Battle of tabuk
Surah tooba 117
once a companion of Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH)
Ka`b bin Malik did not go with Allah's Messenger in any battle that he fought except the battle of Tabuk. He failed to take part in the battle of Badr, but Allah did not admonish anyone who did not participate in it, for in fact, Allah's Messenger had gone out in search of the caravan of Quraysh, until Allah made the Muslims and their enemies meet without any appointment.
He said ,"As for my news of this battle of Tabuk, I was never stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind Allah's Messenger in that battle.The battle (of Tabuk) which Allah's Messenger fought in intense heat, facing a long journey, the desert, and the great number of enemy soldiers. So the Prophet clearly announced the destination to the Muslims, so that they could prepare for their battle, and he told them about his intent. Allah's Messenger was accompanied by such a large number of Muslims that they could not be listed in a book by name, nor registered. Allah's Messenger fought that battle at a time when the fruits had ripened and the shade was pleasant, and I found myself inclined towards that.
Allah's Messenger and his Companions prepared for the battle and I started to go out in order to get myself ready along with them, but I returned without doing anything. I would say to myself, `I can do that if I want.' So I kept on delaying it every now and then until the people were prepared, and Allah's Messenger , and the Muslims along with him, departed. But I had not prepared anything for my departure.
I said, `I will prepare myself (for departure) one or two days after him, and then join them.' In the morning following their departure.
So, after the departure of Allah's Messenger , whenever I went out and walked among the people , it grieved me that I could see none around me.
Allah's Messenger did not remember me until he reached Tabuk. So while he was sitting among the people in Tabuk, he said,
What did Ka`b bin Malik do. A man from Banu Salimah said, `He has been stopped by his two garments and looking at his own flanks with pride.'A companion said, `What a bad thing you have said! By Allah! We know nothing about him but that which is good.'
Allah's Messenger kept silent.
''' Ka`b bin Malik said , "When I heard that Allah's Messenger was on his way back to Al-Madinah, I was overcome by concern and began to think of false excuses. I said to myself, `How can I escape from his anger tomorrow' .When it was said that Allah's Messenger had approached all false excuses abandoned my mind and I knew well that I could never come out of this problem.
Then I decided firmly to speak the truth. Allah's Messenger arrived in the morning, he used to visit the Masjid first, and offer a two Rak`ah prayer, then sit for the people. So when he had done all that those who failed to join the battle came and started offering excuses and taking oaths before him.
They were over eighty men. Allah's Messenger accepted the excuses they expressed , asked for Allah's forgiveness for them . Then I came to him, and when I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person and then said,
"Come."
So I came walking until I sat before him.
He(PBUH) said to me,
“What stopped you from joining us Had you not purchased an animal for carrying you”
I answered, `Yes, By Allah, if I were sitting before any person from among the people of the world other than you, I would have escaped from his anger with an excuse.
But by Allah, I knew well that if I tell you a lie today to seek your favor, Allah would surely make you angry with me But if I tell you the truth, I hope for Allah's forgiveness.
" I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you".
'Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) said,
“As regards to this man, he has surely told the truth. So get up until Allah decides your case.
I got up, and many men of Banu Salimah followed me and said to me, ' they continued blaming me so much that I intended to return (to the Prophet ) and accuse myself of having told a lie, but I said to them, `Is there anybody else who has met the same end as I have' They replied, `Yes, there are two men who have said the same thing as you have, and to both of them was given the same order as given to you.' I said, `Who are they' .
They mentioned to me two pious men .So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me. Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) forbade all the Muslims from talking to us, the three persons, out of all those who remained behind for that battle.
So we kept away from the people and they changed their attitude towards us until the land where I lived appeared strange to me as if I did not know it.
We remained in that condition for fifty nights. As for my two companions, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest and the firmest of them. So I would go out and attend the prayer along with the Muslims and roam the markets, but none would talk to me.
I would come to Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) and greet him while he was sitting in his gathering after the prayer, and I would wonder whether he even moved his lips in return of my greeting or not. Then I would offer my prayer near him and look at him carefully.
When I was busy with my prayer, he would turn his face towards me, but when I turned my face to him, he would turn his face away from me.
When this harsh attitude and boycott of the people continued for a long time, I walked until I scaled the wall of the garden of my cousin and the dearest person to me.
I offered my greeting to him. He did not return my greetings. I said, ' I beseech you by Allah! Do you know that I love Allah and Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) . He kept quiet. I asked him again, but he remained silent. I asked him again in the Name of Allah and he said, `Allah and His Messenger know better.'
Thereupon my eyes flowed with tears and I returned and jumped over the wall. The people began to point out for him, until he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan for I knew how to read and write.
In that letter, the following was written: ` I have been informed that the Prophet has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allah does not make you live in a place where you feel inferior. So, join us, and we will console you.' When I read it, I said to myself, `This is also a sort of test.' I made a fire burning it.
When forty out of the fifty nights elapsed, behold! There came to me a messenger of Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) saying `Allah's Messenger orders you to keep away from your wife.' I said, `Should I divorce her; He said, `No, do not mingle with her.' The Prophet sent the same message to my two fellows.
I said to my wife, `Go to your parents and remain with them until Allah gives His verdict in this matter.'' We remained in that state for ten more nights, until the period of fifty nights was completed, starting from the time when Allah's Messenger prohibited the people from talking to us.
When I had finished the Fajr prayer on the fiftieth morning on the roof of one of our houses, There I heard the voice of a man who had ascended the mountain of Sal` calling with his loudest voice, `O Ka`b bin Malik! Be happy (I fell down in prostration before Allah, realizing that relief has come with His forgiveness for us. Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) announced the acceptance of our repentance by Allah after Fajr prayer.
The people went out to congratulate us. Some bearers of good news went to my two companions, a horseman came to me while a man from Banu Aslam came running and ascended the mountain and his voice was swifter than the horse.
When the man whose voice I had heard, came to me conveying the good news, I took off my garments and dressed him with them; '' I owned no other than them on that day. Then I borrowed two garments, wore them and went to .
The people started receiving me , congratulating me on Allah's acceptance of my repentance, I saw Allah's Messenger sitting in the Masjid with the people around him. "When I greeted Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) , his face was bright with joy. He said,
`Be happy with the best day you have ever seen since your mother gave birth to you.
I said to the Prophet, `Is this forgiveness from you or from Allah' He said,
“No, it is from Allah”.
“Whenever Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) became happy, his face would shine as if it was a piece of the moon, and we all knew that characteristic of him.
Surah tooba 117
source : Tafseer Ibn-e-Kathir
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