muslims with him (peace and blessings be upon him), and I had not accomplished anything. Then I went out the next morning and came back without accomplishing anything. It remained like that until the army had moved on quickly, and I intended to set off and catch up with them (if only I had done so!), but I did not do it. Whenever I went out among the people after the departure of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), it grieved me that I saw no one except someone accused of hypocrisy, or someone who had been excused by being counted among the weak. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not mention me until he reached Tabuk. While sitting among the people, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you know what Ka'b bin Malik has done?" A man from Banu Salimah said: "Yes, his two cloaks and his looking at his own side have held him back." Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do you know what you have said? By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing of him but good." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. When news reached me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had set out on the return journey from Tabuk, an evil thought came to me, and I began to think up lies, saying: "With what will I get out of the displeasure of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) tomorrow?" And I sought help in that from everyone I saw of my family. When it was said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was about to arrive, falsehood left me, and I became certain that there was no escape from it except through the truth, so I firmly resolved to tell him (peace and blessings be upon him) the truth. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Madinah early in the morning. It was his (peace and blessings be upon him) practice that when he returned from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and pray two rak'ahs in it, and then sit for the people. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) did so, those who had stayed behind began coming to him (peace and blessings be upon him), making excuses to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and swearing oaths; they were some eighty-odd men. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted their outward state and their (profession of) faith, sought forgiveness for them, and left their inner states to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, until I came and greeted him (peace and blessings be upon him). When I greeted him, he (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled the smile of an angry person, then said: "Come here." So I walked up and sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "What held you back? Had you not bought a mount?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, if I had been sitting before anyone of the people of this world other than you, I would have thought that I could get out of his displeasure with some excuse, for I have been given skill (in argument). But by Allah, I know that if today I tell you a lie to please you, then soon Allah will make you displeased with me; and if today I tell you the truth for which you become displeased with me, I hope for Allah's pardon in it. By Allah, I had no excuse. By Allah, I was never so strong or so well off as I was when I stayed behind from you." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As for this man, he has spoken the truth. Get up until Allah decides your matter." So I got up, and some men of Banu Salimah stood up with me and followed me, saying: "By Allah! We do not know that you ever committed a sin before this. You could not even manage to offer the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the same excuse that the hypocrites offered! The seeking of forgiveness by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for you would have sufficed." By Allah, they kept reproaching me until I wanted to go back to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and belie myself. Then I said to them: "Has anyone besides me met with this matter?" They said: "Yes, two men said something like what you said, and they were told the same as you were told." I asked: "Who are they?" They said: "Murarah bin al-Rabi' and Hilal bin Umayyah al-Waqifi." They mentioned two righteous men in whom there was an example (for me). When they named these two to me, I stood firm (on my truthfulness). And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade (people) from speaking to the three of us (only the three of us out of all those who had stayed behind). So the people avoided us and changed towards us, until my own self and the land felt strange to me, and it was no longer the land I knew. We remained in that state for fifty nights. As for my two companions, they became dejected and sat in their homes, but I was the strongest and boldest of the group, so I would go out, attend the prayer with the Muslims and walk around the markets, but no one would speak to me. I would come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in his gathering after the prayer and greet him (peace and blessings be upon him), then think to myself: "Did he (peace and blessings be upon him) move his lips in reply to the greeting or not?" Then I would pray near him (peace and blessings be upon him) and steal glances at him (peace and blessings be upon him). When I turned to my prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would look at me, and when I turned towards him (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) would turn his face away. Then, when this period of the Muslims' harshness towards me became prolonged, I walked and climbed over the wall of my paternal cousin Abu Qatadah, who was the dearest of people to me, and greeted him; by Allah, he did not return my greeting. I said: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He remained silent. I asked him by Allah again, and he again remained silent. I asked him by Allah once more, and he said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." My eyes overflowed with tears, and I turned back and climbed over the wall. Then in the morning I went to the market. While I was walking in the market, suddenly a Nabatean from the Nabateans of Syria, who had come to Madinah to sell grain, began asking about me: "Who will direct me to Ka'b bin Malik?" The people began pointing to me, until he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan; he had written the letter on a piece of silk. In it was: "To proceed: News has reached us that your companion has treated you harshly, and Allah has not made you for a place of humiliation and loss, so come to us, and we will console you." When I read it, I said: "This too is another trial. That a man from the people of disbelief should have hopes in me shows what state I have reached." So I took it to the oven and burned it in it. We remained in that state until forty nights had passed, when suddenly the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me and said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) orders you to keep away from your wife." I asked: "Should I divorce her, or what?" He said: "Rather, keep away from her and do not go near her." And a similar message was sent to my two companions. So I said to my wife: "Go to your family and stay with them until Allah decides in this matter whatever He wills." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Hilal bin Umayyah is a very old, helpless man who has no servant; would you dislike it if I served him?