صحیح ابن حبان
Ibn Hibban
كتاب الزكاةBook of Zakat
صدقة التطوع - ذكر الأمر للمرء بترك صدقة ماله كله والاقتصار على البعض منه إذ هو خير
Voluntary Charity – Ordering Not to Give All One’s Wealth in Charity, but Only Part of It
Hadith 3370
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي السَّرِيِّ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ، قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ ، قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، قَالَ : لَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزُوَةٍ غَزَاهَا ، حَتَّى كَانَتْ غَزُوَةَ تَبُوكَ إِلا بَدْرٍ ، وَلَمْ يُعَاتِبِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحَدًا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ بَدْرٍ ، إِنَّمَا خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُرِيدُ الْعِيرَ ، وَخَرَجَتْ قُرَيْشٌ مُغِيثِينَ لِعِيرِهِمْ ، فَالْتَقَوَا عَلَى غَيْرِ مَوْعِدٍ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ ، وَلَعَمْرِي إِنَّ أَشْرَفَ مَشَاهِدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي النَّاسِ لَبَدْرٌ ، وَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ شَهِدْتُهَا مَكَانَ بَيْعَتِي لَيْلَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ حِينَ تَوَاثَقْنَا عَلَى الإِسْلامِ ، وَلَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ بَعْدُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزُوَةٍ غَزَاهَا ، حَتَّى كَانَتْ غَزُوَةُ تَبُوكَ ، وَهِيَ آخِرُ غَزُوَةٍ غَزَاهَا ، آذَنَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ النَّاسَ بِالرَّحِيلِ ، وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَأَهَّبُوا أُهْبَةَ غَزُوِهِمْ ، وَذَلِكَ حِينَ طَابَ الظِّلالُ ، وَطَابَتِ الثِّمَارُ ، وَكَانَ قَلَمَا أَرَادَ غَزُوَةً إِلا وَرَّى غَيْرَهَا ، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ : " الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ " ، فَأَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَزُوَةِ تَبُوكَ أَنْ يَتَأَهَّبَ النَّاسُ أُهْبَتَهُ ، وَأَنَا أَيْسَرُ مَا كُنْتُ ، قَدْ جَمَعْتُ رَاحِلَتَيْنِ لِي ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَادِيًا بِالْغَدَاةِ ، وَذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ ، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ ، فَأَصْبَحَ غَادِيًا ، فَقُلْتُ : أَنْطَلِقُ إِلَى السُّوقِ ، وَأَشْتَرِي جِهَازِي ، ثُمَّ أَلْحَقُ بِهَا ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ مِنَ الْغَدِ ، فَعَسُرَ عَلَيَّ بَعْضُ شَأْنِي ، فَرَجَعْتُ ، فَقُلْتُ : " أَرْجِعُ غَدًا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ ، فَأَلْحَقُ بِهِمْ ، فَعَسُرَ عَلَيَّ بَعْضُ شَأْنِي أَيْضًا ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى لَبَّسَ بِيَ الذَّنْبُ ، وَتَخَلَّفْتُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَمْشِي فِي الأَسُوَاقِ وَأَطْرَافِ الْمَدِينَةِ ، فَيُحْزِنُنِي أَنْ لا أَرَى أَحَدًا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلا رَجُلا مَغْمُوصًا عَلَيْهِ فِي النِّفَاقِ ، وَكَانَ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ تَخَلَّفَ إِلا أَرَى ذَلِكَ سَيَخْفَى لَهُ ، وَكَانَ النَّاسُ كَثِيرًا لا يَجْمَعُهُمْ دِيوَانٌ ، وَكَانَ جَمِيعُ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَضْعَةً وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلا ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْنِي النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ تَبُوكَاً ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ تَبُوكَاً ، قَالَ : " مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ ؟ " ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي : خَلَّفَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بُرْدَاهُ وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفَيْهِ ، فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ : بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ ، وَاللَّهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ مَا نَعْلَمُ إِلا خَيْرًا ، قَالَ : فَبَيْنَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا رَجُلٌ يَزُولُ بِهِ السَّرَابُ ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " كُنَّ أَبَا خَيْثَمَةَ " ، فَإِذَا هُوَ أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَزُوَةَ تَبُوكَ ، وَقَفَلَ وَدَنَا مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ ، جَعَلْتُ أَتَذَكَّرُ مَاذَا أَخْرُجُ بِهِ مِنْ سَخَطِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَأَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِكُلِّ ذِي رَأِيٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي ، حَتَّى إِذَا قِيلَ : النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُصَبِّحُكُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ ، رَاحَ عَنِّي الْبَاطِلُ ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنِّي لا أَنْجُو إِلا بِالصِّدْقِ ، فَدَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ضَحًى ، فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ، وَكَانَ إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ ، دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ ، فَصَلَّى فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ ، فَجَعَلَ يَأْتِيهِ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ ، فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ ، وَيَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ ، فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ ، وَيَقْبَلُ عَلانِيَتَهُمْ ، وَيَكِلُ سَرَائِرَهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ، فَدَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ ، فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ ، فَلَمَّا رَآنِي تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ ، فَجِئْتُ ، فَجَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " أَلَمْ تَكُنِ ابْتَعْتَ ظَهْرًا ؟ " ، قُلْتُ : بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ، فَقَالَ : " مَا خَلَّفَكَ عَنِّي ؟ " ، فَقُلْتُ : وَاللَّهِ لَوْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ غَيْرِكَ جَلَسْتُ ، لَخَرَجْتُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ عَلَيَّ بِعُذْرٍ ، وَلَقَدْ أُوتِيتُ جَدَلا ، وَلَكِنِّي قَدْ عَلِمْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَنِّي إِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الِيَوْمَ بِقَوْلٍ تَجِدُ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ وَهُوَ حَقٌّ ، فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو فِيهِ عُقْبَى اللَّهِ ، وَإِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الِيَوْمَ بِحَدِيثٍ تَرْضَى عَنِّي فِيهِ وَهُوَ كَذِبٌ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يُطْلِعَكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ ، وَاللَّهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَيْسَرَ ، وَلا أَخَفَّ حَاذًا مِنِّي ، حَيْثُ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَلَيْكَ ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " أَمَّا هَذَا ، فَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ الْحَدِيثَ ، قُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ " ، فَقُمْتُ فَثَارَ عَلَى أَثَرِي نَاسٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي يُؤَنِّبُونَنِي ، فَقَالُوا : وَاللَّهِ مَا نَعْلَمُكَ أَذْنَبْتَ ذَنْبًا قَطُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا ، فَهَلا اعْتَذَرْتَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِعُذْرٍ يَرْضَاهُ عَنْكَ فِيهِ ، وَكَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَيَأْتِي مِنْ وَرَاءِ ذَلِكَ ، وَلَمْ تَقِفْ مَوْقِفًا لا نَدْرِي مَاذَا يُقْضَى لَكَ فِيهِ ، فَلَمْ يَزَالُوا يُؤَنِّبُونَنِي حَتَّى هَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ ، فَأُكَذِّبَ نَفْسِي ، فَقُلْتُ : هَلْ قَالَ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ أَحَدٌ غَيْرِي ؟ قَالُوا : نَعَمْ ، قَالَهُ هِلالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ وَمُرَارَةُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ ، فَذَكَرُوا رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا ، لِيَ فِيهِمَا أُسُوَةٌ ، فَقُلْتُ : وَاللَّهِ لا أَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِ فِي هَذَا أَبَدًا ، وَلا أُكَذِّبُ نَفْسِي ، وَنَهَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلامِنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلاثَةُ ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَخْرُجُ إِلَى السُّوقِ ، وَلا يُكَلِّمُنِي أَحَدٌ ، وَتَنَكَّرَ لَنَا النَّاسُ ، حَتَّى مَا هُمْ بِالَّذِينَ نَعْرِفُ ، وَتَنَكَّرَ لَنَا الْحِيطَانُ حَتَّى مَا هِيَ بِالْحِيطَانِ الَّتِي نَعْرِفُ ، وَتَنَكَّرَتْ لَنَا الأَرْضُ ، حَتَّى مَا هِيَ بِالأَرْضِ الَّتِي نَعْرِفُ ، وَكُنْتُ أَقُوَى أَصْحَابِي ، فَكُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ فَأَطُوفُ فِي الأَسُوَاقِ ، فَآتِي الْمَسْجِدَ ، وَآتِي النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَأُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْهِ ، وَأَقُولُ : هَلْ حَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ بِالسَّلامِ ، فَإِذَا قُمْتُ أُصَلِّي إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ ، وَأَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى صَلاتِي ، نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمُؤَخِرِ عَيْنَيْهِ ، وَإِذَا نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ ، أَعْرَضَ عَنِّي ، وَاشْتَكَى صَاحِبَايَ ، فَجَعَلا يَبْكِيَانِ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ، وَلا يُطْلِعَانِ رُءُوسَهُمَا ، قَالَ : فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَطُوفُ فِي الأَسُوَاقِ ، إِذَا رَجُلٌ نَصْرَانِيٌّ قَدْ جَاءَ بِطَعَامٍ لَهُ يَبِيعُهُ ، يَقُولُ : مَنْ يَدُلُّ عَلَى كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ، فَطَفِقَ النَّاسُ يُشِيرُونَ لَهُ إِلَيَّ ، فَأَتَانِي وأَتَى بِصَحِيفَةٍ مِنْ مَلِكِ غَسَّانَ ، فَإِذَا فِيهَا : أَمَّا بَعْدُ ، فَإِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ صَاحِبَكَ قَدْ جَفَاكَ وَأَقْصَاكَ وَلَسْتَ بِدَارِ هَوَانٍ وَلا مَضِيَعَةٍ ، فَالْحَقْ بِنَا نُوَاسِكَ ، فَقُلْتُ : هَذَا أَيْضًا مِنَ الْبَلاءِ ، فَسَجَرْتُ لَهَا التَّنُّورَ ، فَأَحْرَقْتُهَا فِيهِ ، فَلَمَّا مَضَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً إِذَا رَسُولٌ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ أَتَانِي ، فَقَالَ : اعْتَزَلِ امْرَأَتَكَ ، فَقُلْتُ : أُطَلِّقُهَا ؟ قَالَ : لا ، وَلَكِنْ لا تَقْرَبْهَا ، فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ هِلالِ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ ، فَقَالَتْ : يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ، إِنَّ هِلالَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ شَيْخٌ ضَعِيفٌ ، فَهَلْ تَأْذَنُ لِي أَنْ أَخْدُمَهُ ، قَالَ : " نَعَمْ ، وَلَكِنْ لا يَقْرَبَنَّكِ " ، قَالَتْ : يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ، مَا بِهِ حَرَكَةٌ لِشَيْءٍ ، مَا زَالَ مُتَّكِئًا يَبْكِي اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ مُذْ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا كَانَ ، قَالَ كَعْبٌ : فَلَمَّا طَالَ عَلَيَّ الْبَلاءُ ، اقْتَحَمْتُ عَلَى أَبِي قَتَادَةَ حَائِطَهُ ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّي ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ ، فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ ، فَقُلْتُ : أَنْشُدُكَ اللَّهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ ، أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ؟ فَسَكَتَ ، فَقُلْتُ : أَنْشُدُكَ اللَّهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ ، أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ؟ فَسَكَتَ ، فَقُلْتُ : أَنْشُدُكَ اللَّهَ يَا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ ، أَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أُحَبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ؟ فَقَالَ : اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ، قَالَ : فَلَمْ أَمْلِكْ نَفْسِي أَنْ بَكَيْتُ ، ثُمَّ اقْتَحَمْتُ الْحَائِطَ خَارِجًا ، حَتَّى إِذَا مَضَتْ خَمْسُونَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ حِينَ نَهَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كَلامِنَا ، صَلَّيْتُ عَلَى ظَهْرِ بَيْتٍ لَنَا صَلاةَ الْفَجْرِ ، وَأَنَا فِي الْمَنْزِلَةِ الَّتِي قَالَ اللَّهُ ، قَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا الأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْنَا أَنْفُسُنَا ، إِذْ سَمِعْتُ نِدَاءً مِنْ ذِرُوَةِ سَلْعٍ أَنْ أَبْشِرْ يَا كَعْبُ بْنَ مَالِكٍ ، فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ جَاءَنَا بِالْفَرَجِ ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يَرْكُضُ عَلَى فَرَسٍ يُبَشِّرُنِي ، فَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ فَرَسِهِ ، فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ ثَوْبَيَّ بِشَارَةً ، وَلَبِسْتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ آخَرِينَ ، وَكَانَتْ تَوْبَتُنَا نَزَلَتْ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ ، فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ : يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ، أَلا نُبَشِّرُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ ، فَقَالَ : " إِذًا يَحْطِمُكُمُ النَّاسُ وَيَمْنَعُونَكُمُ النَّوْمَ سَائِرَ اللَّيْلَةِ " ، قَالَ : وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ مُحْسِنَةً فِي شَأْنِي ، تُخْبِرُنِي بِأَمْرِي ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ، وَحَوْلَهُ الْمُسْلَمُونَ ، وَهُوَ يَسْتَنِيرُ كَاسْتِنَارِ الْقَمَرِ ، وَكَانَ إِذَا سُرَّ بِالأَمْرِ اسْتَنَارَ ، فَجِئْتُ فَجَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ، فَقَالَ : " يَا كَعْبُ بْنَ مَالِكٍ ، أَبْشِرْ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ أَتَى عَلَيْكَ مُنْذُ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ " ، قَالَ : فَقُلْتُ : يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ، أَمِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ أَمْ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ ؟ قَالَ : " بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ " ، ثُمَّ تَلا عَلَيْهِمْ : لَقَدْ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ سورة التوبة آية 117 ، حَتَّى بَلَغَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ سورة البقرة آية 37 ، قَالَ : وَفِينَا نَزَلَتِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ سورة التوبة آية 119 ، قَالَ : فَقُلْتُ : يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ، إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنِّي لا أُحَدِّثُ إِلا صِدْقًا ، وَأَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي كُلِّهِ صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللَّهِ ، وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ : " أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ ، فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ " ، قَالَ : فَقُلْتُ : فَإِنِّي أُمْسِكُ سَهْمِيَ الَّذِي بِخَيْبَرَ ، قَالَ : فَمَا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ بَعْدَ الإِسْلامِ أَعْظَمَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ صِدْقِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ صَدَقْتُهُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبَايَ ، أَنْ لا نَكُونَ كَذَبْنَا ، فَهَلَكْنَا كَمَا هَلَكُوا ، وَمَا تَعَمَّدْتُ لِكَذْبَةٍ بَعْدُ ، وَإِنِّي لأَرْجُو أَنْ يَحْفَظَنِيَ اللَّهُ فِيمَا بَقِيَ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ : فَهَذَا مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْنَا مِنْ حَدِيثِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ .
