النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 111 - 112
punged. Allah knows best.
At the end of the verse (111), it was said: La 1332 (So, rejoice in
the deal you have made). The agreement arrived at with the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in this event of the Bai'atu al-Aqabah had, on
the surface, turned into a sort of buying and selling deal. Therefore, it
was expressed through the word: . 1.ª (Allah has bought) at the begin-
ning of the verse. In the present sentence, Muslims were told that they
had struck a good deal which will bring blessings for them. The reason
was that they had tendered their life and wealth that were mortal
while that which they received in return was eternal. If we come to
think about it, we would realize that wealth was the only thing they
spent out. As for life, that is, the essential spirit, that will remain even
after death, and remain forever. And if we were to look deeper into the
reality of wealth, that too happens to be nothing but the gift of Allah
Almighty. When born, human beings visit the world empty-handed. It
was He who made them own everything around them and it was He
who made His own gift the price of eternal blessings and gave them
Paradise. Therefore, Sayyidna 'Umar ar Ul », said, 'this is a strange
deal where the commodity and the price have both been given to you!'
The sage, Hasan al-Basri said, 'Behold, what a profitable business
is this that Allah has thrown open to every believer!' And he also said,
'It is Allah who has blessed you with wealth and property. Spend a lit-
tle out of it and buy Paradise.' (Mazhari)
The last verse (112) which begins with the words: 533 se Jf "(They
are) those who repent, those who worship ... ) describes the attributes
of the same believers about whom it was said earlier that Allah has
bought their lives and their wealth from the believers, against which
Paradise shall be for them. Though, the verse was revealed as relating
to a particular group of participants in the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah, but the
sense of the verse covers all mujahidin in the way of Allah. As for the
list of their attributes which opens with: 32, Gi (those who repent), they
are not there as a condition, because the promise of Paradise has been
made for Jihad in the way of Allah, in an absolute sense. The purpose
behind the delineation of these attributes is to stress that those who
deserve Paradise do have such attributes - as was specially the case
with the noble Companions who were a party to Bai'atu al-'Aqabah.
The word: 3 G (as-sa'ihun: translated literally as 'those who jour-

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 113 - 114
ney'), according to the majority of commentators, means those who fast
(șa'im un). Actually, this word has been derived from: u (siyahah:
journey, pilgrimage). Before Islam, siyahah was taken to be an act of
worship in the Christian religion that meant leaving home for the sake
of worship. Islam declared it to be monasticism, and prohibited it. It
was replaced with fasting as an act of worship. The reason is that siya-
hah taught disengagement from worldly life while fasting taught that
one should abstain from worldly desires for a limited period of time liv-
ing at home. It is on the same basis that Jihad too has been equated
with siyahah in some reports. Ibn Majah, Hakim and Baihaqi have au-
سِيَاحَةُ أُمَّتِىْ الْجِهَادُ فِى سَبِيل :thentically reported that the Holy Prophet e said
i (The siyahah of my ummah is Jihad in the way of Allah).
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas رضى الله عنه has said that سأيحين (sa'thin:
those who journey) in the Qur'an means: (sa'im in: those who fast).
Explaining L (as-sa'ihin: those who journey), 'Ikrimah said, 'they
are students who leave their homes to seek religious knowledge.'
(Mazhari)
At this place, seven attributes of believing mujahidin have been de-
scribed as those who repent, those who worship, those who praise Al-
lah, those who journey, those who bow in ruku', those who prostrate in
sajdah, those who bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. After having
enumerated these seven attributes, the eighth attribute was put as:
' shall: "those who preserve the limits prescribed by Allah.' Actu-
ally, this expression is an embodiment of all attributes mentioned ear-
lier. In other words, the details given in those seven attributes have
been eloquently reduced to one small sentence which means that they
are committed to the limits set by Allah, that is, they obey, adhere to
and protect the injunctions of the Shari'ah of Islam.
At the end of the verse (112), it was said: "; (And give the
good news to the believers). It means that the Prophet of Islam should
convey to believers who have the attributes mentioned above the good
news of blessings nobody could ever imagine, nor could it be explained
in words, nor has anyone heard about it from any source. The refer-
ence is to the ultimate blessings of Paradise.
Verses 113 - 114
مَا كَانَ لِلسَِّّ وَالَّذِيْنَ امَنُؤْآ آَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِيْنَ وَلَوْ

