We are still discussing the Battle of Tabuk, and it is in fact the final battle of the Prophet PBUH. A lot of Quran came down, in fact basically the entire Surat al-Tawba came down because of the Battle of Tabuk [so we will have a lot of discussion about this — see episode 93]. Recall we mentioned that the battle is not an actual battle, it's an expedition — no fighting took place. But so many interesting stories happened during this expedition.
Today, we will discuss one of the most popular stories of the seerah, and that is the story of Ka'b ibn Malik and what happened to him during the Battle of Tabuk. It's truly a lesson for each and every one of us about how to make up for sins that we have committed. Obviously, it's a story that has been heard by many, but every time you read it and refresh your memory, it still hits you. It's such a soft and beautiful story, so one never gets tired of reading it. Therefore today, we will spend the whole lecture on this story (and possibly half of the next lecture too).
Who is Ka'b ibn Malik RA?
He is one of the earliest converts of the Ansar, from the tribe of Banu Salama. Recall we mentioned that the Banu Salama lived around Masjid al-Qiblatayn [see episode 34], and they wanted to move closer to the Prophet PBUH in central Madinah, but the Prophet PBUH said, "O Banu Salama, stay where you are — Allah will record your footsteps [i.e., Allah will reward you for each step that you take to come to the Masjid of the Prophet PBUH]," so they remained where they were; and some scholars say the verses at the start of Surah Ya-Sin are a reference to the Banu Salama.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ
"Indeed, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register" [36:12].So Ka'b is from this tribe. He converted to Islam before the Hijrah, so he is one of the few Ansar to have the honor of converting before the Prophet PBUH Emigrated, and he in fact took part in the Bay'at al-Aqaba [see episode 25]. So he is of the elites of the Ansar.
And the story of his repentance is mentioned in every book of hadith. In Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, we have three-page narrations from him in the first person. He himself narrated it in the first person — and because of this, we have emotional/personal and intricate details. This story, along with the story of Aisha [see episodes 55 & 56], always hit home because they are both narrated in vivid detail in the first person:
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The Story of Ka'b ibn Malik RA (Sahih Muslim Version—The Book of Repentance)
Ibn Shihab reported that Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdillah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik (عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله بن كعب بن مالك) informed him that Abdullah ibn Ka'b, who served as the guide of Ka'b ibn Malik as he became blind, he heard Ka'b ibn Malik narrate the story of his remaining behind the Prophet PBUH from the Expedition of Tabuk. Ka'b ibn Malik said:
"I never remained behind the Prophet PBUH from any expedition which he undertook except the Expedition of Tabuk and that of Badr. So far as the Battle of Badr is concerned, nobody was admonished for remaining behind as the Prophet PBUH and the Muslims set out [not for war, but rather] to waylay the caravan of the Quraysh; but it was Allah who made them confront their enemies without their intention [to do so] [see Quran, 8:7]. I had the honor to be with the Prophet PBUH on the Night of Aqaba when we pledged our allegiance to Islam, and it was more dear to me than the Battle of Badr, although Badr was more popular amongst people as compared with that (Aqaba). And this is my story of remaining back from the Prophet PBUH on the occasion of the Expedition of Tabuk: I was never stronger or better off than when I stayed behind from that expedition — by Allah, I had never had two mounts at the same time as I had at the time of that expedition. The Prophet PBUH set out for this expedition in an extremely hot season; the journey was long and the land [which he and his army had to cover] was waterless and he had to confront a large army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual situation [that they had to face], so that they should adequately equip themselves for this expedition, and he also told them the destination where he intended to go. And the Muslims who accompanied the Prophet PBUH at that time were large in numbers, but there was no proper record of them." Ka'b [further] said: "Any man who intended to absent themselves were under the impression that they could easily conceal themselves [and thus remain undetected] as long as there was no revelation from Allah AWJ [exposing them]. And the Prophet PBUH set out on an expedition when the fruits were ripe and the shades [of their trees] were so sweet. I had a weakness for them and it was during this season that the Prophet PBUH made preparations and the Muslims too along with him. I also set out in the morning so that I could make preparations along with them, but I would come back and not do anything and say to myself: 'I can do that when I want to.' And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) until people were about to depart and it was in the morning that the Prophet PBUH set out and the Muslims too along with him — but I made no preparations. I went early in the morning and came back, but I made no decision. I continued to do so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. And I thought of riding and catching up with them. I wish I had done that, but perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of the Prophet PBUH, as I went out amongst people, I was shocked to find that I did not find anyone like me except people who were labeled as hypocrites or the people whom Allah granted exemption because of their incapacity. And the Prophet PBUH took no notice of me until he had reached Tabuk. [And one day, as he PBUH was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk,] he said: 'What has happened to Ka'b ibn Malik?' A man from Banu Salama said: 'Ya Rasulullah, [the beauty of] his cloak and his appreciation of his properties have allured him and he was thus detained.' Mu'adh ibn Jabal said: 'What a bad thing you have said! Ya Rasulullah, by Allah, we know nothing but good about him (Ka'b).' The Prophet PBUH, however, kept quiet. It was during that time that he [PBUH] saw a person [in the distance], dressed in white, breaking the mirage. Thereupon, the Prophet PBUH said: 'May he be Abu Khaythama,' and, lo, it was Abu Khaythama al-Ansari (أبو خيثمة الأنصاري) and he was that person who gave a sa' (صاع - basically 1 kg or so) of dates [in charity] and was scoffed at by the hypocrites." Ka'b ibn Malik [further] said: "When the news reached me that the Prophet PBUH was on his way back from Tabuk, I was greatly perturbed. I thought of fabricating false stories and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger the following day. In this regard, I sought the help/advice of every prudent man from amongst my people, but when