Abdur Rahman bin Ka’b narrates from his father: I was never left behind from any battle with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), until the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk arrived. However, I did not participate in the Battle of Badr, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not express anger at anyone who did not participate in the Battle of Badr. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had actually set out in search of the (Quraysh) caravan, and the Quraysh had set out to protect their caravan. Without any prior arrangement, both armies confronted each other, just as Allah Almighty has stated: And by my life! Among the battles of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the most honorable in the eyes of the people is Badr, but I do not wish that I had participated in it in exchange for the honor of having pledged allegiance on the night of Aqabah, for we had pledged to remain steadfast on Islam. After that, in whichever battle the Prophet (peace be upon him) participated, I was not left behind, until the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk came, which was the last battle in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) participated.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed the people of the departure and intended that the people should make full preparations to participate in the battle. This was at a time when the shadows had become pure and the fruits had ripened. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a habit that whenever he participated in a battle, he would not specify its direction; he (peace be upon him) used to say that war is deception. But regarding the Battle of Tabuk, the Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted the people to prepare well. At that time, I was more prosperous than ever before; I had even prepared two mounts. I remained in this state until the Prophet (peace be upon him) made preparations to depart the next day; this was on a Thursday. The Prophet (peace be upon him) liked to depart on Thursdays. He (peace be upon him) departed in the morning. I thought I would go to the market and buy supplies, then join the Prophet (peace be upon him). The next day, I went to the market, but none of my tasks were completed, so I returned. I thought, God willing, I will go tomorrow and join the people. Then another task of mine got stuck. This kept happening until sin became a barrier for me, and I was left behind from the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Then I would walk around the market, walk around the outskirts of Madinah, and I was also saddened that I did not see anyone who had been left behind from the Prophet (peace be upon him), except for those about whom it was thought that they were hypocrites, and only such a person could be left behind about whom I would have the opinion that he had remained hidden from the Prophet (peace be upon him). The number of people was very large; their names were not recorded as they are today. All those who were left behind from the Prophet (peace be upon him) were about eighty (80) in number. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not remember me until he reached Tabuk. When he (peace be upon him) reached Tabuk, he asked: What is the matter with Ka’b bin Malik? A man from the tribe said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! His two cloaks and his self-admiration have kept him behind. Sayyiduna Mu’adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You have said a very wrong thing, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! By Allah! (Regarding him) we know only good. The narrator says: They were still in this state when, from afar, a man appeared like a mirage. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Is it Abu Khathamah? And it was indeed Abu Khathamah.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) completed the Battle of Tabuk and returned, and when he approached Madinah, I began to think about how I could save myself from the anger of the Prophet (peace be upon him). I sought help from every wise person in my family regarding this, until when it was said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would arrive the next morning, falsehood departed from me, and I realized that I could only attain salvation by speaking the truth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered (Madinah) at the time of forenoon; he performed two rak’ahs in the mosque. Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned from a journey, he would do this: he would come to the mosque, perform two rak’ahs, and then sit down. Those who had been left behind came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and began to swear oaths and present excuses before him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would pray for their forgiveness, accept what they showed, and leave their hidden matters to Allah.