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, but he must not come near you." She said: "O Messenger of Allah! He has no movement left towards me. By Allah, ever since this matter of his happened, he has been weeping constantly until this day, and I have come to fear for his eyesight." Then one of my family said to me: "If only you would also ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for permission regarding your wife, just as he (peace and blessings be upon him) has permitted the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah to serve him." I said: "No, by Allah, I will not ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for permission about this. How do I know what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would say if I asked him for permission about it, when I am a young man?" So we remained in that state for ten more nights, until fifty full nights were completed since the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had forbidden (people) from speaking to us. On the morning of the fiftieth night, I prayed Fajr on the roof of one of our houses, and I was in the very state that Allah has mentioned: the earth, despite its vastness, had become narrow for us, and our souls had become constricted for us. I had set up a tent for myself towards Mount Sal', and I was in it when I heard the voice of a caller on the top of Sal', saying at the top of his voice: "O Ka'b bin Malik! Rejoice!" So I fell down in prostration, and I became certain that relief had come. When dawn broke, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the people of our repentance (having been accepted), and some people set out to give us the good news. Bearers of good news went to our two companions too; a man galloped his horse towards me, and a man from Aslam ran and climbed to the top of the mountain (and announced the good news), and the voice was faster than the rider. When the man whose voice I had heard came to me, I took off my two garments and clothed him with them in return for the good news; by Allah, I owned no other garments that day. I borrowed two other garments and put them on, then set out for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). People met me in crowds, congratulating me on Allah's acceptance of my repentance, until I entered the mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting with the people around him (peace and blessings be upon him). Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and came towards me, greeted me and congratulated me; by Allah, no one else from the Muhajirun stood up for me. And Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) never forgot this kindness of Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him). Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When I greeted the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), his (peace and blessings be upon him) face was shining with joy, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Rejoice at the best day that has passed over you since the day your mother gave birth to you." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is this from you or from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, rather from Allah." It was the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he was pleased with something, he would light up as though his (peace and blessings be upon him) face were a piece of the moon, and we used to recognise it by that. When I sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him), I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Part of my repentance is that I give away all my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you." I said: "Then I will keep my share at Khaybar." Then I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allah has saved me because of truthfulness, and part of my repentance to Allah is that as long as I live I will speak nothing but the truth." By Allah, I do not know of any person whom Allah has tested for speaking the truth as much as He has tested me, from the day I said that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until today, and I hope that Allah will protect me for the rest of my life. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: "Allah has certainly turned in mercy to the Prophet, the Muhajirun and the Ansar, who followed him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hour of hardship, after the hearts of a party of them had almost deviated; then He turned to them in mercy. Indeed, He is to them Most Kind, Most Merciful. And to the three who were left behind, until" [Surah al-Tawbah: 118] up to the words of Allah: "and be with the truthful" [Surah al-Tawbah: 119]. Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah, of all the blessings Allah bestowed on me after guiding me to Islam, none is greater in my eyes than that I spoke the truth to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that day; otherwise, had I lied to him (peace and blessings be upon him), I would have been destroyed as those who lied were destroyed. Indeed, when the revelation came down, Allah said about those who lied the worst thing He has said about anyone. He said: "They will swear to you by Allah when you return to them, so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed, they are filth, and their refuge is Hell, as a recompense for what they used to earn. They swear to you so that you may be pleased with them; but even if you are pleased with them, Allah is not pleased with the defiantly disobedient people" [Surah al-Tawbah: 95]. (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: The three of us were kept apart from the matter of those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted when they swore oaths to him, believing them and seeking forgiveness for them, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) deferred our matter until Allah decided in it what He willed. That is the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "And to the three who were left behind" [Surah al-Tawbah: 118]. Allah did not say this about our staying behind from the expedition, but about His leaving us behind and deferring our matter from the decision about those who swore oaths and made excuses, and whose excuses were accepted.
I never stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in any expedition other than this one, except the expedition of Badr, and Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not blame anyone for staying behind from it, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had only set out intending the trade caravan of Quraysh, until Allah brought him (peace and blessings be upon him) and his (peace and blessings be upon him) enemy together without any appointment. And I was present with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of al-Aqabah when we made a firm covenant upon Islam, and I would not like to have had presence at Badr in exchange for it, even though the expedition of Badr is more famous among people than it.
