Part of Riyad as-Salihin — Gardens of the Righteous (series completed)
· Lesson 5 of 10
Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (5) | Chapter on Repentance (3) The story of the repentance of Ka’b bin Malik, may God be pleased with him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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*Riyad al-Salihin* (The Meadows of the Righteous) from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Chapter on Repentance: on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Ka'b Ibn Malik,
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who was Ka'b's guide from among his sons when he lost his sight,
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who said: I heard Ka'b Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
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recount the narrative of his remaining behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) during the Expedition of Tabuk.
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Ka'b said: "I had never stayed behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in any expedition he ever undertook,
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except for the Expedition of Tabuk,
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aside from the fact that I had also stayed behind during the Battle of Badr.
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Yet no one who stayed behind from Badr was rebuked,
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for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims had only set out intending to intercept the caravan of Quraysh,
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until Allah the Exalted brought them and their enemy together without prior appointment.
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And indeed, I was present with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the night of al-'Aqabah when we pledged our allegiance to Islam,
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and I would not prefer to trade my attendance at Badr for it,
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even though Badr is more frequently commemorated among the people.
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As for the account of my staying behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) during the Expedition of Tabuk:
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I was never stronger or wealthier than I was when I stayed behind him in that expedition.
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By Allah, I had never before gathered two mounts until I gathered both of them for that campaign.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) rarely embarked upon an expedition without disguising his true objective with another, until that campaign arrived.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) undertook it in severe, blistering heat;
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he faced a distant journey, a vast desert wilderness, and a formidable host of the enemy.
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So he clarified the matter openly to the Muslims so that they could thoroughly prepare for their expedition,
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and he informed them directly of the destination he intended to reach.
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The Muslims accompanying the Messenger of Allah were numerous, unrecorded in any single registry book—meaning an army roster.
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Ka'b said: Thus, any man intending to absent himself thought that his absence would easily go unnoticed,
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unless divine revelation were sent down from Allah concerning it.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) set out on that expedition when fruits were ripe and the shade was delightful,
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and my inclination was drawn strongly toward them.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims with him made their preparations,
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and I would set out in the morning to prepare alongside them,
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only to return having accomplished nothing at all,
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reassuring myself:
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'I am capable of doing so whenever I wish.'
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I kept procrastinating in this manner while the people were in relentless, earnest preparation,
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until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) departed one morning with the Muslims accompanying him,
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while I had not made any of my preparations whatsoever.
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I went out again in the morning, but returned having accomplished nothing,
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and I continued in this state of procrastination until the army marched swiftly and the campaign had slipped far ahead.
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I then resolved to set out and catch up with them—
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and how I wish I had done so!—
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but it was not decreed for me.
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Afterwards, whenever I went out among the people following the departure of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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it deeply grieved me that I saw no counterpart to follow
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except a man widely suspected of hypocrisy,
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or one of the weak whom Allah the Exalted had excused.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not mention me
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until he reached Tabuk.
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While sitting among the people in Tabuk, he said:
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'What has become of Ka'b Ibn Malik?'
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A man from the Banu Salimah said:
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'O Messenger of Allah!
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He was detained by his two fine cloaks and the vain appraisal of his flanks.'
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Thereupon Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him:
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'What a wretched thing you have said!
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By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing of him except good.'
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) remained silent.
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While they were in that state,
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he saw a man clad in white piercing through the mirage,
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and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
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'May you be Abu Khaythamah!'
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And indeed, it was Abu Khaythamah al-Ansari,
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the very one who had given a single sa' of dates in charity,
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whom the hypocrites had mocked.
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Ka'b said:
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'When news reached me that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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had turned back, returning from Tabuk,
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my profound distress overtook me,
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and I began to contemplate fabricated excuses, wondering:
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"How can I escape his displeasure tomorrow?"
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I sought the counsel of every discerning member of my family on this matter.
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But when it was said
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that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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was about to arrive,
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all falsehood vanished from my mind,
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and I knew with certainty that I could never save myself from him through any deceit,
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so I resolved to speak the absolute truth.
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In the morning, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived,
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and it was his practice that whenever he returned from a journey,
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he would first enter the mosque and pray two rak'ahs,
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after which he would sit to receive the people.
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When he had done that,
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those who had remained behind came to offer their excuses, swearing oaths to him;
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they were eighty-odd men.
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He accepted what they declared outwardly,
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accepted their pledges of allegiance, prayed for their forgiveness,
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and entrusted their hidden secrets to Allah the Exalted.