it was said to me that the Prophet PBUH was about to arrive, all the false ideas disappeared [from my mind] and I came to the conclusion that nothing could save me but the telling of truth, so I decided to speak the truth and it was in the morning that the Prophet PBUH arrived [in Madinah]. And it was his habit that as he came back from a journey, he first went to the mosque and observed two rak'at of nafl prayer [as a mark of gratitude] and then sat amongst people. And as he did that, those who had remained behind him began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him and they were more than eighty people. The Prophet PBUH accepted their excuses on the face of them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left their secrets (intentions) to Allah. Then I presented myself to him [PBUH]. I greeted him and he smiled, and there was a tinge of anger in that. He [PBUH] said to me: 'Come forward.' I went forward until I sat in front of him. He said to me: 'What kept you behind? Had you not purchased a mount?' I said: 'Ya Rasulullah, by Allah, if I were sitting in front of any other person from this whole world, I would have been able to wiggle my way out in front of him and save myself from his anger on one pretext. And I have been bestowed the power of speaking fluently and eloquently, but, by Allah, I am fully aware of the fact that if I were to put forward before you a false excuse to please you today, Allah would definitely [expose me and] provoke your wrath upon me [in the near future]; and if I speak the truth [today], though you will get angry because of it, I hope that Allah will make its end well, and, by Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you (failed to join the expedition).' Thereupon, the Prophet PBUH said: 'As for this man, he has spoken the truth. Get up [and leave, O Ka'b,] until Allah gives a decision in your case.' So I left, and some people of Banu Salama followed me, and they said to me: 'By Allah, we never saw you committing a sin prior to this. You, however, failed to offer an excuse to the Prophet PBUH as the others who did not join him have offered. The du'a of the Prophet PBUH to Allah to forgive you would have been sufficient for you.' By Allah, they continued to incite me until I thought of going back to the Prophet PBUH and contradicting myself. Then I said to them: 'Has anyone else also met the same fate [as me]?' They said: 'Yes, two people have met the same fate as has fallen to you and they have made the same statement as you have made, and the same verdict has been delivered in their case as it has been delivered in your case.' I said: 'Who are they?' They said: 'Murara ibn al-Rabi' al-Amri (مرارة بن الربيع العمري) and Hilal ibn Umayyah al-Waqifi (هلال بن أمية الواقفي).' They made a mention of these two pious people to me who had participated in the Battle of Badr and there was an example for me in them. So I did not change my mind when they mentioned these two people to me. The Prophet PBUH forbade all the Muslims to talk with three of us from amongst those who had stayed behind him. So we kept away from the people, and the people's attitude towards us changed so much that it appeared to me that I was a foreigner in my own land. We spent fifty nights in this state and my two friends confined themselves within their houses and spent [most of the] time weeping, but as I was young and strong amongst them, I got out [of my house], participated in congregational prayers, roam about in the marketplaces; but none spoke to me. I came to the Prophet PBUH as he sat [amongst people] after the prayer, greeted him, and asked myself whether his lips stirred in response to my greetings [or not]. Then I observed prayer close to him and looked at him with stealing glances; and when I focused on my prayer, he would look at me, but when I cast a glance at him, he would turn his face away from me. And when the harsh treatment of the Muslims towards me lasted long, I walked until I climbed the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada —he was my cousin— and I had the greatest love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not respond to my greetings. I said to him: 'O Abu Qatada, I adjure you by Allah! Aren't you well aware of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger PBUH?' But he kept quiet. So I adjured him again. But he kept quiet. I again adjured him, whereupon he said: 'Allah and His Messenger know it better.' My eyes began to shed tears and I turned away and climbed back over the wall. And as I was walking in the marketplace of Madinah, I saw a Nabataean from amongst the Nabataeans of al-Sham, who had come to sell foodgrains in Madinah, saying, 'Who will show me where Ka'b ibn Malik is?' The people started to point me out to him, and he came to me and gave me a letter from the King of Ghassan, and as I was a scribe (i.e., I was literate), I read that letter and it was written like this: 'Amma ba'd (أما بعد - to proceed); it has been conveyed to us that your friend (the Prophet PBUH) has treated you harshly, and Allah would not allow you to live at a place where you are inferior and your rights are lost, so join us and we will console you.' As I read that letter, I said [to myself]: 'This is also a sort of a test,' so I burned it in the oven. When out of the fifty days, forty days had passed and the Prophet PBUH received no revelation, there came the messenger of the Prophet PBUH to me and said: 'Verily, the Prophet PBUH has commanded you to remain separate from your wife.' I said: 'Should I divorce her or what should I do?' He said: 'No, but only remain separate from her and do not come near her.' And the same message was sent to my companions. I said to my wife: 'You better go to your parents and stay there with them until Allah gives the decision in my case.' The wife of Hilal ibn Umayyah came to the Prophet PBUH and said: 'Ya Rasulullah, Hilal ibn Umayyah is an old man with no servant. Do you disapprove of my serving him?' He said: 'No, but he should not come near you.' She said: 'By Allah, he has no such desire. By Allah, he spends his time weeping from that day [his case began] until today.' Some of the members of my family said to me: 'Will you also seek permission from the Prophet PBUH in regards to your wife? For he has granted permission to the wife of Hilal ibn Umayyah to serve him.' I said: 'I will not ask the permission of the Prophet PBUH regarding her, for I do not know what the Prophet PBUH would say if I asked him to permit her [to serve me] while I am a young man.' It was in this state I spent ten more nights, and thus fifty nights were completed starting from the time when the people were prohibited from talking to us. Then I prayed Fajr on the morning of the fiftieth night on the roof of one of our houses, and while I was sitting in the manner that Allah AWJ described us [in Quran, 9:118] —i.e., my very soul seemed straitened to me and even the earth seemed narrow to me despite its vastness— there I heard the voice of one who had ascended Sal'/Sala' (سَلْع - Mount Sela) saying at the top of his voice: 'O Ka'b