My story, when I stayed behind from that expedition, is this: whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out on an expedition, it seldom happened that he (peace and blessings be upon him) disclosed its real objective; rather, he usually alluded to something else. Until this expedition came: he (peace and blessings be upon him) undertook it in intense heat, and a large enemy had to be faced, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) explained their situation clearly to the people so that they could prepare fully for it, and he told them the direction he intended. The Muslims who went with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were so many that no written list gathered them (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him, meant the military register (diwan), that is, no written register gathered them). For this reason there was seldom a man who wanted to stay behind and hide, except that he thought his hiding would remain concealed only as long as no revelation about him came down from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) undertook this expedition when the fruits had ripened and the shade had become pleasant. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prepared, and the Muslims prepared along with him (peace and blessings be upon him). I too would go out in the morning to prepare with them, then come back without having accomplished anything, saying to myself: "I can do this whenever I want." This went on like that until the people were fully ready for the next day, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out early in the morning, and the Muslims with him (peace and blessings be upon him), and I had not accomplished anything. Then I went out the next morning and came back without accomplishing anything. It remained like that until the army had moved on quickly, and I intended to set off and catch up with them (if only I had done so!), but I did not do it. Whenever I went out among the people after the departure of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), it grieved me that I saw no one except someone accused of hypocrisy, or someone who had been excused by being counted among the weak. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not mention me until he reached Tabuk. While sitting among the people, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you know what Ka'b bin Malik has done?" A man from Banu Salimah said: "Yes, his two cloaks and his looking at his own side have held him back." Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do you know what you have said? By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing of him but good." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. When news reached me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had set out on the return journey from Tabuk, an evil thought came to me, and I began to think up lies, saying: "With what will I get out of the displeasure of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) tomorrow?" And I sought help in that from everyone I saw of my family. When it was said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was about to arrive, falsehood left me, and I became certain that there was no escape from it except through the truth, so I firmly resolved to tell him (peace and blessings be upon him) the truth. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Madinah early in the morning. It was his (peace and blessings be upon him) practice that when he returned from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and pray two rak'ahs in it, and then sit for the people. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) did so, those who had stayed behind began coming to him (peace and blessings be upon him), making excuses to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and swearing oaths; they were some eighty-odd men. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted their outward state and their (profession of) faith, sought forgiveness for them, and left their inner states to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, until I came and greeted him (peace and blessings be upon him). When I greeted him, he (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled the smile of an angry person, then said: "Come here." So I walked up and sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "What held you back? Had you not bought a mount?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, if I had been sitting before anyone of the people of this world other than you, I would have thought that I could get out of his displeasure with some excuse, for I have been given skill (in argument). But by Allah, I know that if today I tell you a lie to please you, then soon Allah will make you displeased with me; and if today I tell you the truth for which you become displeased with me, I hope for Allah's pardon in it. By Allah, I had no excuse. By Allah, I was never so strong or so well off as I was when I stayed behind from you." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As for this man, he has spoken the truth. Get up until Allah decides your matter." So I got up, and some men of Banu Salimah stood up with me and followed me, saying: "By Allah! We do not know that you ever committed a sin before this. You could not even manage to offer the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the same excuse that the hypocrites offered! The seeking of forgiveness by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for you would have sufficed." By Allah, they kept reproaching me until I wanted to go back to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and belie myself. Then I said to them: "Has anyone besides me met with this matter?" They said: "Yes, two men said something like what you said, and they were told the same as you were told." I asked: "Who are they?" They said: "Murarah bin al-Rabi' and Hilal bin Umayyah al-Waqifi." They mentioned two righteous men in whom there was an example (for me). When they named these two to me, I stood firm (on my truthfulness). And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade (people) from speaking to the three of us (only the three of us out of all those who had stayed behind). So the people avoided us and changed towards us, until my own self and the land felt strange to me, and it was no longer the land I knew. We remained in that state for fifty nights. As for my two companions, they became dejected and sat in their homes, but I was the strongest and boldest of the group, so I would go out, attend the prayer with the Muslims and walk around the markets, but no one would speak to me. I would come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in his gathering after the prayer and greet him (peace and blessings be upon him), then think to myself: "Did he (peace and blessings be upon him) move his lips in reply to the greeting or not?" Then I would pray near him (peace and blessings be upon him) and steal glances at him (peace and blessings be upon him). When I turned to my prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would look at me, and when I turned towards him (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) would turn his face away. Then, when this period of the Muslims' harshness towards me became prolonged, I walked and climbed over the wall of my paternal cousin Abu Qatadah, who was the dearest of people to me, and greeted him; by Allah, he did not return my greeting. I said: "O Abu Qatadah! I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He remained silent. I asked him by Allah again, and he again remained silent. I asked him by Allah once more, and he said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." My eyes overflowed with tears, and I turned back and climbed over the wall. Then in the morning I went to the market. While I was walking in the market, suddenly a Nabatean from the Nabateans of Syria, who had come to Madinah to sell grain, began asking about me: "Who will direct me to Ka'b bin Malik?" The people began pointing to me, until he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan; he had written the letter on a piece of silk. In it was: "To proceed: News has reached us that your companion has treated you harshly, and Allah has not made you for a place of humiliation and loss, so come to us, and we will console you." When I read it, I said: "This too is another trial. That a man from the people of disbelief should have hopes in me shows what state I have reached." So I took it to the oven and burned it in it. We remained in that state until forty nights had passed, when suddenly the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me and said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) orders you to keep away from your wife." I asked: "Should I divorce her, or what?" He said: "Rather, keep away from her and do not go near her." And a similar message was sent to my two companions. So I said to my wife: "Go to your family and stay with them until Allah decides in this matter whatever He wills." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Hilal bin Umayyah is a very old, helpless man who has no servant; would you dislike it if I served him?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, but he must not come near you." She said: "O Messenger of Allah! He has no movement left towards me. By Allah, ever since this matter of his happened, he has been weeping constantly until this day, and I have come to fear for his eyesight." Then one of my family said to me: "If only you would also ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for permission regarding your wife, just as he (peace and blessings be upon him) has permitted the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah to serve him." I said: "No, by Allah, I will not ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for permission about this. How do I know what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would say if I asked him for permission about it, when I am a young man?" So we remained in that state for ten more nights, until fifty full nights were completed since the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had forbidden (people) from speaking to us. On the morning of the fiftieth night, I prayed Fajr on the roof of one of our houses, and I was in the very state that Allah has mentioned: the earth, despite its vastness, had become narrow for us, and our souls had become constricted for us. I had set up a tent for myself towards Mount Sal', and I was in it when I heard the voice of a caller on the top of Sal', saying at the top of his voice: "O Ka'b bin Malik! Rejoice!" So I fell down in prostration, and I became certain that relief had come. When dawn broke, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the people of our repentance (having been accepted), and some people set out to give us the good news. Bearers of good news went to our two companions too; a man galloped his horse towards me, and a man from Aslam ran and climbed to the top of the mountain (and announced the good news), and the voice was faster than the rider. When the man whose voice I had heard came to me, I took off my two garments and clothed him with them in return for the good news; by Allah, I owned no other garments that day. I borrowed two other garments and put them on, then set out for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). People met me in crowds, congratulating me on Allah's acceptance of my repentance, until I entered the mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting with the people around him (peace and blessings be upon him). Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and came towards me, greeted me and congratulated me; by Allah, no one else from the Muhajirun stood up for me. And Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) never forgot this kindness of Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him). Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When I greeted the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), his (peace and blessings be upon him) face was shining with joy, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Rejoice at the best day that has passed over you since the day your mother gave birth to you." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is this from you or from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, rather from Allah." It was the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he was pleased with something, he would light up as though his (peace and blessings be upon him) face were a piece of the moon, and we used to recognise it by that. When I sat in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him), I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Part of my repentance is that I give away all my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you." I said: "Then I will keep my share at Khaybar." Then I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allah has saved me because of truthfulness, and part of my repentance to Allah is that as long as I live I will speak nothing but the truth." By Allah, I do not know of any person whom Allah has tested for speaking the truth as much as He has tested me, from the day I said that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until today, and I hope that Allah will protect me for the rest of my life. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: "Allah has certainly turned in mercy to the Prophet, the Muhajirun and the Ansar, who followed him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hour of hardship, after the hearts of a party of them had almost deviated; then He turned to them in mercy. Indeed, He is to them Most Kind, Most Merciful. And to the three who were left behind, until" [Surah al-Tawbah: 118] up to the words of Allah: "and be with the truthful" [Surah al-Tawbah: 119]. Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah, of all the blessings Allah bestowed on me after guiding me to Islam, none is greater in my eyes than that I spoke the truth to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that day; otherwise, had I lied to him (peace and blessings be upon him), I would have been destroyed as those who lied were destroyed. Indeed, when the revelation came down, Allah said about those who lied the worst thing He has said about anyone. He said: "They will swear to you by Allah when you return to them, so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed, they are filth, and their refuge is Hell, as a recompense for what they used to earn. They swear to you so that you may be pleased with them; but even if you are pleased with them, Allah is not pleased with the defiantly disobedient people" [Surah al-Tawbah: 95]. (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: The three of us were kept apart from the matter of those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted when they swore oaths to him, believing them and seeking forgiveness for them, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) deferred our matter until Allah decided in it what He willed. That is the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "And to the three who were left behind" [Surah al-Tawbah: 118]. Allah did not say this about our staying behind from the expedition, but about His leaving us behind and deferring our matter from the decision about those who swore oaths and made excuses, and whose excuses were accepted.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْقَطِيعِيُّ، ثنا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنِي الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ كَعْبٌ: «شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْعَقَبَةَ، وَلَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ عَنْ غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا إِلَّا غَزْوَةَ بَدْرٍ، وَلَمْ يُعَاتِبْ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحَدًا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ بَدْرٍ، إِنَّمَا خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُرِيدُ عِيرَ قُرَيْشٍ» ، فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ.
Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I took part with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the pledge of al-Aqabah, and I did not stay behind from any expedition in which he (peace and blessings be upon him) took part except the expedition of Badr. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not blame anyone who stayed behind from Badr, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had only set out intending the caravan of Quraysh. Then (the narrator) went on to narrate the same well-known incident of the three men who stayed behind.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ، ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ، ثنا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ، ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، ثنا عَمِّي، ثنا ابْنُ أَخِي الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، وَكَانَ قَائِدَ كَعْبٍ مِنْ بَنِيهِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ كَعْبًا، يُحَدِّثُ بِحَدِيثِهِ حِينَ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ
Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), who among the sons of Sayyiduna Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) was his guide, said: I heard Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate his well-known incident of when he stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he narrated a hadith like it.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ الرَّقِّيُّ، ثنا عَمْرُو بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، ثنا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، حِينَ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ، جَاءَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّمَا أَنْجَانِيَ اللهُ بِالصِّدْقِ، وَإِنْ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ لَا أُحَدِّثَ كَذِبًا، وَأَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَرَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ» ، قَالَ: أُمْسِكُ سَهْمَ خَيْبَرَ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah accepted his repentance, he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allah has saved me only because of truthfulness, and part of my repentance is that I will never tell a lie again, and that I will part with my wealth (by giving it in charity) for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you." He said: "I will keep my share of Khaybar."
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ غَنَّامٍ الْكُوفِيُّ، ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، ثنا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ شِهَابٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمَّا هَمَّ بِبَنِي الْأَصْفَرِ يَغْزُوهُمْ جَلَّى لِلنَّاسِ أَمَرَهُمْ، وَكَانَ قَلَّمَا أَرَادَ غَزْوَةً إِلَّا وَرَّى بِغَيْرِهَا عَنْهَا، حَتَّى كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةِ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ حَرًّا شَدِيدًا، وَسَفَرًا بَعِيدًا، وَعَدُوًّا جَدِيدًا، فَكَشَفَ لِلنَّاسِ الْوَجْهَ الَّذِي خَرَجَ بِهِمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِيَتَأَهَّبُوا فِي ذَلِكَ أُهْبَةَ عَدُوِّهِمْ، فَتَجَهَّزَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَتَجَهَّزَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ وَطَفِقْتُ أَغْدُو لِأَتَجَهَّزَ فَأَرْجِعُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، حَتَّى فَزِعَ النَّاسُ، وَقِيلَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَادٍ وَخَارِجٌ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ، فَقُلْتُ: أَتَجَهَّزُ بَعْدَهُ بِيَوْمٍ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ ثُمَّ أُدْرِكُهُمْ، وَعِنْدِي رَاحِلَتَانِ، وَمَا اجْتَمَعَتْ عِنْدِي رَاحِلَتَانِ قَطُّ قَبْلَهُمَا، فَأَنَا قَادِرٌ فِي نَفْسِي، قَوِيٌّ بِعُدَّتِي، فَمَا زِلْتُ أَغْدُو بَعْدَهُ فَأَرْجِعُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، حَتَّى أَمْعَنَ الْقَوْمُ وَأَسْرَعُوا، وَطَفِقْتُ أَغْدُو لِلْحَدِيثِ وَيَشْغَلُنِي الرِّجَالُ، فَأَجْمَعْتُ الْقُعُودَ حَتَّى سَبَقَنِي الْقَوْمُ، وَطَفِقْتُ أَغْدُو فَلَا أَرَى إِلَّا رَجُلًا مِمَّنْ عَذَّرَ اللهُ جَلَّ اسْمُهُ أَوْ رَجُلًا مَغْمُوصًا فِي النِّفَاقِ، وَيُحْزِنُنِي ذَلِكَ، فَطَفِقْتُ أُعِدُّ الْعُذْرَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا جَاءَ، وَأُهَيْيءُ الْكَلَامَ، وَقُدِّرَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ لَا يَذْكُرَنِي حَتَّى نَزَلَ تَبُوكًا، فَقَالَ لِلنَّاسِ، وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بِتَبُوكٍ: «مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟» ، فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي فَقَالَ: شَغَلَهُ بُرْدَاهُ، وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفَيْهِ، فَتَكَلَّمَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ، فَقَالَ: وَاللهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنْ عَلِمْنَا إِلَّا خَيْرًا، فَصَمَتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمَّا قِيلَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدِمَ زَاحَ عَنِّي الْبَاطِلُ، وَمَا كُنْتُ أَجْمَعُ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ وَالْعُذْرِ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ لَنْ يُنَجِّيَنِي مِنْهُ إِلَّا الصِّدْقُ، فَأَجْمَعْتُ صِدْقَهُ، وَصَبَّحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ، فَقَدِمَ فَغَدَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا هُوَ فِي النَّاسِ جَالِسٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، وَكَانَ قَلَّمَا نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ دَعَانِي، فَقَالَ: «هَلُمَّ يَا كَعْبُ، مَا خَلْفَكَ عَنِّي؟» ، وَتَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ لَا عُذْرَ لِي، مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَقْوَى، وَلَا أَيْسَرَ مِنِّي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْكَ، وَقَدْ جَاءَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ يَحْلِفُونَ فَيَقْبَلُ مِنْهُمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ، وَيَكِلُ سَرَائِرَهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَلَمَّا صَدَقَهُ قَالَ: «أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَ، فَقُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللهُ فِيكَ مَا هُوَ قَاضٍ» ، فَقُمْتُ فَقَامَ إِلَيَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ فَقَالَ: وَاللهِ مَا صَنَعْتَ شَيْئًا، وَاللهِ إِنْ كَانَ لَكَافِيكَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكِ الَّذِي أَذْنَبْتَ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَكَ كَمَا صَنَعَ ذَلِكَ بِغَيْرِكَ، فَقَدْ قَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ عُذْرَهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمْ، فَمَا زَالُوا يَلُومُونَنِي حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ فَأُكَذِّبَ نَفْسِي، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُمْ: هَلْ قَالَ لَهُ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةَ أَحَدٌ وَاعْتَذَرَ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَذَرْتُ بِهِ أَحَدٌ؟، قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، قُلْتُ: مَنْ؟، قَالُوا: هِلَالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ الْوَاقِفِيُّ، وَرَبِيعَةُ بْنُ مُرَارَةَ الْعُمَرِيُّ، فَذَكَرُوا لِي رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ قَدْ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا، قَدِ اعْتَذَرَا بِمِثْلِ الَّذِي اعْتَذَرْتَ، وَقِيلَ لَهُمَا مِثْلُ الَّذِيِ قِيلَ لَكَ، وَنَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا، فَطَفَقْنَا نَغْدُو فِي النَّاسِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا أَحَدٌ كَلِمَةً، وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْنَا وَلَا يَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا سَلَامَنَا، حَتَّى إِذَا دَنَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً جَاءَنَا رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنِ اعْتَزِلُوا نِسَاءَكُمْ، فَأَمَّا هِلَالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَتْ: إِنَّهُ شَيْخٌ ضَعِيفٌ بَصَرُهُ، فَهَلْ تَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ لَهُ طَعَامًا؟