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 113 - 114
كَانُوا أُولِيْ قُرْنِى مِنْ بَعْدٍ مَا تَبَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحُبُ الْجَحِيْمِ
﴿١١٣) وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارٌ إِبْرُهِيْمَ لِأَبِيْهِ إِلَّ عَنْ قَوْعِدَةٍ
وَّعَدَهَا إِيَّاهٌُ فَلَمَّا تَبَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ﴾ إِنَّ إِبُرْهِيْمَ
لَاوَّاهُ حَلِيمٌ ﴿١١٤﴾
It is not for the Prophet and the believers to seek for-
giveness for the Mushriks*, even if they are kinsmen,
after it became clear to them that they are the people
of hell. [113]
And the prayer of Ibrahim for the forgiveness of his fa-
ther was not but due to a promise he had made to him.
Later when it became clear to him that he was an ene-
my of Allah, he withdrew himself from him. Surely, Ib-
rahim is oft sighing (before Allah), forbearing. [114]
Commentary
The entire Surah Al-Taubah consists of injunctions of absolution
and withdrawal from kafirs (disbelievers) and mushriks (those who as-
sociate partners with Allah). The Surah opens with the words: 54
(Here is a withdrawal [proclaimed] by Allah) and that is why this Su-
rah is also known as Surah al-Bara'ah. The injunctions appearing ear-
lier relate to withdrawal and severance of relationships with kafirs
and mushriks in this worldly life. The same injunction of withdrawal
and severance of relationships appears in the the present verses, but it
relates to the life hereinafter. It makes it impermissible even to pray
for the forgiveness of kafirs and mushriks after their death - as it ap-
pears in a previous verse (84) where the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has
been prohibited from offering funeral prayers for hypocrites.
The background of revelation
The event that was the cause or background of the revelation of
this ayah has been reported in a narrative appearing in the Sahih of al-
Bukhari and Muslim. According to this report, Abu Talib, the uncle of
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, had not, though, embraced Islam, yet
صلى الله عليه وسلم he continued to support and protect the Holy Prophet
throughout his life. He did not listen to any member of his clan in this
*. Those who associate partners with Allah.

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 113 - 114
matter. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم too was concerned about him.
He wished that his uncle would somehow recite the Kalimah and em-
brace Islam. He would thus be able to intercede on his behalf and he
could have his deliverance from the punishment of Jahannam. When
Abu Talib was suffering from his last sickness and death became cer-
tain, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was worried. He wished if his un-
cle were to recite the Kalimah even now, things might work for him.
He came close to him in that state of anxiety - but, Abu Jahl and
‘Abdullah ibn Umayyah (disbelieving diehards) were already there. He
said, 'my uncle, recite the Kalimah: Ji flas (La ilaha illallah). I shall
try to seek forgiveness for you.' But, Abu Jahl interrupted, 'would you
forsake the faith of 'Abd al-Muttalib (father of Abu Talib)?' The Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم repeated what he had said several times. But,
every time, Abu Jahl would say the same thing he had said before -
until the last words spoken by Abu Talib were, 'I am on the faith of
'Abd al-Muttalib.' It was in this very condition that he died. Then, the
Holy Prophet صلى اللّه عليه وسلم swore that he would continue seeking for-
giveness for him until he was prohibited from it. Thereupon, this verse
of prohibition was revealed where the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and
all Muslims were prohibited from praying for the forgiveness of kafirs
and mushriks - even if they were close relatives.
This put some Muslims into doubt. Was it not, they thought, that
Sayyidna Ibrahim >JI ale too had prayed for his disbelieving father?
To answer it, the second verse (114) was revealed : مَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارٌ إِبُرهِيم In gist,
it means: As for the prayer made by Sayyidna Ibrahim WUJI _Le for his
father, it was conditioned by circumstances. In the beginning, Sayyid-
na Ibrahim WJI ale did not know that he would keep on sticking to his
disbelief right through the end and would die a disbeliever. In other
words, his going to Hell was not certain. That was the time when he
had made the promise that he would pray for his forgiveness: axel
(I shall ask my Lord to forgive you - Maryam 19:47). Later, when it be-
came clear to Sayyidna Ibrahim WILL that he was an enemy of Al-
lah, that is, he had remained a disbeliever right through the end, he
elected to become indifferent to him and stopped asking pardon for
him.
With regard to the mention of Sayyidna Ibrahim WJI ule praying for
the forgiveness of his father at different places in the Qur'an, it should

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 115 - 116
all be taken in that sense, whereby it would mean that Allah may give
him the taufiq of 'Iman and Islam so that he could be forgiven.
When the disbelievers inflicted a wound on the blessed face of the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم during the battle of Uhud, he was seen wip-
ing blood from his face and praying: ◌َاللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِقَوْمِىٌ إِنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُون (O Allah, for-
give my people. They do not know). The object of this prayer of forgive-
ness for the disbelievers is no other but that Allah may bless them
with the taufiq of 'Iman and Islam so that they could become deserving
of being forgiven.
Imam al-Qurtubi said, 'this proves that it is permissible to pray for
the forgiveness of a living kafir with the intention that this disbeliev-
ing person may have the taufiq of 'Iman and become deserving of for-
giveness.'
In the last sentence of the verse (114), it was said: 25 85,9151
(Surely, Ibrahim is oft sighing [before Allah], forbearing). The word: »l,1
(awwah) is used for a host of meanings. Al-Qurtubi has reported fifteen
meanings of this word but they are all close to each other without any
real difference between them. Some of these are: one who sighs a lot,
or one who supplicates profusely, or one who is full of mercy for the
servants of Allah. This (last) meaning is reported from Sayyidna
.رضى الله عنه Abdullah ibn Mastud'
Verses 115 - 116
وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمَّاً بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدُهُمْ حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ
مَّا يَتَّقُونَ* إِنَّ اللهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيْمِ ﴿١١٥) إِنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ
السَّمُوتِ وَ اْأَرْضِ ◌ُّ يُحْىِ وَيُمِيْتُ وَمَالَكُمْ مِنُ دُوْنِ اللّهِ مِنْ
وَّلِيٍّ وَّلَا نَصِيٍْ ﴿١١٦)
And Allah is not to make a people go astray after He
has given them guidance, unless He explains to them
what they should avoid. Surely, in respect of every-
thing Allah is (All-) Knowing. [115]
Surely, to Allah alone belongs the kingdom of the heav-
ens and the earth. He gives life and brings death. And,
other than Allah, you have neither a supporter, nor a
helper. [116]

