Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 118

(Ayah 118) ➊ The literal meaning of {وَ عَلَى الثَّلٰثَةِ الَّذِيْنَ خُلِّفُوْا … : ’’ خُلِّفُوْا ‘‘} is "those left behind," but here it means those whose decision was deferred. This matter was mentioned earlier in Ayah (107) «{ وَ اٰخَرُوْنَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِاَمْرِ اللّٰهِ }». The conjunction of {’’ وَ عَلَى الثَّلٰثَةِ ‘‘} is with {’’ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ‘‘ } (i.e., in being merciful to and forgiving the Ansar and Muhajirin), those three persons were also included, upon whom, during fifty days, such a state passed that was worse than death. (Muwaddih) These three companions were Ka'b bin Malik, Murarah bin Rabi', and Hilal bin Umayyah, may Allah be pleased with them. Before this, they participated in almost every battle, but in the Battle of Tabuk, they could not participate merely due to laziness. Later, when they realized their mistake, they thought that one mistake (of staying behind) had already occurred, but now they would not make the mistake of presenting a false excuse to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, like the hypocrites. Thus, they presented themselves before him, openly admitted their mistake, and offered themselves for any punishment. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entrusted their matter to Allah Almighty, that He alone would reveal a command regarding them. However, during this period, he ordered all the companions to boycott them, even forbidding conversation with them, and after forty nights, he ordered that they should also stay away from their wives. This was the time whose depiction Allah Almighty has drawn in three sentences: that the earth, despite its vastness, became constricted for them, and their own souls became constricted for them, and they became certain that there is no place of refuge from Allah except with Him. Finally, after a further ten days, their repentance was accepted and the mentioned verse was revealed. Ka'b bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated this incident with great eloquence and clarity, expressing his inner state in a lengthy hadith, which is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari in the Book of Maghazi and in Sahih Muslim in the Book of Repentance. It is also quoted in detail in Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

➋ { اِنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيْمُ:} It is understood that the acceptance of repentance is purely the grace and mercy of Allah Almighty; otherwise, no one has any power over it.