When I entered the mosque, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sitting. When he (peace be upon him) saw me, he smiled as a person smiles in anger. I came and sat before the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: Did you not buy a mount (to travel)? I replied: Yes, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: Then why were you left behind? I replied: By Allah! If I were sitting before anyone other than you, I would have saved myself from his anger by presenting an excuse, for I have been given the gift of eloquence. O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), I know that if today I speak to you a falsehood that would please you, Allah Almighty will soon inform you about me. And if I speak the truth, though you may be angry with me, I hope that Allah Almighty will ultimately make it good for me. By Allah! O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), I have never been more prosperous or more at ease than when I was left behind from you.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: This man has spoken the truth to you. Get up until Allah Almighty decides about you. I got up. Some people from my tribe followed me, scolding me and saying: By Allah! We know that you have never committed any sin before. You could have presented an excuse to the Prophet (peace be upon him) so that he would be pleased with you, and then he would have prayed for your forgiveness, and you would not be in such a situation where we do not know what will be decided about you. They kept rebuking me until I intended to go back and deny my statement. I asked: Has anyone else spoken the truth as I have? The people replied: Yes. Sayyiduna Hilal bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Murarah bin Rabi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) have also said the same. The people mentioned two men who had participated in the Battle of Badr. For me, there was an example in following them. I said: By Allah! I will never go back to the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding this matter and declare my statement false.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade people from speaking to us three men. I would go out to the market, but no one would speak to me. People stopped recognizing us, so much so that there was no one among them with whom we could converse. The gardens became strange to us, so much so that there was no one in the gardens whom we knew. The earth became strange to us, so much so that the earth felt alien to us. I was stronger than my two companions; I would go out of the house, circle the market, come to the mosque, and present myself before the Prophet (peace be upon him). I would greet him and then look to see if he moved his lips in reply to my greeting. When I would pray facing a pillar and focus on the prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would look at me from the corner of his eyes. When I looked towards him, he would turn away from me. My two companions became ill; they would weep day and night and would not even show their heads outside.
Once, I was wandering in the market when a Christian man came to sell something and was asking who could take him to Ka’b bin Malik. The people pointed towards me. He brought a letter from the king of Ghassan, in which it was written: “After this! I have learned that your master has wronged you and has set you aside. You are not meant to be humiliated or wasted. Come to us; we will take care of you.” I thought this was another calamity. I lit the oven and burned the letter in it.
When forty days had passed, a messenger from the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to me and said: Stay away from your wife. I asked: Should I divorce her? He replied: No, but do not go near her. The wife of Sayyiduna Hilal bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Hilal bin Umayyah is an old and weak man. Will you allow me to serve him? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Yes, but he should not come near you. She said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), since this matter has happened, he has not done so before either; he just sits and weeps day and night.
Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When my trial became prolonged, I went to the garden of Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) to meet him; he was my cousin. I greeted him, but he did not reply. I said: O Abu Qatadah, I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him)? He remained silent. I said: O Abu Qatadah, I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him)? He remained silent. I said: O Abu Qatadah, I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him)? He said: Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) know best. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I could not control myself; I began to weep and left the garden.
When fifty days had passed since the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade people from speaking to us, one day I was performing the Fajr prayer on the roof of my house, and at that time I was in the state that Allah Almighty has mentioned: the earth, despite its vastness, had become constricted for us, and our own souls had become constricted for us. At that moment, I heard a caller from the top of the mountain of Sala’ calling: O Ka’b bin Malik! Glad tidings to you! I fell into prostration; I realized that Allah Almighty had granted relief. A man was coming, racing his horse to bring me the good news, but the voice of the other man reached me faster than his horse. Because of this good news, I gave him my clothes and wore other clothes myself.
The command for the acceptance of our repentance was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) after a third of the night had passed. Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), should we not give the glad tidings to Ka’b bin Malik? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: In that case, people will crowd at your place and will not let you sleep all night. Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) did great good for me in my matter and informed me about my case.