477
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
Verses 117 - 119
لَقَدْ تَّابَ اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهْجِيْنَ وَالْآَنْصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوْهُ
فِيْ سَاعَةِ الْعُسْتَرَةِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا كَانَ يَزِيْعُ قُلُّبٌ فَرِيْقٍ مِنْهُمْ
ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّهُ بِهِمْ رَهُفُّ رَحِيُمْ ﴿١٢٧) وَعَلَى النَّلْثَةِ
الَّذِيْنَ خُلِّفُؤَاء حَتَّى إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ اْأَرْضُ بِّا رَحُبَتُ
وَضَاقَتُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَظَتُّوْاْ أَنْ لَ مَلُّجَاً مِنَ اللّهِ إِلَّ إِلَيْهِ*
ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَسْتُوَاءُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الَّحِيُمُ ﴿١١٨)
يَاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَكُؤُنُوْا مَعَ الصُّدِقِيْنَ ﴿١١٩﴾
Surely, Allah has relented towards the Prophet and the
Muhajirs (Emigrants) and the Ansar (the Supporters)
who followed him in the hour of hardship after the
hearts of a group of them were about to turn crooked,
then He relented towards them. Surely, to them He is
Very Kind, Very Merciful. [117]
And (He relented) towards the three whose matter was
deferred until when the earth was straitened for them
despite all its vastness, and even their own souls were
straitened for them, and they realized that there is no
refuge from Allah, except in Him. Then He turned to-
wards them, so that they may repent. Surely, Allah is
the Most-Relenting, the Very Merciful. [118]
O those who believe, fear Allah, and be in the company
of the truthful. [119]
Commentary
In the comments on verse 102: 1234253%1; (And there are those who
admitted ... ), it was said that following the general call of Jihad at
Tabuk which required all Muslims to join in, the people of Madinah
had split into five groups. Two of them were of those who elected to
stay behind without any valid excuse, a detailed description of which
has appeared in previous verses. Here, in the present verses, three
kinds of sincere believers have been mentioned. First were those who
responded to the call of Jihad instantly. They have been identified in
the initial sentence : ◌ِإنَّبَعُرُهُ فِى سَاعَةِ الْمُشْرَة (who followed him in the hour of

478
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
hardship) of verse 117. The second group was of those who hesitated
during the early stage but recovered soon and got ready for Jihad with
other participants. They have been described in the sentence:
after the hearts of a group of them were about to turn) كَادَيَزِيغُ قُلُوُّبُ فَرِيِقٍ مِّنْهُمْ
crooked) of the same verse (117).
The third group was that of the believers who did not, though, par-
ticipate in the Jihad because of their laziness at that time, yet, later
on, they regretted and sought forgiveness - and ultimately, the Tau-
bah made by them was accepted. However, their group was further di-
vided in two types. Originally, they were ten in number. Seven out of
these men demonstrated their genuine remorse and repentance in-
stantly soon after the return of the Holy Prophet . The manner in
which they did so was unusual. They tied themselves up with the pil-
lars of the Prophet's Mosque with the resolve that they would stay tied
as long as their Taubah was not accepted. The verse known as the
'Ayah of Taubah granting forgiveness for them was revealed immedi-
ately then. Details can be seen under comments on verse 102. The re-
maining three out of the ten were those who did not act in that man-
ner. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked his Companions to boycott
them whereby no one was to greet or talk to them. This thing was ter-
rible. It really disturbed them. They have been mentioned in the sec-
ond verse (118) through the words: وَعَلَى الثَّلْفَةِ الَّذِيْنَ خُلِفُوا (And towards the
three whose matter was deferred) where comes the acceptance of their
Taubah soon after which the order to boycott them was withdrawn.
لَقَدْ تَّابَ اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيّ:(117) Before we move on to explain the first verse
Surely, Allah has relented towards the) وَالْهُجِرِيْنَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُؤُهُ فِىٌ سَاعَةِ الْعُشْرَةِ
Prophet and the Emigrants and the Supporters who followed him in
the hour of hardship) in some details, let us answer a question first.
Is it not that Taubah is done because of having committed an act of
sin and disobedience? The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is protected from
that (ma'sum). What, then, would be the sense of accepting his Taubah
('relenting towards the Prophet')? In addition to that, there were the
Șahabah from among the Muhajirin and Ansar who had opted for Jihad
since the very beginning. They too had not done anything wrong. For
what crime had they made their Taubah that was accepted?
The answer is that Allah Ta'ala made all of them safe from sin.
This was expressed as Taubah, or that Allah Ta'ala made all of them

