Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:118

"And upon the three who were left behind..."

This is linked to "[He turned] to the Prophet." It is also said that the verb "turned" (taba) is implied in the structure of the discourse because this repentance differs from the previous one; however, this view is debatable. It means: "And He turned in forgiveness to the three who were left behind"—that is, their matter was delayed and postponed beyond the matter of Abu Lubabah and his companions, for no excuse was accepted from them as it was from the others, nor was anything decided regarding them until revelation descended concerning them. Thus, the attribution [of the action of being "left behind"] to them is either metaphorical or through an implied addition in the noble text.

Sometimes the transitive verb is interpreted as the intransitive, meaning "those who lagged behind from the expedition." They are Ka'b ibn Malik of the Banu Salama, Hilal ibn Umayyah of the Banu Waqif, and Murarah ibn al-Rabi' of the Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf—also called ibn Rabi'ah. In Sahih Muslim and elsewhere, he is described as "al-'Amiri," though many scholars of hadith consider "al-'Umari" to be more accurate.

'Ikrimah, Razin ibn Hubaysh, and 'Amr ibn 'Ubayd read it as khullifu (with a fatha on the kha and lam), meaning they were left behind by the crusaders in Medina, or derived from khalifah (back) or the stench of the mouth (khuluf). 'Ali ibn al-Husayn, Muhammad al-Baqir, Ja'far al-Sadiq (may Allah be pleased with them), and Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami read it as khalafu (they lagged behind). Al-A'mash read it as: "And upon the mukhallafin (those left behind)."

The apparent meaning of the Almighty’s saying: "...until when the earth became straitened for them..." is that it serves as the time limit for the "delaying"—that is, their affair was delayed until the earth became straitened for them "...despite its vastness..."—meaning with all its breadth and spaciousness, due to the people turning away from them and refusing to sit with them or speak to them, as per the command of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). This is a metaphor for the intensity of their confusion. The intent is that they found no rest in the world, despite its vastness. As it is said: "The lands of Allah, though vast, are like the mesh of a trap for the pursued person who fears."

"...and their own souls became straitened for them..."—that is, their hearts. This is expressed metaphorically, for the soul is the seat of the self. The meaning of their straitening is their grief and sorrow; it is as if their hearts could not contain any joy due to their constriction. There is a progression here from the straitening of the earth upon them to the straitening within their own souls, which is the height of eloquence.

"...and they realized that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him."—meaning, they knew that there is no refuge from His wrath except through His forgiveness and repentance unto Him, the Almighty. "Realization" (Zann) is interpreted here as "certainty" ('ilm), as that is what befits their state.

"Then He turned to them [in forgiveness]..."—that is, He enabled them to repent so that they might repent, or He revealed the acceptance of their repentance in the Quran and informed them of it so that the believers would count them among the repentant. Or, He returned to them with acceptance and mercy again and again, so that they might remain steadfast in repentance and continue upon it. It is said: Repentance here is not the act itself, but rather the meaning is "He accepted their repentance from lagging behind so that they may repent in the future," as a slip had occurred on their part, and they should not despair of His grace, the Almighty.

"...Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance..."—He is excessive in accepting repentance for whoever repents, even if he returns [to sin] a hundred times in a day. "...the Merciful."—He is the one who bestows upon them various kinds of blessings despite their deserving various kinds of punishment.

[The following is the narration of the event:]

'Abd al-Razzaq, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Bayhaqi recorded via al-Zuhri: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik informed me that 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik—who was Ka'b's guide when he became blind—said: "I heard Ka'b ibn Malik narrating his story when he lagged behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the Battle of Tabuk. Ka'b said: 'I never lagged behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in any campaign he undertook except for the Battle of Tabuk. I had, however, lagged behind in the Battle of Badr, but no one was punished for lagging behind that one, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had gone out intending the caravan of Quraysh until Allah the Almighty brought them and their enemy together without an appointment. I was present with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) on the night of 'Aqaba when we pledged to Islam, and I would not trade my attendance at Badr for it, even though Badr is more talked about and famous among the people.