، قَالَ: «لَا، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَقْرَبَنَّكِ» ، قَالَتْ: وَاللهِ مَا بِهِ مِنْ حَرَكَةٍ إِلَى شَيْءٍ، وَاللهِ مَا زَالَ يَبْكِي إِذْ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا كَانَ إِلَى يَوْمِهِ هَذَا، قَالَ: فَقَالَ لِي أَهْلِي: لَوِ اسْتَأْذَنْتَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَمَا اسْتَأْذَنَتِ امْرَأَةُ هِلَالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ أَنْ تَخْدُمَهُ، قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ: وَاللهِ مَا أَسْتَأْذِنَهُ فِيهَا، وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يَقُولُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنِ اسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ، وَهُوَ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ وَأَنَا شَابٌّ، فَقُلْتُ لِامْرَأَتِي: الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللهُ مَا هُوَ قَاضٍ، وَطَفِقْنَا نَمْشِي فِي النَّاسِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا أَحَدٌ، وَلَا يُرَدُّ عَلَيْنَا سَلَّامٌ، فَأَقْبَلْتُ حَتَّى تَسَوَّرْتُ جِدَارًا لِابْنِ عَمِّي فِي حَائِطِهِ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَمَا حَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ يَرُدُّ عَلِيَّ السَّلَامَ، فَقُلْتُ: أَنْشُدُكَ بِاللهِ، أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟، فَمَا كَلَّمَنِي كَلِمَةً، ثُمَّ عُدْتُ فَلَمْ يُكَلِّمْنِي، ثُمَّ عُدْتُ فَلَمْ يُكَلِّمْنِي، حَتَّى إِذَا كَمُلَتِ الرَّابِعَةُ أَوِ الثَّالِثَةُ، قَالَ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، فَرَجَعْتُ وَإِنِّي لَأَمْشِي فِي السُّوقِ وَإِذَا النَّاسُ يُشِيرُونَ إِلَيَّ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ، فَإِذَا نَبَطِيٌّ مِنْ نَبَطِ الشَّامِ يَسْأَلُ عَنِّي، فَجَعَلُوا يُشِيرُونَ لَهُ إِلَيَّ حَتَّى جَاءَنِي فَدَفَعَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابًا مِنْ بَعْضِ قَوْمِي بِالشَّامِ: قَدْ بَلَغَنَا مَا صَنَعَ بِكَ صَاحِبُكَ وَجَفْوَتُهُ عَنْكَ، فَالْحَقْ بِنَا، وَإِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَمْ يَجْعَلْكَ بِدَارِ هَوَانٍ وَلَا دَارَ مَضْيَعَةٍ نُوَاسِكَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: أَنَا لِلَّهِ فِي طَمَعٍ فِي أَهْلِ الْكُفْرِ، فَتَيَمَّمْتُ لَهُ تَنُّورًا فَسَجَرْتُهُ لَهَا، فَوَاللهِ أَنَا لَعَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى قَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا أَنْفُسُنَا، صَبَاحِيَّةَ لَيْلَةٍ مُنْذُ نُهِيَ عَنْ كَلَامِنَا أُنْزِلَتِ التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ آذَنَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْنَا حِينَ صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ، فَذَهَبَ النَّاسُ يُبَشِّرُونَنَا، وَرَكَضَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى فَرَسٍ، أَوْ سَعَى سَاعٍ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأَوْفَى عَلَى الْجَبَلِ، وَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنَ الْفَرَسِ، فَنَادَى: يَا كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَبْشِرْ، فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ الْفَرَجُ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَنِي الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَهُ دَفَعَتُ لَهُ ثَوْبَيْنِ بُشْرَاهُ، وَاللهِ مَا أَمْلِكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَوْبَيْنِ غَيْرَهُمَا، وَاسْتَعَرْتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ فَخَرَجْتُ قِبَلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَتَلَقَّانِي النَّاسُ فَوْجًا فَوْجًا يُهَنِّئُونَنِي بِتَوْبَةِ اللهِ عَلَيَّ، حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ، فَقَامَ إِلَيَّ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ يُهَرْوِلُ حَتَّى صَافَحَنِي وَهَنَّأَنِي، مَا قَامَ إِلَيَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ غَيْرُهُ، فَكَانَ كَعْبٌ يَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ لِطَلْحَةَ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَتُ حَتَّى وَقَفْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَأَنَّ وَجْهَهُ قِطْعَةُ قَمَرٍ، وَكَانَ إِذَا سُرَّ اسْتَنَارَ وَجْهُهُ لِذَلِكَ، فَنَادَانِي: «هَلُمَّ يَا كَعْبُ، أَبْشِرْ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ مَرَّ عَلَيْكَ مُنْذُ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ» ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: أَمِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ أَمْ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ؟، قَالَ: «لَا، بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ، إِنَّكُمْ صَدَقْتُمُ اللهَ فَصَدَقَكُمْ» ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: فَإِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي إِلَيْهِ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ» ، قُلْتُ: أُمْسِكُ سَهْمِي بِخَيْبَرَ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَوَاللهِ مَا أَبْلَى اللهُ رَجُلًا فِي صِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ مَا أَبْلَانِي
Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) resolved to fight Banu al-Asfar (the Romans), he (peace and blessings be upon him) made his matter clear to the people, although whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) intended an expedition, it seldom happened that he did not allude to something else instead. But this expedition was one in which he (peace and blessings be upon him) faced intense heat, a long journey and a new enemy, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) disclosed to the people the real direction for which he (peace and blessings be upon him) was taking them out, so that they could make full preparation to face their enemy. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prepared, and the people prepared along with him (peace and blessings be upon him). I too would go out in the morning to prepare, then come back without having accomplished anything, until the people became alarmed and it was said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was about to set out in the morning towards his destination. I said to myself: "I will prepare a day or two after him (peace and blessings be upon him) and then catch up with them." I had two mounts, and never before had I possessed two mounts at once, so I considered myself capable and strong in terms of my equipment. Even after that I kept going out in the morning and coming back without accomplishing anything, until the people had travelled far and moved quickly. I still kept going out in the morning to chat, and people kept me busy with their affairs, until I resolved to stay behind, and the people went on ahead of me. When I went out in the morning, I saw no one except someone whom Allah, exalted be His name, had excused, or someone accused of hypocrisy, and that grieved me. So I began preparing an excuse to present to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when he came, and I began preparing what to say (by way of explanation). It was decreed for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) would not mention me until he reached Tabuk. Then, while sitting in Tabuk, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the people: "What has Ka'b bin Malik done?" A man from my people stood up and said: "His two cloaks and his looking at his own side have kept him busy." Another man said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing of him but good." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. When I was told that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was arriving, falsehood left me, and so did the lies and excuses I had been gathering, and I became certain that nothing but the truth could save me from it, so I resolved upon the truth. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Madinah early in the morning. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived, I went to him (peace and blessings be upon him) that very morning; he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting among the people in the mosque. As soon as he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw me, he called me and said: "Come here, O Ka'b. What held you back from me?" And he (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled the smile of an angry person. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! I have no excuse. I was never so strong or so well off as I was when I stayed behind from you." Those who had stayed behind would come and swear oaths, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would accept from them, seek forgiveness for them, and leave their inner states to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. When I spoke the truth, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As for this man, he has spoken the truth. Now get up until Allah decides about you whatever He is to decide." So I got up, and a man from Banu Salimah came to me and said: "By Allah! You have achieved nothing. By Allah! For this sin of yours that you committed, the seeking of forgiveness by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for you would have been enough, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) did for others: he accepted their excuse and sought forgiveness for them." They kept blaming me until I wished to go back and belie myself. Then I said to them: "Has anyone else said this to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and made an excuse like mine?" They said: "Yes." I asked: "Who?" They said: "Hilal bin Umayyah al-Waqifi and Rabi'ah bin Murarah al-Amri." They mentioned to me two righteous men who had taken part in Badr, (and said:) "They too made an excuse like yours, and they were told the same as you were told." And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade (people) from speaking to us. So in the mornings we would go out among the people, but no one would say a single word to us, nor greet us, nor return our greeting. Then, when forty nights were near, the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us (with the order): "Keep away from your wives." As for Hilal bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him), his wife came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "He is an old man with weak eyesight; would you dislike it if I cooked food for him?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, but he must not come near you." She said: "By Allah! He has no movement towards anything. By Allah, ever since this matter of his happened, he has been weeping constantly until this day." (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then my family said to me: "If only you would also ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for permission, just as the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah asked permission to serve him." I said: "By Allah, I will not ask him (peace and blessings be upon him) for permission about this. I do not know what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would say if I asked for permission; he is an old man, and I am young." Then I said to my wife: "Go to your family until Allah decides whatever He is to decide." We would walk about among the people, but no one would speak to us, nor was our greeting returned. Then I went and climbed over the wall of my paternal cousin's garden and greeted him, but he did not even move his lips to return my greeting. I said: "I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He did not say a single word to me. I asked again, and he said nothing; I asked again, and he said nothing; until, when the fourth or the third time was completed, he said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." So I came back. Then, as I was walking in the market, the people were pointing at me with their hands, and I saw that a Nabatean from the Nabateans of Syria was asking about me. The people began pointing him to me until he came to me and gave me a letter from someone of my people living in Syria (in which was written): "News has reached us of what your companion has done to you and how he has turned away from you. So come to us; Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has not placed you in a house of humiliation and loss. We will console you with our wealth." I said: "Inna lillah! (Now) I have become a target of the hopes of the people of disbelief." So I went with it to an oven and stoked it with that letter. By Allah! I was in that very state which Allah Almighty has mentioned: the earth, despite its vastness, had become narrow for us, and our souls had become constricted for us, when, on the morning of a night after the prohibition on speaking to us, (our) repentance was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then, when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had prayed the Fajr prayer, he announced (the acceptance of) our (repentance). So people set out to give us the good news. A man galloped a horse, or a man from Aslam ran and climbed the mountain, and the voice was faster than the horse. He called out: "O Ka'b bin Malik! Rejoice!" So I fell down in prostration, and I became certain that relief had come. When the man whose voice I had heard came to me, I gave him my two garments in return for his good news; by Allah, I did not own two garments other than those that day. I borrowed two garments and set out towards the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). People met me in crowds, congratulating me on Allah's acceptance of my repentance, until I entered the mosque. Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and came towards me hurrying, until he shook my hand and congratulated me; no one from the Muhajirun other than him got up and came to me. And Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) always acknowledged this kindness of Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him). Then I went forward until I stood before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and it was as though his (peace and blessings be upon him) face were a piece of the moon; whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased, his (peace and blessings be upon him) face would light up because of it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) called to me: "Come here, O Ka'b! Rejoice at the best day that has passed over you since your mother gave birth to you." I said: "Is this from Allah or from you?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, rather from Allah. You were truthful to Allah, so He has proven you truthful." I said: "Then part of my repentance to Him is that I give up my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you." I said: "I will keep my share at Khaybar." Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah! Allah has not tested any man in speaking the truth as much as He tested me.
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْخَفَّافُ، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، ثنا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ تِيبَ عَلَيْهِ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي أَنْخَلِعُ مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ»
When his repentance was accepted, Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah! I give all my wealth in charity in the way of Allah and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you."
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْخَفَّافُ، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، ثنا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، وَكَانَ قَائِدَ كَعْبٍ مِنْ بَنِيهِ حِينَ عَمِيَ: سَمِعْتُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ: فَذَكَرَ حَدِيثَ الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا، قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ: «وَلَيْسَ فِي آخِرِ حَدِيثِهِ هَذَا الْكَلَامُ الَّذِي فِي الْحَدِيثِ الْأَوَّلِ» ، قَالَ أَحْمَدُ: «وَأَنَا أَظُنُّ أَنَّ الزُّهْرِيَّ سَمِعَ هَذَا الْكَلَامَ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ مُخْتَصَرًا، وَسَمِعَ الْحَدِيثَ بِسِيَاقِهِ مِنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْهُ»
Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), who among the sons of Sayyiduna Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) was his guide when he became blind, said: I heard Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). Ahmad bin Salih said: Then (the narrator) narrated the hadith of the three who stayed behind. Ahmad bin Salih said: At the end of this narration there are not the words that are at the end of the first narration. Ahmad said: I think that al-Zuhri heard these words from Abdullah bin Ka'b in abridged form, and heard the full hadith with its complete context through his (Abd al-Rahman's) father from him (Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him).