479
Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
tawwab, those who turn to Allah. This indicates that no one is free
from the need to make Taubah, not even the Holy Prophet le Al
du, and his closest Companions - as it appears in another verse: 55
Ges du (and turn towards Allah in repentance, all of you - 24:31). The
reason is that the degrees and ranks of nearness to Allah are endless.
Whoever has reached a certain station should realize that there is a
higher station ahead and, as compared to that high station, the
present one is a shortcoming. The quest must go on. Let one seek for-
giveness for any shortcoming he may have at his present station so
that he could move on to the next, the higher.
Coming to words: 23Jeu (translated as 'the hour of hardship') ap-
pearing in verse 117, the Holy Qur'an has employed this expression to
portray the condition of the Muslims on the occasion of this very Jihad
because they were poor and straitened on many counts. Hasan al-Basri
says, 'they had one mount for every ten men. They had to take turns to
ride. The wherewithal required for such a trip was very short and ordi-
nary. On the other hand, the heat was intense and scorching. Water in
en route was scarce and at distances.
As for the next sentence :ْمِنُ بَعْدٍ مَا كَادَ يَزِيُعُ قُلُوُبُ فَرِيقٍ مِّنُهُم (after the hearts of
a group of them were about to turn crooked), the as (zaigh: crooked-
ness) of the hearts of some people referred to here does not mean some
deviation from faith. In fact, it means to lose heart and wish to avoid
action in Jihad because of the hardship of hot weather and the dearth
of necessary supplies. Hadith narratives prove that. It was in view of
these hardships they faced that their repentance was accepted.
Verse 118 begins with the words: وَعَلَى الثَّلْثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُها (And [He relented]
towards the three whose matter was deferred). Here, the word: KA
(khullifu) literally means 'those left behind.' It carries the sense of
'those the matter of whose repentance was deferred' - as opted for in
the translation of the text. These three gentlemen: Sayyidna Ka'b ibn
Malik, Murarah ibn Rabi' and Hilal ibn Umayyah رضى الله عنهم أجمعين were
from the Ansar of Madinah and had a distinguished record in the ser-
vice of Islam. Earlier, they had participated in the Bai'atu al-‘Aqabah
and in many battles with the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. But, it was
only by chance that they slipped in this manner. Then, there were
those hypocrites who did not take part in this Jihad because of their
hypocrisy, they gave them the kind of advises that dampened their

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
courage. But, when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم returned from this
Jihad, all those hypocrites came to him, presented false excuses, took
false oaths and tried to please the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who en-
trusted the inward state of their hearts with Allah and simply accept-
ed their outward declarations on oath. Thus, they went on living their
normal lives. Some people gave the same suggestion to these Ansari
gentlemen - that they should also establish their innocence by offering
false excuses. But, their hearts admonished them. They knew that
they had already committed a sin, that of remaining behind in Jihad.
Now, how could they compound it with another sin, that of lying before
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم?Therefore, they came up with a clean
breast and confessed to their misconduct. In punishment, Muslims
were asked not to greet or talk to them. In the end, the Holy Qur'an
laid bare the reality of the whole thing. Those who had fortified their
excuses with false oaths were exposed, the details of which appear in
several earlier verses from : ◌ُيَعُتَذِرُونَ إِلَيُكُمُ إِذَ ارَجَعُهُمْ إِلَيْهِم (They will make excus-
es to you - 94) to: ◌ِعَلَيْهِمَ دَايِرَةُ السَّوْء (upon those is the evil cycle - 98). Regard-
ing the truth told and confession made by these three gentlemen, it is
enough to say that the fact of their Taubah was revealed in this verse.
صلى الله عليه وسلم They faced fifty days of avoidance by the Holy Prophet
and a boycott of greeting and conversation by the Companions, a
heart-rending experience indeed. Finally came the day when, amidst
ecstatic scenes of having been so honorably acquitted and of exuberant
congratulations for it, they regained the confidence of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and that of all Muslims.
Details of the event relating to these three Ansari elders from
authentic Ahadith
In the two authentic collections of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and in
most books of Hadith, there appears a lengthy Hadith narrated by
Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik as Ul ya, in connection with this event. Since,
it consists of many elements of guidance, solutions of religious prob-
lems and facts worthy of consideration, therefore, it seemed appropri-
ate that a full translation of this Hadith should be reproduced here.
Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik as Jul +), one of the three gentlemen, has de-
scribed the details of this event as given below:
'Every battle in which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم participated, I
was with him, except the battle of Tabuk. However, the battle of Badr

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
came all of a sudden, and the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had also not
asked everyone to participate in it, and was also not angry with those
who had not participated in it. In this too, I was not present. And I
was also present on the night of the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah where we had
made the covenant of supporting and protecting Islam. And this pres-
ence of mine at the Bai'atu al-'Aqabah is dearer to me as compared to
my (possible) presence at the battle of Badr - though, the battle of
Badr is better known among people. As for the background of my ab-
sence from the battle of Tabuk, the truth is that I had never been so
rich as I was at that time. By God, I never had two mounts before that
which I then had.
While marching out from Madinah for his battles, the blessed hab-
it of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was that he would conceal his in-
tentions by advancing in a direction just the opposite of the direction
in which he was to go for Jihad. The intention was to confuse spying
hypocrites lest they sound off the enemy. And he used to say, 'in war,
(such strategy of) deception (khudah') is permissible.'
Then, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was ready to carry out his
plan for the Jihad (of Tabuk, which was unusual for several reasons).
The heat was intense. Muslim forces were short on supplies. The jour-
ney was long. Then, they were going to fight against an enemy strong-
er in strength and overwhelming in numbers. Therefore, the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made the call for Jihad openly and publicly so
that Muslims could make all necessary preparations for it in advance.'
According to the report in the Sahih of Muslim, the numerical
strength of those who participated in this Jihad was more than ten
thousand. Hakim reports from Sayyidna Mu'adh as Ul ze, who said,
'when we set out for this Jihad with the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, our
number was more than thirty thousand.'
'Since no muster roll of those who set out for this Jihad was put on
record in writing, therefore, those who did not wish to go out for this
Jihad had an opportunity on hand. If they did not go, nobody would be
able to find that out, they thought. The time when the Holy Prophet
set out for Jihad was a time when dates were ripe and the صلى الله عليه وسلم
growers were busy. Such was the condition when the Holy Prophet L.
py tle All and common Muslims started getting ready for the journey.
It was a Thursday when he set out for the journey. He liked to travel