My story regarding lagging behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) at the Battle of Tabuk is that I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I lagged behind him in that expedition. By Allah, I had never before gathered two riding beasts until I gathered them for that expedition. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was facing intense heat, a long journey, wilderness, and a numerous enemy. He clarified the situation to the Muslims so that they could prepare for their enemy and informed them of his intended destination. The Muslims with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) were numerous, and no register could contain them—meaning the census. Ka'b said: A man would think that if he intended to stay behind, it would be hidden from him as long as no revelation descended from Allah the Almighty. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) fought that battle when the fruits were ripe and the shade was pleasant. I was the youngest of them. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the believers with him prepared for it. I would set out in the morning to prepare with them, then return having accomplished nothing, saying to myself: "I am able to do that if I want." This continued until the people were fully prepared, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) set out in the morning with the Muslims, while I had not finished any of my preparations. I said: "I will prepare a day or two after them and then catch up." I went out the day they departed to prepare, but returned having accomplished nothing. This continued until they had moved far ahead, and the expedition was beyond reach. I thought of setting out to join them—and I wish I had—but it was not destined for me. Whenever I went out among the people after the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had departed, it saddened me that I saw only a man accused of hypocrisy or a man whom Allah the Almighty had excused.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not mention me until he reached Tabuk. While sitting among the people at Tabuk, he asked: "What has Ka'b ibn Malik done?" A man from the Banu Salama said: "O Messenger of Allah, his two cloaks and his admiration for his own appearance have held him back." Mu'adh ibn Jabal said to him: "You have said a bad thing! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing of him but good." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) remained silent.

When I heard that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was returning from Tabuk, I was overcome with distress. I began to contemplate lying, saying: "With what can I escape his wrath tomorrow?" and I sought help in that from every person of sound judgment in my family. When it was said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is arriving," the falsehood vanished from me, and I knew that I would never be saved from this by anything. I resolved to tell the truth.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived in the morning. When he returned from a journey, he would begin by going to the mosque, pray two rak'ahs, then sit for the people. When he did that, those who had lagged behind came and began to offer excuses and swear to him; they were over eighty men. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) accepted their outward professions, sought forgiveness for them, and left their inner secrets to Allah. Then I came to him. When I greeted him, he smiled the smile of one who is angry, then said to me: "Come." I walked until I sat before him. He said: "What kept you back? Did you not buy your mount?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, if I were sitting before anyone else of the people of the world, I would have thought to escape his wrath with an excuse. I have been given the gift of eloquence. But by Allah, I know that if I tell you a lie today to please you, Allah the Almighty will soon make you angry with me, and if I tell you the truth, you may be angry with me on account of it, but I hope for Allah's pardon for it. By Allah, I had no excuse. By Allah, I have never been more free or wealthier than I was when I lagged behind you." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "As for this one, he has spoken the truth. Get up until Allah the Almighty decides concerning you."

I stood up, and men from Banu Salama rushed to follow me and said: "By Allah, we have never known you to commit a sin before this. You were unable to apologize to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as the others did. The Messenger of Allah’s seeking forgiveness for you would have been sufficient for your sin." By Allah, they continued to reproach me until I wanted to return and retract my words. Then I asked: "Has anyone else met with this?" They said: "Yes, two men have met with the same thing as you." I asked: "Who are they?" They said: "Murarah ibn al-Rabi' and Hilal ibn Umayyah." They mentioned two righteous men who had witnessed Badr, and there was an example for me in them. So I went on when they mentioned them to me.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade us—the three who had lagged behind—from being spoken to. We were shunned by the people, and the situation changed for us until the very earth felt strange to me; it was not the earth I knew. We remained in that state for fifty nights. As for my two companions, they humbled themselves and stayed in their houses. As for me, I was the youngest and the strongest of them. I would attend prayer with the Muslims and walk in the markets, but no one would speak to me. I would come to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) while he was in his seat after prayer, greet him, and say to myself: "Did he move his lips to return the greeting or not?" Then I would pray near him and steal glances at him. When I focused on my prayer, he would look toward me, but when I turned toward him, he would look away.

When this long period of estrangement from the Muslims became too much for me, I climbed the wall of Abu Qatadah, who was my cousin and the person I loved most. I greeted him, and by Allah, he did not return my greeting. I said to him: "O Abu Qatadah, I adjure you by Allah, do you know that I love Allah and His Messenger?" He remained silent. I repeated the adjuration, and he remained silent. I repeated it again, and he said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." My eyes overflowed with tears, and I turned away and climbed back over the wall.

While I was walking in the market of Medina, a Nabataean from the Levant, who had come to sell food, was asking: "Who will direct me to Ka'b ibn Malik?" People began pointing him toward me until he came and handed me a letter from the King of Ghassan. As I was a scribe, I read it: "To proceed: It has reached us that your master has treated you harshly, and Allah has not placed you in a home of humiliation or neglect. Join us, and we will comfort you." When I read it, I said: "This too is part of the trial," so I took it to the oven and burned it.