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Then I approached,
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and when I greeted him with peace,
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he smiled the smile of one who is displeased,
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and then said: "Come forward."
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I stepped forward until I sat before him,
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and he asked me:
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"What caused you to stay behind?
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Had you not already purchased your mount?"
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Ka'b said:
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I said: "O Messenger of Allah!
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By Allah, if I were sitting before anyone else among the people of this world,
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I would surely think that I could escape his displeasure through some excuse,
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for I have indeed been granted the skill of persuasive debate.
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However, by Allah, I know full well that if I were to tell you today a falsehood to make you pleased with me,
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Allah would soon cause you to be displeased with me.
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And if I tell you the truth, which may cause you to feel upset with me,
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I truly hope for the pardon of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, through it.
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By Allah, I had no excuse whatsoever.
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By Allah, I was never stronger or wealthier than when I stayed behind you."
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Ka'b said:
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Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
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"As for this man, he has spoken the truth.
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Rise, then, until Allah decrees judgment concerning you."
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Men from the Banu Salimah hastened after me and said to me:
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"By Allah, we have never known you to commit a sin before this!
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You were utterly incapable of excusing yourself to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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as those who stayed behind excused themselves!
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The forgiveness that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would have sought for you would have sufficed to expiate your sin."
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Ka'b said:
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By Allah, they continued reproaching me so severely that I almost intended to return to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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and declare my previous confession a lie.
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Then I asked them:
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"Has anyone else encountered this same judgment along with me?"
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They replied: "Yes,
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two men have encountered it alongside you;
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they stated the same as you stated,
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and they were told the same as you were told."
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Ka'b said:
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I asked: "Who are they?"
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They said:
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"Murarah Ibn al-Rabi' al-'Amiri
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and Hilal Ibn Umayyah al-Waqifi."
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Ka'b said:
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They mentioned to me two righteous men who had taken part in Badr, in whom there was a worthy example to follow.
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Ka'b said:
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So I went on my way when they mentioned them to me.
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Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prohibited the people from speaking to us—
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the three of us specifically from among all those who had stayed behind.
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Ka'b said:
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So the people avoided us—
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or he said:
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their attitude completely transformed toward us,
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to the extent that the very earth seemed alien to my soul,
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as though it were not the land I once knew.
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We remained in this state for fifty nights.
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As for my two companions,
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they yielded to despair and remained in their homes, weeping continuously.
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But as for me,
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I was the youngest and the most resilient of the men,
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so I would go out, attend the congregational prayers with the Muslims,
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and walk through the markets,
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yet no one would speak to me.
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I would approach the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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and greet him with peace while he was sitting in his gathering after the prayer,
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wondering to myself:
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"Did he move his lips to return the greeting of peace or not?"
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Then I would pray close to him and steal glances toward him;
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whenever I focused on my prayer, he would look at me,
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and whenever I turned toward him, he would turn his gaze away from me.
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When this prolonged estrangement from the Muslims became unbearable to me,
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I walked until I climbed over the orchard wall of Abu Qatadah,
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who was my cousin and the dearest of all people to me.
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I greeted him with peace,
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but by Allah, he did not return the greeting to me.
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So I said to him:
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"O Abu Qatadah!
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I adjure you by Allah,
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do you not know that I love Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?"
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[peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]
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He remained silent.
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I repeated my question, imploring him again by Allah,
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but he remained silent.
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Once more I repeated it, imploring him by Allah,
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whereupon he said:
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"Allah and His Messenger know best."
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My eyes overflowed with tears,
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and I turned away and climbed back over the wall.
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While I was walking through the market of Medina,
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a Nabataean farmer from the people of the Levant,
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among those who had brought grain to sell in Medina,
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was saying:
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"Who will direct me to Ka'b Ibn Malik?"
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The people began pointing toward me for him,
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until he approached me
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and handed me a letter from the King of Ghassan.
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Since I was literate,
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I read it, and it said:
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"To proceed:
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It has reached us that your companion has treated you harshly,
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and Allah has not placed you in an abode of humiliation or neglect.
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Join us, therefore, and we shall comfort and honor you."
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Upon reading it, I said:
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"This, too, is part of the trial."
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So I headed toward the baking oven and burned it in the fire.
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When forty of the fifty nights had passed
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and revelation seemed delayed,
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an emissary of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) suddenly came to me and said:
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"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commands you to separate from your wife."
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I asked:
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"Should I divorce her, or what ought I to do?"
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He replied: "No,
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rather separate from her and do not approach her at all."
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And he sent the same instruction to my two companions.