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on a Thursday, whether it was for Jihad or for some other purpose.
As for myself, I went out every morning to prepare for Jihad, but
came back without having done it. My heart said, 'I am capable of Ji-
had. I must go.' But, days passed and my intention kept being put off
until a tomorrow - until the time the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and
common Muslims departed for Jihad. Still then, my heart kept urging
me to leave and join up somewhere en route - alas, only if I were to do
that! But, unfortunately, this could not be done.
,صلى الله عليه وسلم When, after the departure of the Holy Prophet
wherever I went in Madinah, the surroundings put me to grief. At that
time, what one saw throughout Madinah were sights of people who
were either sunk in hypocrisy, or were sick and crippled absolutely
unable to travel. On the other side, the Holy Prophet صلى اللّه عليه وسلم did
not think of me anywhere on this whole journey until he reached
Tabuk. It was there in a gathering that he said, 'what happened to
Ka'b ibn Malik?'
A man from (the tribe of) Banu Salimah said, 'ya rasulallah, he has
been detained by his nice dress and his looking towards his shoulders
(in self-admiration). Then, Sayyidna Mu'adh ibn Jabal Le Algo, told
this man, 'what you have said is bad' - and then, turning to the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, he submitted -ya rasulallah, by God, we know
nothing about him except that which is good.' Thereupon, the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم became silent.
When I heard the news, says Sayyidna Kab رضى الله عنه, that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was coming back, I was concerned, almost close
to concocting in a hurry some excuse for my absence and presenting
things through which I could have escaped facing the displeasure of
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. May be I could have asked my family
and friends also to help me out of this predicament. (Scruples like
these kept destabilizing my heart) until I heard that the Holy Prophet
-had arrived. Then, all these confusing thoughts were blot صلى الله عليه وسلم
ted out of my heart and I realized that I could never escape his dis-
pleasure on grounds that are contaminated with a lie. Therefore, I re-
solved to tell him the truth for I was convinced that truth alone would
rescue me (from this situation).
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered Madinah. The time was

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Duha (Chasht in Urdu and Persian), that is, middle of morning after
sunrise. It was the blessed habit of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that
he generally used to return from his journeys at this time and his
practice was first to go to the Masjid, offer two raka at and then go to
see Sayyidah Fatimah. After that, he went to meet his blessed wives.
This time too, as was his wont, he first went to the Masjid, offered
two raka at and sat down in the Masjid. Some more than eighty hypo-
crites who had not gone to the expedition of Tabuk came to him offer-
صلى الله عليه وسلم ing false excuses on equally false oaths. The Holy Prophet
accepted what was outwardly expressed through their statements on
oath, approved of their allegiance, prayed for their forgiveness and en-
trusted what was in their hearts with Allah.
It was under this situation that I presented myself before him.
When I offered my salam to him, he smiled, smiling like someone an-
gry. Then he said, 'come.' So I walked towards him until I sat down be-
fore him.' According to some Hadith reports, the Holy Prophet Jul.
tule turned his face away from him. Thereupon, Sayyidna Ka'b ,
we All said: Ya rasulallah, why would you turn your face away from me?
By God, I have nothing to do with hypocrisy, nor have I ever suffered
from any doubt about my religion, nor am I guilty of making any alter-
ations to it. "Then he said, 'why then, did you not go for Jihad? Is it not
that you had already bought a mount for this purpose?
I said, 'Yes, Ya rasulallah. If I would have been sitting before any-
one from common worldly people, other than you, I am confident that I
would have invented some excuse and avoided his displeasure - be-
cause, I have been gifted with the art of debate. But, I swear by Allah
that I have understood perfectly well that, should I tell you a lie - that
may even please you temporarily - still, the day would not be far when
Allah Ta'ala would tell you the whole truth and thus make you dis-
pleased with me. And if I were to tell you the truth - which may at
this moment make you displeased with me - I hope, Allah Ta'ala will
forgive me. The truth of the matter is that I had no excuse for remain-
ing absent from the Jihad for I had never been stronger, both finan-
cially and physically, as I was at that time.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'this man has told the truth.'
Then, he said, 'all right, go - until Allah Ta'ala gives His decree in
your case.' I rose to leave when some men from the tribe of Bani