When forty of the fifty nights had passed, the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to me and said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commands you to separate from your wife." I said: "Should I divorce her, or what should I do?" He said: "No, just separate from her and do not approach her." He sent the same message to my two companions. I said to my wife: "Go to your family and stay with them until Allah the Almighty decides this matter."

The wife of Hilal ibn Umayyah came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Hilal is an old man who is helpless and has no servant. Do you dislike if I serve him?" He said: "No, but do not let him approach you." She said: "By Allah, he has no movement toward anything. By Allah, he has not ceased weeping since this happened to him until this very day."

Some of my family said to me: "If you had sought permission from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) regarding your wife, for he permitted Hilal's wife to serve him." I said: "By Allah, I will not seek permission from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) regarding her, for I do not know what he would say if I asked, and I am a young man."

I remained for ten more nights, completing fifty nights since he forbade people from speaking to us. Then, I prayed the Fajr prayer on the morning of the fiftieth night on the roof of one of our houses. As I was sitting in the state Allah the Almighty described—my soul straitened and the earth straitened despite its vastness—I heard a crier on the mountain of Sal' shouting at the top of his voice: "O Ka'b ibn Malik, rejoice!" I fell prostrate, knowing that relief had come.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had announced the repentance of Allah the Almighty upon us after he prayed Fajr. People went out to give us the good news, and some went to my companions. A man rode a horse, and a runner from the tribe of Aslam raced to the mountain, and the voice was faster than the horse. When the one whose voice I heard came to bring me the good news, I took off my two garments and clothed him with them in exchange for his news—by Allah, I owned nothing else at that time. I borrowed two garments, put them on, and went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). People met me in groups, congratulating me on the repentance, saying: "Congratulations to you for Allah’s repentance upon you!" until I entered the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sitting in the mosque surrounded by people. Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah got up and hurried toward me until he shook my hand and congratulated me. By Allah, no one from the Muhajirun stood up for me except him—Ka'b never forgot that of Talha.

Ka'b said: When I greeted the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), he said, his face beaming with joy: "Rejoice in the best day you have had since your mother gave birth to you." I said: "Is this from you, O Messenger of Allah, or from Allah?" He said: "No, rather it is from Allah the Almighty." When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was happy, his face would shine as if it were a piece of the moon. When I sat before him, I said: "O Messenger of Allah, it is part of my repentance that I strip myself of my wealth as charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger." He said: "Keep some of your wealth; it is better for you." I said: "I will keep my share that is in Khaybar." And I said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah saved me only through truthfulness, and it is part of my repentance that I will not speak anything but the truth as long as I live." By Allah, I do not know of any Muslim whom Allah tested with truthfulness in speech after I mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) better than He tested me. By Allah, I have not intentionally lied since I said that to this day, and I hope that Allah the Almighty will protect me for the rest of my life.

Allah the Almighty then revealed: "Allah has turned [in forgiveness]..." (the verse). By Allah, no blessing Allah the Almighty bestowed upon me after He guided me to Islam was greater in my soul than my truthfulness to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that day—that I did not lie to him and perish as those who lied to him perished. For Allah the Almighty said of those who lied to him when the revelation descended the worst things ever said about anyone, saying: "They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them so that you might turn away from them. So turn away from them..." until His saying: "...the defiantly disobedient."

It is narrated in a report from Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade speaking to me and my two companions. I remained in that state until the matter became long for me, and there was nothing more important to me than that I should die and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) not pray over me, or that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) should die and I be in that state before the people, and no one would speak to me or pray over me. Then Allah the Almighty revealed our repentance to His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when the last third of the night remained, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was with Umm Salama, who had been kind to me and helpful in my affair. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'O Umm Salama, repentance has been accepted for Ka'b ibn Malik.' She said: 'Shall I not send someone to give him the good news?' He said: 'The people will rush to you and deprive you of sleep for the rest of the night.' When he prayed the Fajr prayer, he announced the repentance of Allah the Almighty upon us."

In His description of these men, there is an indication, and what an indication, of the strength of their faith and the sincerity of their repentance. Abu Bakr al-Warraq was asked about "sincere repentance" (tawbatun nasuh), and he said: "That the earth becomes straitened for the repentant despite its vastness, and his own soul becomes straitened for him, like the repentance of Ka'b ibn Malik and his two companions."