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ صَالِحِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ النَّرْسِيُّ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، ثنا عَبْدُ الْغَفَّارِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْكُرَيْزِيُّ، ثنا صَالِحُ بْنُ أَبِي الْأَخْضَرِ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَمِّهِ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، وَكَانَ قَائِدَ كَعْبٍ حِينَ عَمِيَ، قَالَ: قَالَ كَعْبٌ: «لَقَدْ بَايَعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ حِينَ بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَلَمْ أَشْهَدْ بَدْرًا وَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِهَا بَدْرًا، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَهِيَ أَكْثَرَ فِي النَّاسِ مِنْهَا، وَكَانَتْ غَزْوَةً لَمْ يُعَاتِبِ اللهُ أَحَدًا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا، إِنَّمَا خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُرِيدُ الْعِيرَ، حَتَّى جَمَعَ اللهُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ عَدُوِّهِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَوْعِدٍ، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَغْزُوَ وَجْهًا كُنَّا نُغَيِّرُهُ حَتَّى كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ تَبُوكٍ، غَزَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ» ، فِي حَدِيثِ زَيْدٍ، فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ
Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I gave the pledge to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of al-Aqabah, when we pledged allegiance to him (peace and blessings be upon him) upon Islam. I could not take part in Badr, and I would not like to have had participation in Badr in exchange for it, even though Badr is mentioned more among people. That was an expedition for which Allah did not blame anyone who stayed behind from it, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had only set out intending the trade caravan, until Allah brought about a meeting between him (peace and blessings be upon him) and his (peace and blessings be upon him) enemy without any appointment. And whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to go in some direction, we would conceal it, until the expedition of Tabuk took place, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) undertook it (this is how it is in the narration of Zayd). Then (the narrator) went on to narrate the whole incident.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنِي الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ النَّرْسِيُّ، ثنا حَمَّادُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ، ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ: عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ? عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، حِينَ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ، جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّمَا أَنْجَانِيَ اللهُ بِالصِّدْقِ، وَإِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ لَا أُحَدِّثَ كَذِبًا، وَأَنْ أَتَخَلَّى مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَإِنَّهُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ» ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ: فَإِنِّي أُمْسِكُ سَهْمِي مِنْ خَيْبَرَ "
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah accepted his repentance, he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allah has saved me because of speaking the truth, and part of my repentance is that I will never tell a lie again, and that I give all my wealth in charity in the way of Allah and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you." Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: So I kept my share of Khaybar with me.
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِرْقٍ الْحِمْصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُصَفًّى، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ جَدَّهُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ حِينَ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي تَخَلُّفِهِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ»
When Allah accepted the repentance of Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) for staying behind from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: "O Messenger of Allah! Part of my repentance is that I give all my wealth in charity in the way of Allah and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Keep some of your wealth with you; that is better for you."
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الصَّبَّاحِ الرَّقِّيُّ، ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، ثنا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَكَانَ أَحَدَ الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ تَخَلَّفُوا ثُمَّ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ كَعْبٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ لَا أُحَدِّثَ إِلَّا صِدْقًا، وَأَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ» .
Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the three who stayed behind and whose repentance Allah then accepted, said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Part of my repentance is that I will speak nothing but the truth, and that I give all my wealth in charity in the way of Allah and His Messenger." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep some of your wealth with you."
حَدَّثَنَا خَلْفُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْعُكْبَرِيُّ، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي شُعَيْبٍ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، ثنا مُوسَى بْنُ أَعْيَنَ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِحَدِيثِ تَوْبَةِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ بِطُولِهِ
The complete hadith of the repentance of Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) is narrated from him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in the same way as passed above.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ جَابِرٍ الْبَخْتَرِيُّ الطَّائِيُّ الْحِمْصِيُّ، ثنا بِشْرُ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ لَيْلَةً كَعْبًا، وَهُوَ أَحَدُ الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ تِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ، يَقُولُ: «لَمَّا بُشِّرْتُ بِالتَّوْبَةِ أَقْبَلَتُ أُرِيدُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَطَفِقَ النَّاسُ يَتَلَقَّوْنَنِي فَوْجًا فَوْجًا يُهَنِّئُونَنِي بِتَوْبَةِ اللهِ عَلَيَّ، حَتَّى إِذَا دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ قَامَ إِلَيَّ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ حَتَّى صَافَحَنِي»
Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: One night I heard Sayyiduna Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the three whose repentance was accepted, say: "When I was given the good news of the repentance, I set out towards the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and people met me in crowds, congratulating me on Allah's acceptance of my repentance, until, when I entered the mosque, Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) got up towards me and shook my hand."
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حُصَيْنٍ الْقَاضِي، ثنا يَحْيَى الْحِمَّانِيُّ، ثنا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي، وَأَنْ أَهْجُرَ دَارَ قَوْمِي الَّتِي أَصَبْتُ فِيهَا الذَّنْبَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يُجْزِئُ عَنْكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الثُّلُثُ»
Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Part of my repentance is that I give up all my wealth, and that I also leave the house of my people in which I committed this sin." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Giving up a third of it is sufficient for you."
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِرْقٍ الْحِمْصِيُّ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُصَفًّى، ثنا مَعْنُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْقَزَّازُ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ كَعْبٍ: «أَنَّهُ لَمَّا» بُشِّرَ بِتَوْبَتِهِ سَجَدَ، وَأَعْطَى الَّذِي بَشَّرَهُ ثَوْبَيْهِ "
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he was given the good news of his repentance (being accepted), he fell down in prostration, and gave his two garments to the one who had given him the good news.