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Salimah tailed me and started saying, 'As far as we know, you never
committed a sin before this. Why did you act so dumb? You could have
at the least come up with some excuse as was done by others who were
left behind. Had you done that, the prayer made by the Holy Prophet
would have been sufficient to bring forgiveness for your صلى الله عليه وسلم
sins. By God, these people kept admonishing me repeatedly, so much
so that a thought crossed my mind urging me to go back and say that I
was wrong about what I had said earlier and that I had the right
excuse with me.
But, it occurred to me that I should not add another sin to the one I
have done before. I have already committed a sin when I remained
behind in the Jihad. How could I venture into another sin, that of
lying? Then, I asked those people if there was anyone like me who had
confessed to his misconduct. They told me that there were two others
who had done what I did and they too were given the same reply as
was given to me (that they should wait for the decree of Allah). I asked
them as to who those two were. They told me that one of them was
Murarah ibn Rabi' al-"Umariy while the other, Hilal ibn Umayyah
al-Waqifiy.'
According to a report carried by Ibn Abi Hatim, the reason why the
first of the two (that is, Murarah) was left behind is that he had a date
farm where the fruit was ripening. He said to himself, 'you have taken
part in many battles before this. If you do not go for Jihad this year,
how would that become a crime?' Later, when he was alerted to his
sinful thought, he promised to Allah that he has given this date farm
in the way of Allah as a sadaqah from him.
As for the other gentleman, Sayyidna Hilal ibn 'Umayyah as dul ),
his family has been living scattered since long. At that time, they had
assembled all together. He thought of not going to Jihad that year and
spending some time with his family. He too, when reminded of his sin,
promised that he would stay away from his family from that time on-
wards.
Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik as Ul », says, 'these people mentioned
two blessed souls who were from among the mujahidin of the battle of
Badr. I said, 'that is it. What these two did is worth following for me.'
Saying this, I went home.

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
On the other side, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prohibited his
Companions from greeting or talking to the three of us. As for us, we
loved all Muslims as usual, but they were the ones who had turned
away from us.'
It appears in a report of Ibn Abi Shaibah that 'now we were in a
condition that we would go to people, but they would not talk to us,
nor greet us, nor respond to our greetings.'
Musnad 'Abd al-Razzaq reports the statement of Sayyidna Ka'b
ibn Malik ar Ul yo, as follows: 'what a time that was when the small
world around us had changed totally. It seemed as if the people who
used to be there are not there any more, nor our fruit farms, nor our
homes, none of these were what they used to be. Everything looked
strange. I became seriously concerned about myself. If I die in this
state of mine, I thought, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would not say
the Salah of Janazah (funeral prayer) for me. Or, if the Holy Prophet
-were to breath his last during this period, I shall be run صلى الله عليه وسلم
ning around just like this all my life, condemned and disgraced before
everyone. For this reason, as far as I was concerned, the whole Earth
started appearing indifferent and desolate. So, we lived like that for
fifty nights. At that time, the two companions of mine (Murarah and
Hilal) lost heart, sat home and wept. But, I was younger. I went out,
walked around and made my Salah in the Masjid with other Muslims
and roamed in the bazaars but nobody would talk to me nor respond to
my salam greetings. I used to attend the customary sitting of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم after the Salah was over. When I said my salam to
him, I tried to figure out whether or not the blessed lips of the Holy
Prophet moved to respond to my salam. Then I tried to offer my Salah
just about close to him from where I would steal a glance towards him
and discover that he looks at me when I get busy with my Salah, and
when I look towards him, he turns his face away.
When this (considered) indifference of these people dragged longer,
I went to my cousin Abu Qatadah who was the dearest of my friends. I
jumped a wall to enter his farm and said my salam to him. By God, he
too did not respond to my salam. I asked, 'O Abu Qatadah, do you not
know that I love Allah Ta'ala and His rasul?' Even then, Abu Qatadah
observed silence. He did not respond. When I repeated my question
again and again, then - probably, the third or the fourth time - he

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
only said, 'Allah and His rasul know best.' I broke into tears and came
out of the farm jumping over the compound wall as I had done earlier.
During those days, once I was walking through a bazaar of Madinah
when, all of a sudden, I noticed a farmer from Syria who had come to
Madinah to sell grains. I saw him asking people if anyone there could
tell him the address of Ka'b ibn Malik? When they saw me right there,
they pointed out to me. The man came to me and gave me a letter from
the king of Ghassan that was written on a silk handkerchief. It said:
'After salutations, I have come to know that your Prophet has
betrayed you and that he has made you stay away from him.
(I assure you) God has not chosen to put you in a place of dis-
grace and destruction. If you like to come to us, come. We
shall help you.'
When I read this letter, I said to myself, 'here comes another test
and trial for me when, of all the people, the partisans of disbelief (kufr)
have now been tempted to expect such things from me (that I go and
join them)!' Taking this letter in my hands, I stepped forward. There
was a bread-baking shop with a heated oven. I threw the letter down
into it.
Sayyidna Ka'b ar Ml +, says, 'when forty out of the fifty nights had
passed, I was given a surprise by Khuzaymah ibn Thabit as Ul ya), a
message bearer of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who came towards
me and said, 'the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has ordered that you
should stay apart from your wife as well.' I said, 'should I divorce her?
Or, do what?' He told me, 'no, just do not go near her.' The same order
was communicated to my two companions also. I told my wife, 'go to
the home of your parents and stay there till Allah Ta'ala opens a way
for us.'
After having heard this order, Khawlah bint 'Asim, the wife of Hi-
lal ibn Umayyah came to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with the plea
that Hilal ibn Umayyah was old and weak and that he had no servant
to look after him. It also appears in a report of Ibn Abi Shaybah that
she also said, 'he is weak-sighted as well. Would you not like to allow
me to continue serving him?' He said, 'serving him is no problem, how-
ever, he should not seek to be near you.' She said, 'as for that, He is in
to a state wherein he has no such desire - and, by God, he keeps weep-
ing day and night.'