ibn Malik, there is glad tidings for you!' I fell into prostration realizing that relief had come. The Prophet PBUH had informed the people of the acceptance of our repentance by Allah as he offered the Fajr prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my friends in order to give them the glad tidings; one man came to me galloping on his horse, and another man from the tribe of Aslam (أسلم) came rushing to me and he stood up on top of the mountain and shouted. The man's voice was swifter than the horse. When the one whose voice I heard giving me the glad tidings came to me, I took off my garments and dressed him with them because of his bringing good news to me, and, by Allah, I owned no other garments than them on that day. Then I borrowed two garments, and dressed myself in them, and I set out to go to the Prophet PBUH, and on my way, the people started receiving me in batches, congratulating me on Allah's acceptance of my repentance, saying, 'We congratulate you on Allah's acceptance of your repentance!' [I moved on] until I came to the mosque and the Prophet PBUH had been sitting there amongst people. Talha ibn Ubaydillah got up and rushed towards me and he shook hands with me and congratulated me, and, by Allah, no person stood up [to congratulate me] from amongst the Muhajirun except him." ([The sub-narrator said] Ka'b said that he never forgot [this good gesture of] Talha.) Ka'b [further] said: "When I greeted the Prophet PBUH, his face became bright with joy, and he said: 'Be happy and rejoice, for this is the best day you have ever had since the day your mother gave birth to you!' I said: 'Ya Rasulullah, is this acceptance of repentance from you or from Allah?' He said: 'No, [it is not from me,] it is from Allah,' and it was common with the Prophet PBUH that as he was happy, his face brightened up and it looked like a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognized it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said: 'Ya Rasulullah, as part of my repentance, I will give up [all] my wealth as sadaqa for the sake of Allah and His Messenger PBUH.' Thereupon, the Prophet PBUH said: 'Keep some property with you as it is better for you.' I said: 'I shall keep with me that part [of my property] which fell to my lot on [the occasion of the Expedition of] Khaybar.' I said: 'Ya Rasulullah, Allah saved me because I spoke the truth; so as part of my repentance, I shall speak nothing but the truth so long as I live.'" Ka'b said [to the sub-narrator]: "By Allah, I do not know of anyone amongst the Muslims whom Allah tested with truthfulness in speech —from the time I said that [promise] to the Prophet PBUH until today— more than me; [but] by Allah, I have not intentionally told a lie from the time I said that to the Prophet PBUH until today, and I hope that Allah will save me for the rest of my life. And Allah AWJ revealed these verses: 'Allah has certainly turned in mercy to the Prophet as well as the Muhajirun and the Ansar who stood by him in the time of difficulty (i.e., the Expedition of Tabuk), after the hearts of a group of them had almost faltered. He then accepted their repentance. Surely He is Ever Gracious and Most Merciful to them. And [Allah has also turned in mercy to] the three who were left behind, [whose guilt distressed them] until the earth, despite its vastness, seemed to close in on them, and their souls were torn in anguish.' And this revelation reached up to the [words]: 'O believers! Be mindful of Allah and be with the truthful' [9:117-119]." Ka'b said: "By Allah, since Allah directed me to Islam, there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to the Prophet PBUH, and if I were to tell a lie, I would have been ruined as were ruined those who told lies; for in regards to those who told lies, Allah used harshest words used for anyone as He descended revelation [and the words of Allah are]: 'When you return, they will swear to you by Allah so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone—they are truly evil. Hell will be their home as a reward for what they have committed. They will swear to you in order to please you. And even if you are pleased with them, Allah will never be pleased with the fasiqs' [9:95-96]." Ka'b said: "The matter of us three was deferred as compared with those who took an oath in the presence of the Prophet PBUH, and he accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them. The Prophet PBUH deferred our case until Allah decided concerning it. [And it was Allah AWJ who gave decisions in our case]. Hence, Allah said, 'And [Allah has also turned in mercy to] the three who were left behind'; and this [phrase, 'the three who were left behind'] does not mean that we remained back from the expedition [even though we did remain back; but] rather, this implies that he [PBUH] kept our matter behind those who swore an oath and apologized to him, from whom he accepted that."
A similar report was narrated by al-Zuhri with the same chain of narrators.
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The Story of Ka'b ibn Malik RA (With Sh. YQ's Commentary)
Abdullah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik, one of Ka'b's sons who became his (Ka'b's) guide when he became blind later on in life, said, "I heard my father narrate the story of the Ghazwa of Tabuk that he failed to take part in. He said: 'I never remained behind in any ghazwa that the Prophet PBUH fought, except Ghazwa Tabuk and Ghazwa Badr. But as for Badr, nobody criticized anyone for not participating, because it was not meant to be a war; it was just a search for the caravans of the Quraysh — and then the Muslims met their enemy' [see Quran, 8:7]." So Ka'b begins by saying he never remained behind in any ghazwa except Tabuk and Badr; and he says as for Badr, nobody was criticized for remaining behind because it was not a fight in the beginning, rather, it was simply a raid of the caravan of Abu Sufyan [see episodes 35 & 36]. And then he said, "I witnessed the night of the Bay'at al-Aqaba with the Prophet of Allah when we pledged our Islam; and to me, that is more precious than Badr, and I would not substitute that for Badr even though Badr is more popular amongst the people than the Bay'at al-Aqaba."
So this is the first paragraph of the hadith, and it's so profound, so full of meaning; let's digest it bit by bit. Firstly, what we found really interesting here is the fact that his own son is narrating the story in such vivid detail. We all know how awkward it is to tell our sons of our own mistakes. But wallahi, this is the best tarbiya (تربية - education/upbringing/moral cultivation/character building/mentoring) imaginable, because you are teaching your son by example. The fact that Ka'b is telling his son, "I remained behind," and then about all of the punishments that came, it's amazing. As a parent, you always try to hide your faults from your children; but here is Ka'b telling his son everything. Why? To give him the lessons and morals to benefit from. It's worth noting that the lesson is not in the mistake, but in how to correct that mistake.