I presented myself before the Prophet (peace be upon him); he was sitting in the mosque at that time, and the Muslims were around him. The face of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was shining like the moon; whenever he was pleased with something, it would shine like that. I came and sat before him. He (peace be upon him) said: O Ka’b, rejoice in a day better for you than any day since your mother bore you. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), is this from Allah Almighty or from you? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Rather, it is from Allah Almighty. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited this verse before the people: “Allah has bestowed His favor upon the Muhajirun and the Ansar...” up to “He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: This verse was revealed about us: “Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful.” Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), as part of my repentance, I will always speak the truth, and I will give all my wealth in charity to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Keep some of your wealth for yourself; that is better for you. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said: Then I will keep my share in Khaybar. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: After Allah Almighty granted me the blessing of Islam, He did not grant me any blessing greater in my eyes than that I spoke the truth before the Prophet (peace be upon him)—I did, and my two companions did as well—because as a result, we were saved from destruction by lying, as others were destroyed. After that, I have never knowingly told a lie, and I hope that for the rest of my life, Allah Almighty will protect me from lying. (Az-Zuhri says: This is the narration that has reached us regarding the incident of Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him.)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed the people of the departure and intended that the people should make full preparations to participate in the battle. This was at a time when the shadows had become pure and the fruits had ripened. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a habit that whenever he participated in a battle, he would not specify its direction; he (peace be upon him) used to say that war is deception. But regarding the Battle of Tabuk, the Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted the people to prepare well. At that time, I was more prosperous than ever before; I had even prepared two mounts. I remained in this state until the Prophet (peace be upon him) made preparations to depart the next day; this was on a Thursday. The Prophet (peace be upon him) liked to depart on Thursdays. He (peace be upon him) departed in the morning. I thought I would go to the market and buy supplies, then join the Prophet (peace be upon him). The next day, I went to the market, but none of my tasks were completed, so I returned. I thought, God willing, I will go tomorrow and join the people. Then another task of mine got stuck. This kept happening until sin became a barrier for me, and I was left behind from the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Then I would walk around the market, walk around the outskirts of Madinah, and I was also saddened that I did not see anyone who had been left behind from the Prophet (peace be upon him), except for those about whom it was thought that they were hypocrites, and only such a person could be left behind about whom I would have the opinion that he had remained hidden from the Prophet (peace be upon him). The number of people was very large; their names were not recorded as they are today. All those who were left behind from the Prophet (peace be upon him) were about eighty (80) in number. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not remember me until he reached Tabuk. When he (peace be upon him) reached Tabuk, he asked: What is the matter with Ka’b bin Malik? A man from the tribe said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! His two cloaks and his self-admiration have kept him behind. Sayyiduna Mu’adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You have said a very wrong thing, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! By Allah! (Regarding him) we know only good. The narrator says: They were still in this state when, from afar, a man appeared like a mirage. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Is it Abu Khathamah? And it was indeed Abu Khathamah.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) completed the Battle of Tabuk and returned, and when he approached Madinah, I began to think about how I could save myself from the anger of the Prophet (peace be upon him). I sought help from every wise person in my family regarding this, until when it was said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would arrive the next morning, falsehood departed from me, and I realized that I could only attain salvation by speaking the truth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered (Madinah) at the time of forenoon; he performed two rak’ahs in the mosque. Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned from a journey, he would do this: he would come to the mosque, perform two rak’ahs, and then sit down. Those who had been left behind came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and began to swear oaths and present excuses before him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would pray for their forgiveness, accept what they showed, and leave their hidden matters to Allah.
When I entered the mosque, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sitting. When he (peace be upon him) saw me, he smiled as a person smiles in anger. I came and sat before the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: Did you not buy a mount (to travel)? I replied: Yes, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: Then why were you left behind? I replied: By Allah! If I were sitting before anyone other than you, I would have saved myself from his anger by presenting an excuse, for I have been given the gift of eloquence. O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), I know that if today I speak to you a falsehood that would please you, Allah Almighty will soon inform you about me. And if I speak the truth, though you may be angry with me, I hope that Allah Almighty will ultimately make it good for me. By Allah! O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), I have never been more prosperous or more at ease than when I was left behind from you.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: This man has spoken the truth to you. Get up until Allah Almighty decides about you. I got up. Some people from my tribe followed me, scolding me and saying: By Allah! We know that you have never committed any sin before. You could have presented an excuse to the Prophet (peace be upon him) so that he would be pleased with you, and then he would have prayed for your forgiveness, and you would not be in such a situation where we do not know what will be decided about you. They kept rebuking me until I intended to go back and deny my statement. I asked: Has anyone else spoken the truth as I have? The people replied: Yes. Sayyiduna Hilal bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Murarah bin Rabi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) have also said the same. The people mentioned two men who had participated in the Battle of Badr. For me, there was an example in following them. I said: By Allah! I will never go back to the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding this matter and declare my statement false.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade people from speaking to us three men. I would go out to the market, but no one would speak to me. People stopped recognizing us, so much so that there was no one among them with whom we could converse. The gardens became strange to us, so much so that there was no one in the gardens whom we knew. The earth became strange to us, so much so that the earth felt alien to us. I was stronger than my two companions; I would go out of the house, circle the market, come to the mosque, and present myself before the Prophet (peace be upon him). I would greet him and then look to see if he moved his lips in reply to my greeting. When I would pray facing a pillar and focus on the prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would look at me from the corner of his eyes. When I looked towards him, he would turn away from me. My two companions became ill; they would weep day and night and would not even show their heads outside.