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
Ka'b ibn Malik says, 'some of my relatives and friends suggested to
me too that I should also ask the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to allow
me to keep my wife with me - similar to the permission he has given
to Hilal. I said, 'I will not do that. Who knows what the Holy Prophet
would say in reply? In addition to that, I am young (that صلى الله عليه وسلم
is, living with one's wife was against precaution).' In this condition, I
passed ten more nights until the count of fifty nights became com-
plete.' The narrative of Musnad 'Abd al-Razzaq says, 'At that stage,
the Divine decree about our Taubah (repentance) was revealed to the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم at the hour when one third of the night had
passed. The Mother of the Faithful, Sayyidah Umm Salamah who was
there at that time said, 'If you wish, Ka'b ibn Malik can be informed
about it right now.' He said, "That will bring a crowd of people here
right now. It would become impossible to sleep for the rest of the
night.'
Ka'b ibn Malik says, 'when the fiftieth night passed, I made my
Fajr Salah and went to the roof. While I sat there my condition was a
mirror of what Allah Ta'ala has said in the Qur'an - that the Earth
was straitened for me despite all its vastness, and my own soul was
straitened for me. (118) All of a sudden came the voice of a caller calling
from the heights of the hill of Sal' loudly announcing: 'O Ka'b ibn Ma-
lik, 'Be happy with the good news'.
In a report from Muhammad ibn 'Amr, it is said that the caller was
Sayyidna Abu Bakr ac Algo, who went up the hill of Sal' to announce
that Allah Ta'ala had accepted the Taubah of Ka'b and offered congrat-
ulations for his success. And narration of 'Uqbah says that two men
ran to give this good news to Sayyidna Ka'b as Ul (+). When one ran
ahead of the other, the one who had remained behind turned, climbed
the hill of Sal', and announced the good news from there. It is said that
the blessed souls who ran in that manner were Sayyidna Abu Bakr
· رضى الله عنهم أجمعين and Sayyidna 'Umar
Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik Le Al », says, 'Hearing this voice, I fell
down prostrating in Sajdah. So happy was I that I broke into tears. I
had learnt that my good days have come back. The Holy Prophet Jl L.
we had told the Sahabah after the Salah of Fajr that our Taubah
was accepted. Everyone ran out to congratulate the three of us. Some
of them rode on horses to reach me. But, the voice of the person calling

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from the hill was quicker than the horse.
When I came out to present myself before the Holy Prophet , I
saw that the Holy Prophet was sitting there. There was a cordon of
his Şahabah around him. When Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullah saw me, he
was the first to rise and rush towards me. Shaking my hands, he con-
gratulated me for the acceptance of my Taubah. I cannot forget the
good Talhah did to me on that day. When I said my salam to the Holy
Prophet , his blessed face was radiant with delight. He said, 'O Ka'b,
I congratulate you for this day of bliss for you, the best day of your life
since you were born.' I said, 'Ya rasulallah, is this order from you or is
it from Allah Ta'ala?' 'No,' he said, 'this order is from Allah Ta'ala. You
had told the truth. Allah Ta'ala made your truthfulness come out in
the open.'
When I sat down before the Holy Prophet , I said to him, 'Ya ras-
ulallah, I wish to walk out of all my wealth and property and give it as
sadaqah in the way of Allah. This will be a part of my Taubah.' 'No,' he
said, 'hold some of it for your needs. This is better.' I said, 'all right,
can I give half of it as sadaqah?' He rejected that too. Then, I asked his
permission to give one-third of it. This he accepted. I said, 'Ya rasulal-
lah, I have been delivered from my predicament by Allah because I
told the truth, therefore, I pledge before you that, as long as I live, I
shall not say anything but the truth.' Then, says Sayyidna Ka'b JI,
as, 'since the time I had given this pledge to the Holy Prophet , al-
hamdulillah, no word of lie was uttered by me up to this day - and I
hope Allah Ta'ala shall protect me from it for the rest of my life.' Sayy-
idna Ka'b Le JI yo, also says, 'By God, after the blessing of Islam, I can-
not think of having received a blessing greater than this. I mean that I
told the truth before the Holy Prophet , and that I did not lie - be-
cause, had I lied, I would have been ruined like those who took false
oaths. About them the Qur'an said : ◌ُسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا أُنْقَلَبُهُمْ إِلَيْهِم (They will
swear by Allah before you, so that you may ignore their misdeeds - 95)
up to ◌َفَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَرْضَى عَنِ الْقَوُمِ الْفُسِقِيْن (Allah will not be pleased with the sinning
people - 96).
It has been said that the continuation of the boycott of these three
gentlemen was, perhaps, based on the wisdom that the Holy Prophet
had spent exactly fifty days during the expedition of Tabuk. (The en-
tire narration of this Hadith and the related event has been taken from Tafsir Mazhari)