Also, we see here an interesting psychology of the [legitimate] pride of the sahaba. (Arrogance is haram, but pride in doing a legitimate thing is not haram, e.g., you should feel proud of being a Muslim, meaning "Alhamdulillah, Allah has given me Islam.") The sahaba have their CVs in their mind. And by the way, we learn this from Abu Bakr, Umar, and other sahaba as well — once in a while, they list I did this and I did that. This is natural that you feel happy about your service to Islam. So Ka'b mentions, "I never remained behind in any battle, and I witnessed Aqaba. And for me, that makes up for Badr. Even though among the people, Badr is more popular, but for me, Aqaba is more precious." Why is it more precious? Because Aqaba was smaller — only 72 people participated. And also because in Aqaba, the Muslims converted before meeting the Prophet PBUH — so it's a big honor. Therefore, he said, "I would never substitute Aqaba for Badr." So notice in his mind he is thinking of all the good that he has done. So the question to all of us is: When was the last time we sat down and thought, "What good have I done in this life for the akhira?"—this is called Muhasabat al-Nafs (محاسبة النفس) and it is a sign of Islam. You think about what positives you have done. We see this in the seerah and in the lives of the sahaba constantly. They are preparing and increasing their resume for the akhira. Here are the sahaba thinking, "What have I done for the sake of Allah?"
We also see over here that Ka'b is setting up the stage for making an excuse for his later mistake by mentioning the positives he has done. Everyone makes mistakes; but he is saying, "Overall, look at my resume — I participated in every battle, the Pledge of Aqaba, etc."—he mentions his good points. And indeed, this is authentic human nature. Judging someone based on just one mistake is wrong. The scholars say that if a righteous person makes a mistake, it's not the same as when an evil person makes a mistake over and over again. History and habit play a big role in passing judgment on somebody in this world, and even in the Next. If a pious man slips up and he repents, he is dealt with some laxity.
Ka'b goes on in the story, "As for the Battle of Tabuk and what happened to me, I was never more physically fit or wealthier than right before that battle." So he is saying that he had no excuse for not participating. "By Allah, I had never owned two camels before this point, but at the Battle of Tabuk, I had two camels."
Now, the two legitimate reasons for not participating in Tabuk are (i) if you are disabled, old, sick, etc., or (ii) if you don't have any money. In those days, the battles were self-financed. So if you didn't have a camel or any money, you simply could not go. But, Ka'b says, "I had no excuse. I was strong and wealthy." And he also said he had two camels. (And notice as well that owning a camel was a big deal for the sahaba, which shows their poverty. The average sahaba did not own a single camel. Even the Prophet PBUH did not own a camel up until the Hijrah. Owning a camel, which was the bare minimum to go around, was a luxury for them. And this shows us the poverty of the sahaba in early Islam. — And the money started pouring in in the next generation.)
And as we mentioned last week, this ghazwa was fard ayn on every single capable Muslim. It was a major sin not to go because the Prophet PBUH was commanding the sahaba that they had to go. Thus every single able-bodied man had to go.
Ka'b continues: "Any man who intended to be absent assumed that the matter would remain hidden, unless Allah revealed it through wahy"—meaning the numbers were so much that if someone missed out, no one would notice. But there was the fear that Allah would expose them.
He goes on: "The Prophet PBUH went to this ghazwa at the time when the fruits had ripened and the shade was so sweet. And I was more eager for those two than the ghazwa. And the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba continued to prepare for the battle. And I started to go out myself to prepare — but every day, I would come back without doing anything." Around 10 days were given for preparation; and every day, people went to the marketplace to buy stuff for the journey, for their families, and they needed to find people who would look after their crops, etc.; you have to arrange your affairs, and the sahaba were busy doing this; and Ka'b said, every day, he would go out with his to-do-list, but one thing leads to another, and he would come back home without doing anything.
He goes on: "The Prophet PBUH went to this ghazwa at the time when the fruits had ripened and the shade was so sweet. And I was more eager for those two than the ghazwa. And the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba continued to prepare for the battle. And I started to go out myself to prepare — but every day, I would come back without doing anything." Around 10 days were given for preparation; and every day, people went to the marketplace to buy stuff for the journey, for their families, and they needed to find people who would look after their crops, etc.; you have to arrange your affairs, and the sahaba were busy doing this; and Ka'b said, every day, he would go out with his to-do-list, but one thing leads to another, and he would come back home without doing anything.
And he said, "Every day, I would say to myself that I can do it the next day, no big deal. And I kept on delaying until finally, the people got ready to depart, and the Prophet PBUH and the Muslims left the next morning." They left right after Salat al-Fajr. "And I had not done anything for the preparations. And I said to myself, 'Okay, I'll do it today or tomorrow, and then I'll catch up to them.'" Remember, there are ~20,000 people marching, so the march will be extremely slow. Therefore, a single rider would not have any problem catching up to them in a day or two.
Ka'b continues: "However, the day they left went by and I did nothing. And the next day as well, I did nothing. How I wish I had done something back then." So he is telling his son how much he regrets not doing anything. After two days, the opportunity is gone; you cannot catch up to the army. And this truly shows us the evils of procrastination; of delaying. This shows us the evils of delaying that which you can do now for tomorrow. This issue of taswif (تسويف - procrastination), subhan'Allah, if you look at the text of the Quran and Sunnah, you will find that it's all action-based when it comes to Iman. Allah says, "And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord" [Quran, 3:133], and, "Stand up and [go] warn [the people]" [Quran, 74:2], etc. And what does Musa AS say when he went to Mount Sinai? "And I have hastened to You, my Lord, so You will be pleased" [Quran, 20:84]. And the whole Quran is full of these action items and verbs. Therefore, he who does not have a zeal for action has a deficiency in Iman. Procrastination is from shaytan. Ibn al-Jawzi says, "Procrastination is the most important weapon of shaytan; he uses it for everything." Ibn al-Qayyim says, "Every time a door of good opens up in front of you, the doors of 'perhaps' and 'soon' also open up to compete with it"—meaning shaytan tempts you with, "Do I really need to do this? What if I did that instead?" and "Don't do it now; do it in a while." And we learn from Ka'b's story the dangers of procrastination. Ka'b did not intend to stay behind; but shaytan continued to cause him to procrastinate until it was too late and he realized he could not do anything.
Ka'b goes on: "Such was the case with me. Until they departed and the expedition was completely missed by me. After the departure of the Prophet PBUH, whenever I went outside and walked amongst the remaining people, it grieved me that I could see no one left in the city except one who was known for his hypocrisy, or one who was infirm and weak so Allah had excused him."
Ka'b continues: "However, the day they left went by and I did nothing. And the next day as well, I did nothing. How I wish I had done something back then." So he is telling his son how much he regrets not doing anything. After two days, the opportunity is gone; you cannot catch up to the army. And this truly shows us the evils of procrastination; of delaying. This shows us the evils of delaying that which you can do now for tomorrow. This issue of taswif (تسويف - procrastination), subhan'Allah, if you look at the text of the Quran and Sunnah, you will find that it's all action-based when it comes to Iman. Allah says, "And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord" [Quran, 3:133], and, "Stand up and [go] warn [the people]" [Quran, 74:2], etc. And what does Musa AS say when he went to Mount Sinai? "And I have hastened to You, my Lord, so You will be pleased" [Quran, 20:84]. And the whole Quran is full of these action items and verbs. Therefore, he who does not have a zeal for action has a deficiency in Iman. Procrastination is from shaytan. Ibn al-Jawzi says, "Procrastination is the most important weapon of shaytan; he uses it for everything." Ibn al-Qayyim says, "Every time a door of good opens up in front of you, the doors of 'perhaps' and 'soon' also open up to compete with it"—meaning shaytan tempts you with, "Do I really need to do this? What if I did that instead?" and "Don't do it now; do it in a while." And we learn from Ka'b's story the dangers of procrastination. Ka'b did not intend to stay behind; but shaytan continued to cause him to procrastinate until it was too late and he realized he could not do anything.
Ka'b goes on: "Such was the case with me. Until they departed and the expedition was completely missed by me. After the departure of the Prophet PBUH, whenever I went outside and walked amongst the remaining people, it grieved me that I could see no one left in the city except one who was known for his hypocrisy, or one who was infirm and weak so Allah had excused him."
Then he says, "The Prophet PBUH did not remember me until they reached Tabuk." There is a difference of opinion, but it's said the Prophet PBUH camped at Tabuk for 10 to 19 days. And in that time, he PBUH remembered Ka'b and said, "Where is Ka'b?" And a man from the Banu Salama (Ka'b's tribe) said, "Ya Rasulullah, his two garments, and his looking at his property, have kept him back"—meaning he is saying his fine clothes and cushions and sofas have kept him back, i.e., he is saying he preferred this dunya. At this, Mu'adh ibn Jabal said, "Woe to you! Why are you saying this? Wallahi, I only know Ka'b to be a good man." It's interesting to note that we don't know the name of the man who criticized Ka'b, but the one who praised him, we know — Mu'adh ibn Jabal. Think about it. Do you not think Ka'b knows who criticized him? Of course he does; it's someone from his own tribe. But when it comes to narrating the story, he simply says, "One of the people of the Banu Salama." Subhan'Allah — how many times in the seerah have we seen this adab of the sahaba? To overlook bad things. Just simply not mentioning it. And if you have to mention, to keep it anonymous. The Prophet PBUH said in a hadith, "Whoever defends the honor of his brother in his absence, Allah will defend his face from the Fire of Hell." (So isn't it sad that the culture we live in our time is the exact opposite? There are shows and magazines dedicated to gossip.)
Also, notice the Prophet PBUH is monitoring the sahaba — he eventually notices that Ka'b is missing.
Ka'b continues, "Then the Prophet PBUH saw someone in the distance breaking the mirage, and he [PBUH] said, 'Let it be Abu Khaythama,' and lo and behold, it was Abu Khaythama [coming to join the army]." He was late because initially, he didn't have the money to go. When the Prophet PBUH was calling for donations in Madinah, all Abu Khaythama had was a handful of dates, which he donated. And some of the munafiqun were in the masjid; they made fun of this donation from Abu Khaythama and said, "What will these dates do to finance the entire army?" At this, Allah revealed in the Quran, "[There are] those who slander [some of] the believers for donating liberally, and mock others for giving only the little they can afford. Allah will throw their mockery back at them, and they will suffer a painful punishment" [9:79], i.e., Allah criticized the munafiqun and praised Abu Khaythama. Subhan'Allah. And eventually, he managed to get a camel way after the Prophet PBUH was gone, and single-handedly, he rode to Tabuk. And the Prophet PBUH wanted him so bad that when he saw a single rider in the distance, out of all the people left behind, he said, "Let it be Abu Khaythama!" And lo and behold, it was him.
Eventually, the Prophet PBUH comes back to Madinah.
Eventually, the Prophet PBUH comes back to Madinah.
Ka'b continues, "When I heard that the Prophet PBUH was on his way back, my concerns deepened, and my mind went to every single excuse I could think of, saying to myself, 'What can I say to avoid the anger of the Prophet PBUH when he returns?' And I took the advice of the senior members of my tribe. But when I found out that the Prophet PBUH had returned, all of these false excuses disappeared from my mind. And I knew I could never come out of this problem with any false statement. So I made a decision that I would confess and say the truth." This shows us the reality of Iman. The mu'min might fall into a mistake, but he doesn't remain in that mistake. This is also clearly seen in the story of Adam and Iblis. Both made a mistake; one asked Allah for forgiveness, the other persisted in his mistake. Iman, yes it can slip —nobody is perfect— but it will cause you to rise up and ask for forgiveness. This also shows us that nothing will save you from a mistake other than genuine sincerity to Allah. Our Prophet PBUH said in a hadith, "Feeling guilty is the essence of tawba." And when do you feel guilty? When you acknowledge that you made a mistake. Feeling guilty is the essence of repentance — without it, there is no repentance.