Once, I was wandering in the market when a Christian man came to sell something and was asking who could take him to Ka’b bin Malik. The people pointed towards me. He brought a letter from the king of Ghassan, in which it was written: “After this! I have learned that your master has wronged you and has set you aside. You are not meant to be humiliated or wasted. Come to us; we will take care of you.” I thought this was another calamity. I lit the oven and burned the letter in it.
When forty days had passed, a messenger from the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to me and said: Stay away from your wife. I asked: Should I divorce her? He replied: No, but do not go near her. The wife of Sayyiduna Hilal bin Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Hilal bin Umayyah is an old and weak man. Will you allow me to serve him? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Yes, but he should not come near you. She said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), since this matter has happened, he has not done so before either; he just sits and weeps day and night.
Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When my trial became prolonged, I went to the garden of Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) to meet him; he was my cousin. I greeted him, but he did not reply. I said: O Abu Qatadah, I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him)? He remained silent. I said: O Abu Qatadah, I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him)? He remained silent. I said: O Abu Qatadah, I ask you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him)? He said: Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) know best. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I could not control myself; I began to weep and left the garden.
When fifty days had passed since the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade people from speaking to us, one day I was performing the Fajr prayer on the roof of my house, and at that time I was in the state that Allah Almighty has mentioned: the earth, despite its vastness, had become constricted for us, and our own souls had become constricted for us. At that moment, I heard a caller from the top of the mountain of Sala’ calling: O Ka’b bin Malik! Glad tidings to you! I fell into prostration; I realized that Allah Almighty had granted relief. A man was coming, racing his horse to bring me the good news, but the voice of the other man reached me faster than his horse. Because of this good news, I gave him my clothes and wore other clothes myself.
The command for the acceptance of our repentance was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) after a third of the night had passed. Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), should we not give the glad tidings to Ka’b bin Malik? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: In that case, people will crowd at your place and will not let you sleep all night. Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) did great good for me in my matter and informed me about my case.
I presented myself before the Prophet (peace be upon him); he was sitting in the mosque at that time, and the Muslims were around him. The face of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was shining like the moon; whenever he was pleased with something, it would shine like that. I came and sat before him. He (peace be upon him) said: O Ka’b, rejoice in a day better for you than any day since your mother bore you. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), is this from Allah Almighty or from you? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Rather, it is from Allah Almighty. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited this verse before the people: “Allah has bestowed His favor upon the Muhajirun and the Ansar...” up to “He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: This verse was revealed about us: “Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful.” Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), as part of my repentance, I will always speak the truth, and I will give all my wealth in charity to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Keep some of your wealth for yourself; that is better for you. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said: Then I will keep my share in Khaybar. Sayyiduna Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: After Allah Almighty granted me the blessing of Islam, He did not grant me any blessing greater in my eyes than that I spoke the truth before the Prophet (peace be upon him)—I did, and my two companions did as well—because as a result, we were saved from destruction by lying, as others were destroyed. After that, I have never knowingly told a lie, and I hope that for the rest of my life, Allah Almighty will protect me from lying. (Az-Zuhri says: This is the narration that has reached us regarding the incident of Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him.)