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So I said to my wife,
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"Go join your family and stay with them
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until Allah issues a judgment in this matter."
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Then the wife of Hilal Ibn Umayyah came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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and said to him,
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"O Messenger of Allah,
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Hilal Ibn Umayyah is an old, helpless man
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who has no servant.
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Do you mind if I serve him?"
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He said, "No,
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but he must not approach you intimately."
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She replied,
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"By Allah, he has no urge for anything at all,
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and by Allah, he has not ceased weeping since his ordeal began up to this very day."
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Some of my family then said to me,
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"If only you were to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for permission regarding your wife,
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for he has indeed permitted the wife of Hilal Ibn Umayyah to serve him."
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But I replied,
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"I will not ask the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) regarding her;
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for what do I know what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) might say
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if I ask him about her,
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seeing that I am a young man?"
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So I remained in that state for ten nights,
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completing fifty nights for us since people were forbidden from speaking to us.
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Then I prayed the dawn prayer on the morning of the fiftieth night
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on the roof of one of our houses.
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While I was sitting in the very state that Allah Almighty mentioned concerning us,
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with my soul constricted and the earth narrowed upon me despite its vastness,
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I heard the voice of a herald who had ascended Mount Sal'
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calling out at the top of his voice:
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"O Ka'b Ibn Malik, rejoice!"
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So I fell down in prostration,
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knowing that relief had indeed arrived.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had announced to the people
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the repentance granted to us by Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,
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when he finished the dawn prayer.
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So the people went out to give us the glad tidings;
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bearers of glad tidings headed toward my two companions,
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while a man spurred his horse galloping toward me,
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and an emissary from the tribe of Aslam sprinted on foot toward me
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and ascended the mountain,
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and the voice proved faster than the horse.
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So when the one whose voice I had heard reached me to deliver the glad tidings,
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I took off my two garments
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and clothed him in them as a reward for his good news;
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by Allah, I possessed no other clothes than those two on that day.
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So I borrowed two garments, put them on,
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and set out heading toward the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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while the people met me crowd after crowd,
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congratulating me on the acceptance of my repentance and saying to me,
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"May Allah's acceptance of your repentance bring you joy!"
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until I entered the mosque,
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and there was the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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sitting with people gathered all around him.
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Then Talhah Ibn 'Ubaydillah (may Allah be pleased with him) rose and rushed toward me
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until he shook my hand and congratulated me;
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by Allah, no man from among the Emigrants stood up to greet me besides him,
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and Ka'b would never forget that gesture from Talhah.
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Ka'b said:
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When I greeted the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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he said, with his face beaming with joy,
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"Rejoice in the best day that has ever passed over you
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since your mother gave birth to you!"
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I asked, "Is it from you, O Messenger of Allah,
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or is it from Allah?"
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He replied, "No, rather it is from Allah, the Exalted and Glorious."
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Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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was delighted, his face would become radiant,
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looking just as if it were a piece of the moon,
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and we always recognized that in him.
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So when I sat before him,
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I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
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part of my repentance is
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that I divest myself of my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger."
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
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"Retain some of your wealth for yourself,
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for that is better for you."
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I said,
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"Then I shall retain my share that is in Khaybar."
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And I said,
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"O Messenger of Allah,
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Allah Almighty delivered me solely because of truthfulness,
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and part of my repentance is
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that I shall speak nothing but the truth as long as I live."
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By Allah, I know of no one among the Muslims
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whom Allah Almighty has tested regarding truthfulness in speech,
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from the time I mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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with a better trial than that which Allah Almighty bestowed upon me.
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By Allah, I have never intentionally uttered a lie since I said that to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
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up to this day of mine,
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and I hope that Allah Almighty will preserve me in what remains of my life.
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He said:
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Then Allah Almighty revealed,
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“Allah hath turned in mercy to the Prophet, and to the Muhajirin and the Ansar who followed him in the hour of hardship. After the hearts of a party of them had almost swerved aside, then turned He unto them in mercy. Lo! He is Full of Pity, Merciful for them.” (9:117)
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up to the words:
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"Indeed, He is to them Kind and Merciful,"
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“And to the three also (did He turn in mercy) who were left behind, when the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for them, and their own souls were straitened for them till they bethought them that there is no refuge from Allah save toward Him. Then turned He unto them in mercy that they (too) might turn (repentant unto Him). Lo! Allah! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.” (9:118)
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“And to the three also (did He turn in mercy) who were left behind, when the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for them, and their own souls were straitened for them till they bethought them that there is no refuge from Allah save toward Him. Then turned He unto them in mercy that they (too) might turn (repentant unto Him). Lo! Allah! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.” (9:118)
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up to the words:
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“O ye who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah, and be with the truthful.” (9:119)
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Ka'b said:
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By Allah, after Allah guided me to Islam, He never bestowed a blessing upon me
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that is greater in my sight than my being truthful with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
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and that I did not lie to him
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and thereby perish as those who lied perished;
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for when revelation came down, Allah Almighty said concerning those who lied the worst thing He ever said about anyone.
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Allah Almighty said,
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"They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them that you may turn aside from them..."
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“They will swear by Allah unto you, when ye return unto them, that ye may let them be. Let them be, for lo! they are unclean, and their abode is hell as the reward for what they used to earn.” (9:95)
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“They will swear by Allah unto you, when ye return unto them, that ye may let them be. Let them be, for lo! they are unclean, and their abode is hell as the reward for what they used to earn.” (9:95)
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“They swear unto you, that ye may accept them. Though ye accept them. Allah verily accepteth not wrongdoing folk.” (9:96)
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“They swear unto you, that ye may accept them. Though ye accept them. Allah verily accepteth not wrongdoing folk.” (9:96)
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Ka'b said:
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We three were left behind and differed from the case of those whose excuse the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) accepted
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when they swore oaths to him, so he took their pledge of allegiance and sought forgiveness for them;
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whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) deferred our case
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until Allah Almighty decreed judgment concerning it in that regard.
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Allah Almighty said,
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“And to the three also (did He turn in mercy) who were left behind, when the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for them, and their own souls were straitened for them till they bethought them that there is no refuge from Allah save toward Him. Then turned He unto them in mercy that they (too) might turn (repentant unto Him). Lo! Allah! He is the Relenting, the Merciful.” (9:118)
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And the mention made of our being left behind
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does not refer to our remaining behind from the battle;
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rather, it refers to his leaving us behind
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and deferring our matter apart from those who swore to him and offered excuses, which he then accepted from them.
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Agreed upon.
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And in another narration:
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The Prophet (peace be upon him) set out for the expedition of Tabuk on a Thursday,
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and he preferred to set out on Thursdays.
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And in another narration:
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He would not return from a journey except during the daytime in the forenoon;
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and whenever he returned, he would first go to the mosque, pray two rak'ahs in it, and then sit there.
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'Araq rish:
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that is, the camels loaded with their packs.
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Warra bi-ghayriha:
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that is, he gave the impression that he intended another destination.
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Mafazah:
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that is, a vast desert with little water.
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Uhbah:
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that is, to prepare what they need for their journey.
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As'ar:
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that is, I turn aside.
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Al-jidd:
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making earnest effort in preparing for the journey.
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Jahaz:
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that is, the provisions and equipment for travel.
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Tafarrata al-ghazw:
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that is, the expedition advanced and marched ahead.
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Mubayyidan:
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that is, wearing white garments.
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Yazulu bihi:
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that is, it moves with him and he rises up.
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Al-sarab:
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that is the mirage that appears to a person in the midday heat in open plains as if it were water.
19:20
Lamazahu al-munafiqun:
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that is, they criticized and disparaged him when he gave a sa' of dates in charity,
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saying, "Allah is in no need of this sa'."
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Qafilan:
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that is, returning.
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Al-bathth:
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that is, severe grief.
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Ajma'tu sidqahu:
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that is, I resolved upon telling him the truth and was determined upon it.
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Al-mukhallafun:
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that is, those who stayed behind from going out with him to Tabuk.
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Ibta'ta zahrak:
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that is, you purchased your riding mount.
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Jadal:
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that is, eloquence, persuasive speech, and skill in argumentation.
19:58
Tajidu 'alayya fihi:
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that is, you become angry with me.
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Yu'annibunani:
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that is, they blame and rebuke me severely.
20:06
Tanakkarat li:
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that is, it felt changed and alien toward me.
20:10
Fa-stakana:
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that is, he submitted and yielded.
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Ashabbu al-qawm:
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that is, the youngest among them in age.
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Tasawwartu jidara ha'iti Abi Qatadah:
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that is, I climbed over the wall of his garden.
20:25
Nabati:
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that is, a peasant farmer;
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he is named thus because he uncovers water,
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that is, he draws it forth.
20:33
Madi'ah:
20:34
that is, a land where your rights are squandered.
20:37
Nuwasika:
20:40
derived from consoling and offering support.
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Al-tannur:
20:43
that is the clay oven in which bread is baked.