So Ka'b tells the story: "It was in the morning that the Prophet PBUH arrived [in Madinah]. And as was his habit whenever he would come back from a journey, he first went to the mosque and observed two rak'at of nafl prayer [as a mark of gratitude] and then he sat amongst people. And as he did that, those of us who remained behind all came in a long line to offer our excuses." And Ka'b said that those in line were more than 80 in number. So out of the entire city, only 80+ adult males remained without a legitimate excuse. (Those who had legitimate excuses were not lining up since they had already told the Prophet PBUH.) And the bulk of the 80 were hypocrites. This shows us that only a very small number of the males in Madinah were actually hypocrites. Out of over 4,000, just around 70-80 were hypocrites. And they all lined up and gave their excuses. And they begged the Prophet PBUH to ask Allah for forgiveness. The Prophet PBUH accepted those excuses, and he left their secrets to Allah.
So Ka'b tells the story: "It was in the morning that the Prophet PBUH arrived [in Madinah]. And as was his habit whenever he would come back from a journey, he first went to the mosque and observed two rak'at of nafl prayer [as a mark of gratitude] and then he sat amongst people. And as he did that, those of us who remained behind all came in a long line to offer our excuses." And Ka'b said that those in line were more than 80 in number. So out of the entire city, only 80+ adult males remained without a legitimate excuse. (Those who had legitimate excuses were not lining up since they had already told the Prophet PBUH.) And the bulk of the 80 were hypocrites. This shows us that only a very small number of the males in Madinah were actually hypocrites. Out of over 4,000, just around 70-80 were hypocrites. And they all lined up and gave their excuses. And they begged the Prophet PBUH to ask Allah for forgiveness. The Prophet PBUH accepted those excuses, and he left their secrets to Allah.
Now, we notice the following things from these narrations:
1. The neglected sunnah to pray two rak'at when one returns to their city. Whenever the Prophet PBUH returned, the first thing he would do was pray two rak'at in his masjid.
2. An interesting point which we will come back to [in episode 93], but for now we will just zoom over because Ka'b's narration does not mention this: Of the verses revealed during this time was verse 43 of Surat al-Tawba in which the Prophet PBUH was mildly chastised by Allah for forgiving the munafiqun:
عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ
"Allah will forgive you [O Prophet]! [But] why did you accept all of their excuses? You should have waited until you test those who have told the truth against those who have lied" [Quran, 9:43].This shows us over and over again that the Prophet PBUH did practice his own ijtihad [see episodes 38, 40, 58, 63, 64, 66]. And this is one of the instances in which Allah rebuked his ijtihad. It was obvious that the hypocrites were lying, but the Prophet PBUH, with his tender heart, accepted their excuses. And therefore, Allah SWT revealed verse [9:43].
Ka'b continued: "Then it was my turn. And when I came up to him [PBUH], he smiled at me the way that an angry man smiles." When you are angry and irritated at someone, you would scowl — but the Prophet PBUH is not like this. He still smiled despite his anger. And the fact that he is angry at Ka'b is a positive sign, because it shows that he is disappointed in him; whereas for the munafiqun, he isn't even angry, because what they did was expected from them. It shows that Ka'b had a higher standard in his eyes PBUH. Then he PBUH said, "What is your excuse, O Ka'b? Did you not have good health? Did you not purchase a camel?"—and again, this is amazing; it shows that the Prophet PBUH is monitoring all the sahaba. Ka'b said, "Wallahi, ya Rasulullah, if I were sitting in front of any other person from this whole world, I would have been able to wiggle my way out in front of him and avoid getting his anger. By Allah, I have been bestowed the power of speaking fluently and eloquently; but if I were to tell you a lie today to please you, Allah would expose me and make you angry at me tomorrow. But if I tell you the truth, even though you might be angry at me today, I can hope that Allah will forgive me. Ya Rasulullah, I swear by Allah, I have no excuse. I have never been healthier, stronger, or wealthier than right before the Battle of Tabuk." Upon this, the Prophet PBUH said, "As for this man, he has spoken the truth"—and this shows that he PBUH knew that the hypocrites were lying. Then he PBUH said, "So stand up [and leave, O Ka'b], and Allah will decide your fate."
One of the most profound points here really is the issue of tawhid; of the maqam-Allah vs. maqam-nabi-PBUH. Clearly, we have this here. And this distinction is especially essential when we look at certain groups out there and the way they view huquq-Allah vs. huquq-nabi-PBUH (huquq/حقوق = rights); especially the Sufi and Barelvi groups. Here we have Ka'b ibn Malik. And what is he saying to the Prophet PBUH? He says, "Ya Rasulullah, if I were to tell you a lie today to please you, Allah would expose me and make you angry at me tomorrow. But if I tell you the truth, even though you might be angry at me today, I can hope that Allah will forgive me." Clearly, Ka'b understands the kalimah, "La ilaha illaLlah, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah," that it is Allah's pleasure he needs to seek; that even if he manages to convince the Prophet PBUH, Allah is not going to be happy with him if he lies. But if he is truthful and repentant to Allah, Allah will forgive him eventually. Imagine that. And subhan'Allah, these days, so many groups have reversed the order, and they quite literally say the Prophet PBUH is in charge of who goes to Jannah and Jahannam; and they give him PBUH so many powers and whatnot — but this is not from our religion. No doubt, the Prophet PBUH is the greatest human being; but he is not divine. We don't worship him; we worship his Creator and Sender. Ka'b understands this point, and he summarizes tawhid in this small incident.
Ka'b then walked away. And as he was walking away, a group from his tribe gathered around him and followed him home and said, "O Ka'b, you were a good man up until today (i.e., you were one of our best men). Why didn't you join the others (the hypocrites) with their excuses? Surely, you could have joined the rest of them. And the Prophet PBUH would have asked for your forgiveness. And that would have been sufficient for the forgiveness of your sin!"