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
Points of Guidance from the Hadith of Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik
The clarity and detail with which Sayyidna Ka'b as Mil yo, has de-
scribed his story contains many elements of guidance for Muslims.
Therefore, this Hadith has been presented here in full. These are as
follows:
1. This Hadith tells us that it was the customary practice of the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in his usual battle plans that he would
march out of Madinah in a (feigned) direction that was opposite to the
direction he was to go actually. The objective was to keep enemies of
Islam in the dark about where to and against whom he was going to
carry out his Jihad. This is what he defined as: IR gal (al-harbu
khuda'ah) that is, 'in war, deception is permissible.' Some people fall in
doubt about the drift of this statement. They think that deceiving the
adversary by lying in war or Jihad is permissible. This is not correct.
In fact, it means the kind of deception whereby one acts in a manner
that succeeds in deceiving enemies. For instance, marching out for Ji-
had from the opposite direction does not mean deceiving by lying
blandly - something not permissible even in war. Similarly, it should
also be understood that this practical deception, which has been de-
clared permissible, has no bearing on abiding by a pledge or treaty.
Breaking of a pledge or treaty, whether in peace or war, is not permis-
sible under any situation.
2. For his journeys, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم liked a Thurs-
day, whether it was for Jihad or for some other purpose.
3. Telling a lie to please some elder or spiritual guide or teacher or
father is neither permissible nor does it end well. As for the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, he was informed of the truth through revelation,
therefore, the ultimate outcome of lying was evil - as clarified through
the event relating to Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik as Ul ya, and to others
who remained behind. After the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, no saint or
savant or pious elder or spiritual guide can claim to be a recipient of
revelation. Then, getting to know things through inspiration (ilham)
and illumination (kashf) is not necessary either. But, experience shows
that lying has an aura of evil about it, something that brings bad con-
sequences in its wake. Causes converge naturally, so much so that this
respected elder ultimately becomes displeased with the liar.
4. From this event we learn that the Amir (the executive head) of

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Surah Al-Taubah : 9 : 117 - 119
Muslims also has the right to order them to stop greeting and talking
to someone as a punishment for some sinful misconduct of his - as it
happened with these three gentlemen in the event concerned.
5. This event is a mirror of the love his Companions had for the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.The depth and extent of this love compelled
them to continue staying in his company even during the days when
he was displeased with them and they were subjected to a social boy-
cott by the Companions who would neither greet, nor acknowledge
greetings nor talk to them. A careful reader through the narration of
the event would hardly miss their affection and concern for him partic-
ularly when they would look at their master with the corners of their
eyes and try to assess the warmth of his attention and the emotional
level of the bond between them. They were really tuned to him under
all circumstances.
6. As for the attitude of Sayyidna Abu Qatadah Le Ul »,, cousin
and friend of Sayyidna Ka'b as Ul .»), who did not respond to the lat-
er's salam nor talked to him, it is fairly obvious that he did not do so
because of some enmity, hostility or malice. In fact, this was done for
the sole reason that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had ordered him to
do so and that he was duty-bound to follow it. This tells us that the
law given by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was not only enforced on
the physical exterior of people but was also implemented inwardly as
well. The law ruled over their hearts. They would not do anything
against it under any condition, present or absent - even if they had to
act against the dearest of their friends and relatives.
7. The episode relating to the king of the Ghassan who wrote a let-
ter to Sayyidna Ka'b as Ul _», who threw it down into a heated oven
shows how staunch as believers the Sahabah were. Here is one of
them, terribly nervous about the displeasure of the Holy Prophet JulL.
duy que and the boycott by fellow Muslims, yet the tempting offer made
by a King fails to move his heart in that direction.
8. That Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna 'Umar and other noble
Companions رضى الله عنهم أجمعين ran to congratulate Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Ma-
lik as Algo, as soon as they heard about the acceptance of his Taubah
is significant. Let us keep in mind that they had avoided the social
graces of greeting and talking before this happened. This shows that
the love for Sayyidna Ka'b at July», was very much present in their

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hearts even during the days of the boycott - though, they had to sur-
render it in favor of carrying out the command of the Holy Prophet Le
duy Lde JI. When the 'Ayah of Taubah (the verse of repentance) was re-
vealed, their deep mutual affection became manifest.
9. From the conduct of the noble Sahabah who went to disclose the
good news to and congratulate Sayyidna Ka'bas Ml ), we learn that
congratulating friends on a happy occasion has its basis in Sunnah.
10. When repenting from a sin, taking out a sadaqah from one's as-
sets helps to do away with the effects of sin, but it is not good to give
away the whole of it in charity. Giving more than one third of what
. صلى الله عليه وسلم one owns in sadaqah was not liked by the Holy Prophet
Advice to Muslims: Observe Taqwa and be with those true in
word and deed
This brings us to the last verse : ◌َكَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهُ وَكُرُنُوا مَعَ الصُّدِقِين (O
those who believe, fear Allah, and be in the company of the truthful -
119). The event of having remained behind as related to some other-
wise sincere people, and the ultimate acceptance of their repentance,
was all a result of their Taqwa, the fear of Allah and the sense of being
responsible before him. Therefore, in this verse, the large masses of
Muslims have been instructed to observe Taqwa (as a constant feature
of their personal lives). Then, by saying: 33,51 2 15 (be in the compa-
ny of the truthful), it was hinted that the only way to achieve Taqwa
was to frequent the company of those who are good in their deeds and
true in their words, and to approximate one's own conduct to theirs.
Perhaps, this may also be pointing out to the slip made by these people
that was caused by the company they kept with hypocrites and their
suggestions and advises they listened to. One should stay away from
the company of those who are disobedient to Allah, and take to the
company of the truthful. The Qur'an has not said 'the learned' ('ulama')
or 'the righteous' (sulaha') at this place. Rather, by electing to use the
word: al (as-sadiqin: the truthful), it has also told us about the real
identity of the 'learned' and the 'righteous'. Such a truthful person has
to be the one whose exterior and the interior are the same and who is
also true in intention, and true in word, and true in deed as well.
Verses 120 - 121
مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ الْدِيْنَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ مِنَ اْلْأَعْرَابِ آَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُؤْا