Home Hadith Hadith 4470
I heard Ka`b bin Malik talking about the Verse:-- 'And to the three (He also forgave) who remained
behind.' (9.118) saying in the last portion of his talk, "(I said), 'As a part (sign) of my repentance, I
would like to give up all my property in the cause of Allah and His Apostle,' The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me,
'Keep some of your wealth as it is good for you." (To the three (He also forgave) who remained
behind till for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened..." (9.118)
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 65, Hadith 198
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When Abu Talib's death approached, the Prophet (ﷺ) went to him while Abu Jahl and `Abdullah bin Abi
Umaiya were present with him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O uncle, say: None has the right to be worshipped
except Allah, so that I may argue for your case with it before Allah." On that, Abu Jahl and `Abdullah
bin Abu Umaiya said, "O Abu Talib! Do you want to renounce `Abdul Muttalib's religion?" Then the
Prophet said, "I will keep on asking (Allah for) forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so."
Then there was revealed:--
'It is not fitting for the Prophet (ﷺ) and those who believe that they should invoke (Allah) for forgiveness
for pagans even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of
the Fire.' (9.113)
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I heard Ka`b bin Malik who was one of the three who were forgiven, saying that he had never
remained behind Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in any Ghazwa which he had fought except two Ghazwat Ghazwat-
Al-`Usra (Tabuk) and Ghazwat-Badr. He added. "I decided to tell the truth to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the
forenoon, and scarcely did he return from a journey he made, except in the forenoon, he would go first
to the mosque and offer a two-rak`at prayer.
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade others to speak to me or to my two companions, but he did not prohibit speaking
to any of those who had remained behind excepting us. So the people avoided speaking to us, and I
stayed in that state till I could no longer bear it, and the only thing that worried me was that I might
die and the Prophet (ﷺ) would not offer the funeral prayer for me, or Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) might die and I
would be left in that social status among the people that nobody would speak to me or offer the
funeral prayer for me. But Allah revealed His Forgiveness for us to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the last third of the
night while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was with Um Salama. Um Salama sympathized with me and helped me in
my disaster. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'O Um Salama! Ka`b has been forgiven!'
She said, 'Shall I send someone to him to give him the good tidings?' He said, 'If you did so, the
people would not let you sleep the rest of the night.' So when the Prophet (ﷺ) had offered the Fajr prayer,
he announced Allah's Forgiveness for us. His face used to look as bright as a piece of the (full) moon
whenever he was pleased. When Allah revealed His Forgiveness for us, we were the three whose case
had been deferred while the excuse presented by those who had apologized had been accepted. But
when there were mentioned those who had told the Prophet (ﷺ) lies and remained behind (the battle of
Tabuk) and had given false excuses, they were described with the worse description one may be
described with. Allah said: 'They will present their excuses to you (Muslims) when you return to
them. Say: Present no excuses; we shall not believe you. Allah has already informed us of the true
state of matters concerning you. Allah and His Apostle will observe your actions." (9.94)