And Ka'b says his tribesmen continued to pester him and tell him to go back until he was almost going to. (Notice here the effects of those who are not very righteous.) But Ka'b asked them, "Did anyone else in that long line also say they have no excuse?" They said, "Yes, there were two people: Murara ibn al-Rabi' al-Amri and Hilal ibn Umayyah al-Waqifi."
Ka'b narrates, "Wallahi, they mentioned to me two people of Iman and taqwa, the both of whom had attended the Battle of Badr. So I said, 'If they are in this position, then I will stay with them rather than with the munafiqun.'" This shows us the importance of righteous companionship; and also the importance of quality over quantity. 80 plus gave their baloney excuses while just two others confessed; yet those two are worth more than the 80 plus combined — which shows us truth is not judged by numbers/quantity. It's by quality.
Ka'b goes on and says, "The Prophet PBUH forbade all of the Muslims to interact with the three of us out of those who remained behind in the ghazwa." Notice the munafiqun did not get any punishment in this world. They are simply overlooked in this world, and their Punishment will await in the Hereafter. This shows us the wisdom of worldly punishments. And this applies not just to the Islamic state punishments of the hudud, but to any pain and suffering that the believers go through in this world. The believer understands that every punishment, pain, and suffering he goes through in this world will eliminate the Punishment, Pain, and Suffering in the Next world. That is why, as in Ka'b's case, the believers are the ones who are punished. And as for the munafiqun, they got away scot-free.
Ka'b goes on and says, "The Prophet PBUH forbade all of the Muslims to interact with the three of us out of those who remained behind in the ghazwa." Notice the munafiqun did not get any punishment in this world. They are simply overlooked in this world, and their Punishment will await in the Hereafter. This shows us the wisdom of worldly punishments. And this applies not just to the Islamic state punishments of the hudud, but to any pain and suffering that the believers go through in this world. The believer understands that every punishment, pain, and suffering he goes through in this world will eliminate the Punishment, Pain, and Suffering in the Next world. That is why, as in Ka'b's case, the believers are the ones who are punished. And as for the munafiqun, they got away scot-free.
Ka'b says, "The command came down that nobody was to interact with us or speak with us until Allah allowed them to do so. So we kept away from the people. And the people's attitude towards us changed so much that it appeared to me as if I was a foreigner/stranger in my own land. And the world, despite its vastness, became a constricted place for me." Subhan'Allah, we all know how much it hurts if just one of our loved ones does not speak to us. So imagine if all of our loved ones, friends, and acquaintances, they begin boycotting you. Wherever you go, nobody can look at you or speak to you. Imagine how you would feel. And this is what happened to Ka'b, Murara, and Hilal. (Side note: And this is why abandonment of a person is in fact an Islamic discipline. The Quran [4:34] says when the spouses are having a major problem and the one of them is not listening, one of the mechanisms you can use to discipline them is to abandon them in their bed, that, "Okay, I'm not going to speak to you." It's a tool you use to basically get the message across. Now of course, the general rule is that it is not allowed to abandon somebody for more than three days due to a personal dispute. However, in an Islamic land, the khalifa could issue a punishment for a particular person if there is a need to do so — and this is called "ta'zir [تعزير]" or "discretionary punishment." And forsaking one's spouse in their bed is one of the mechanisms of discretionary punishment.)
Also notice, it's amazing that in the whole city of Madinah, not a single person disobeyed the Prophet PBUH. They were told not to speak to the three people, and they obeyed. There is no police force monitoring you, there is no secret NSA checking you, but when the Prophet PBUH said don't, they-listened-and-they-obeyed. The whole city obeyed. This type of obedience can only come from Iman.
Also notice, it's amazing that in the whole city of Madinah, not a single person disobeyed the Prophet PBUH. They were told not to speak to the three people, and they obeyed. There is no police force monitoring you, there is no secret NSA checking you, but when the Prophet PBUH said don't, they-listened-and-they-obeyed. The whole city obeyed. This type of obedience can only come from Iman.
Ka'b said, "We remained in this condition for 50 nights. As for my other two companions, Murara and Hilal, they locked themselves in their houses and did not interact with the people, because it was too painful for them. And they wept day and night about their situation. But as for me, I was the youngest and the most outgoing of them, so I would intentionally walk in the marketplace, and I would witness the salawat with the Prophet PBUH. But no one would look at me or talk to me. And I would go daily to the Prophet PBUH and greet him in front of everyone. And I would wonder whether his lips would move in response. But I wouldn't see anything." Imagine that pain when the Prophet PBUH himself is ignoring you.
And Ka'b says when he would pray salah, he would pray close to the Prophet PBUH, and he would look at him PBUH stealthily. And when he was focused on his salah, the Prophet PBUH would look at him; but when he would look at the Prophet PBUH, the Prophet PBUH would turn his face/eyes away. Meaning Ka'b wanted attention, and he was monitoring whether the Prophet PBUH was seeing him. And indeed, he was. So from this, we can see that even the Prophet PBUH himself wanted forgiveness for Ka'b.
And Ka'b says when he would pray salah, he would pray close to the Prophet PBUH, and he would look at him PBUH stealthily. And when he was focused on his salah, the Prophet PBUH would look at him; but when he would look at the Prophet PBUH, the Prophet PBUH would turn his face/eyes away. Meaning Ka'b wanted attention, and he was monitoring whether the Prophet PBUH was seeing him. And indeed, he was. So from this, we can see that even the Prophet PBUH himself wanted forgiveness for Ka'b.
Ka'b said, "When the harsh treatment of the Muslims towards me lasted long, I felt so exasperated that I finally went to my best friend/cousin Abu Qatada. I went to his house, jumped over the wall of the garden, and my cousin Abu Qatada was sitting there. And I said salam to him. But wallahi, he didn't even respond to me." Ka'b is so desperate for human contact that he goes to his best friend. But even he ignores him.
Then Ka'b says to Abu Qatada, "I ask you by Allah. Don't you know me to be a Muslim who loves Allah and His Messenger?" Abu Qatada didn't even look at him. So Ka'b asks again. And again, there is no response. For the third time, Ka'b is begging and pleading. So Abu Qatada just answers in the air, "Allah and His Messenger know best"—he doesn't answer him because he cannot; so he just answers into the air and says a factual statement that is true in every circumstance, "Allah and His Messenger know best." Then Ka'b says his tears began bursting forth, and he left Abu Qatada's house. We cannot even imagine his pain. For 50 days no one even speaks to you, including your best friend. And of course, this was the punishment — this was the expiation for his action.
Then Ka'b says to Abu Qatada, "I ask you by Allah. Don't you know me to be a Muslim who loves Allah and His Messenger?" Abu Qatada didn't even look at him. So Ka'b asks again. And again, there is no response. For the third time, Ka'b is begging and pleading. So Abu Qatada just answers in the air, "Allah and His Messenger know best"—he doesn't answer him because he cannot; so he just answers into the air and says a factual statement that is true in every circumstance, "Allah and His Messenger know best." Then Ka'b says his tears began bursting forth, and he left Abu Qatada's house. We cannot even imagine his pain. For 50 days no one even speaks to you, including your best friend. And of course, this was the punishment — this was the expiation for his action.
Then Ka'b said that in the last few days when he was walking in the marketplace, "I saw a Nabati (نبطي - Nabataean/Christian from up north) from the Nabatis of al-Sham who had come down to Madinah to sell his grain. And the Nabati was asking around as he was selling the grain, 'Who can tell me where is Ka'b ibn Malik?' And the people pointed, 'That is Ka'b ibn Malik,' so he came to me, and he said, 'I have a letter for you from the King of Ghassan.'" Recall the Battle of Tabuk was against the Ghassanids, and the Prophet PBUH had just come back from trying to fight them (but he didn't, because they fled). And this narration from Ka'b clearly shows that the Ghassanids had spies in Madinah, and they were reporting what was going on. And of the reports was that, "One of the elites of the Ansar has been abandoned" — so within the 50 days, the spies went back and reported, and the king sent a letter to Ka'b.
And the letter says, "Amma ba'd (to proceed). I have been informed that your friend (the Prophet PBUH) has treated you coldly. And Allah would not allow you to live in a place where you are inferior and your rights are lost. Join us and we will console you and make you happy." Now why would the King of Ghassan want to reach out to Ka'b ibn Malik? For many reasons: (i) To break the ranks and brotherhood of the Muslims. (ii) It's a matter of pride, that, 'I have one of yours.' (iii) To learn the inner mechanisms and dynamics of the Muslims, i.e., source of information. America, Russia, and so many countries do this all the time. You want to have the informants and the confidants come over. It's about prestige and inflicting wounds. Indeed, how embarrassing is it when an ambassador of a country defects over. So the King of the Ghassanids wants this elite sahabi. So he sends him an offer.
But, Ka'b said, "As soon as I read the letter, I said to myself, 'This is also of the tests,' and I immediately took it to my oven and burned it." Now, this is so beautiful. It's one thing to pass the test —for which you need Iman— but it's another thing to recognize that "this is a test" —for which you need knowledge—. Ka'b understands why this is happening to him. Isn't that amazing? And that is not just Iman. Iman will let you pass the test —and you need Iman to pass the test from Allah SWT— but knowledge will help you understand the dynamics of what is happening and recognize a test as a test. And that helps you to pass the test as well. We see this here: Ka'b understands precisely what is going on and says, "Allah SWT is testing me even more with this issue, and I'm not going to fall for this trap." And this shows us no doubt Iman is important, but knowledge is also important. And the best combination is true Iman with genuine knowledge put together.
Then Ka'b says: "40 days out of the 50 days went by. And then, on the 40th day, a messenger came from the Prophet PBUH and said, 'O Ka'b, the Prophet PBUH is commanding you to leave your wife.' So I said immediately, 'Should I divorce her or what should I do?' The messenger said, 'No, don't divorce. Just remain separate from her and don't come near her.'" So Ka'b sent his wife to her parents' house. Again, we see, wallahi, it's amazing: After 40 days, a command comes that is so painful —boycotting of even the wife—; yet as soon as the command comes, Ka'b doesn't say, "Why? For how long?" Rather, he says, "Divorce or what?"—meaning he wants to jump at the command of the Prophet PBUH and obey. Look at the Iman.
[Murara and Hilal also got the same command from the Prophet PBUH to remain separate from their wives.]
Then Ka'b said, "I found out that the wife of Hilal went to the Prophet PBUH to ask if she could take care of Hilal, because he was an old man. And the Prophet PBUH said, 'Yes, but do not sleep with him.' So she said, 'Ya Rasulullah, ever since your command has come, he has had no need of me. He has been stuck to the wall for 40 days, crying,'" i.e., the physical relations will not happen. Subhan'Allah, for 40 days, he has just been crying — no sense of anything other than repentance.
Then Ka'b said, "I found out that the wife of Hilal went to the Prophet PBUH to ask if she could take care of Hilal, because he was an old man. And the Prophet PBUH said, 'Yes, but do not sleep with him.' So she said, 'Ya Rasulullah, ever since your command has come, he has had no need of me. He has been stuck to the wall for 40 days, crying,'" i.e., the physical relations will not happen. Subhan'Allah, for 40 days, he has just been crying — no sense of anything other than repentance.
Then some of the women of Ka'b's extended family came to Ka'b and said, "Why don't you as well go and get permission?" But Ka'b said, "What am I going to say as an excuse in front of the Prophet PBUH? I am the youngest of them. No, I am not going to do that." So Ka'b ibn Malik refused to do this. And then a further ten days went by. And we will have to stop right here at the cliffhanger.
[To be continued...]
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, November 2021]
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, November 2021]