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Sajartuha:
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that is, I set it ablaze and burned it,
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referring to the letter.
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Istalbatha al-wahy:
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that is, the revelation was slow in coming.
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La yaqrabannaki:
20:56
an allusion to sexual intercourse.
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Awfa:
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that is, he ascended.
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Rakada ilayya farasa:
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that is, he spurred a horse running toward me,
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galloping intensely.
21:08
Ata'ammamu:
21:10
that is, I head toward.
21:12
Al-fawj:
21:13
the group or crowd.
21:14
Ankhali'u:
21:15
that is, I divest myself of and give up.
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"Allah Almighty tested me,"
21:20
meaning: "He bestowed His favor upon me."
21:22
Among the benefits derived from this hadith
21:26
is the permissibility of speaking of Allah's blessings,
21:29
provided it is not done out of
21:31
pride, arrogance, or ostentation.
21:34
The Pledge of al-'Aqabah
21:36
was among the greatest events attended
21:38
by the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them),
21:40
to the extent that Ka'b
21:42
did not regard it as inferior to the Battle
21:44
of Badr.
21:45
It is permissible for a man to speak
21:47
of his negligence and shortcoming
21:49
in obeying Allah and His Messenger,
21:51
as well as the reason behind it
21:53
and what became of his affair,
21:55
for the sake of admonition and taking heed;
21:57
this is not considered
21:59
an open, boastful display of sin.
22:01
When the leader sees
22:03
a genuine interest in concealing from
22:05
the subjects some of his military plans
22:07
and intentions regarding the enemy,
22:09
by using deliberate ambiguity,
22:11
doing so is recommended, or even obligatory
22:13
depending on the public interest.
22:15
Yet concealment and secrecy,
22:17
if they lead to harm,
22:19
are impermissible.
22:22
When a servant is presented with
22:24
an opportunity to draw near to Allah, perform an act of obedience,
22:26
or fulfill a prescribed worship,
22:28
true resolve lies entirely
22:30
in seizing it and hastening
22:32
toward it.
22:34
None would stay behind and fail to accompany the Messenger of Allah
22:36
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
22:38
except one of three types of men:
22:40
either one deeply suspected
22:42
of hypocrisy,
22:44
or an excused person,
22:46
or someone whom the Messenger of Allah
22:48
(peace be upon him) had left behind
22:50
for a valid purpose or appointed as his deputy
22:52
over Madinah.
22:54
The leader should check on those who
22:56
failed to join him in certain affairs,
22:58
so that they may return to obedience
23:00
and repent; for indeed,
23:02
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
23:04
asked while at Tabuk:
23:06
"What has Ka'b done?"
23:08
It is permissible to criticize a person
23:10
based on what the critic's judgment strongly suggests,
23:12
out of protective zeal and defense of the truth,
23:14
for the sake of Allah and His Messenger;
23:16
and this is evident in what was said by
23:18
the man from Banu Salimiah
23:20
before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
23:22
"O Messenger of Allah,
23:24
he was held back by his two fine cloaks
23:26
and admiring his own flanks."
23:28
It is permissible to refute the critic
23:30
when the one refuting strongly suspects
23:32
that the critic has erred
23:34
and made a mistake, just as
23:36
Mu'adh said to the one who criticized Ka'b:
23:38
"How terrible is what you have said!
23:40
By Allah, O Messenger of Allah,
23:42
we know nothing of him except good."
23:44
And he did not rebuke—
23:46
namely, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)—
23:48
either one of them.
23:50
The Sunnah for one returning
23:52
from a journey
23:54
is to go first to the House of Allah before his own home,
23:56
and perform two rak'ahs there.
23:58
The Messenger of Allah
24:00
(peace be upon him)
24:02
used to accept the outward profession
24:04
of those hypocrites who manifested Islam,
24:06
entrusting their innermost secrets
24:08
to Allah.
24:11
The leader or ruler may withhold
24:13
returning the greeting of peace to an offender,
24:15
as a discipline for him
24:17
and a deterrent to others;
24:19
for it was not reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
24:21
ever
24:23
returned the greeting of peace to Ka'b;
24:25
rather, he met his greeting
24:27
with the smile of one who is displeased.
24:30
Truthfulness is salvation:
24:32
Allah granted success to Ka'b
24:34
and his two companions in being truthful,
24:36
and He did not abandon them to lie
24:38
or offer false excuses.
24:40
It is permissible for a person to enter
24:42
the house of his companion or neighbor
24:44
if he knows that he welcomes it,
24:46
even without asking permission;
24:48
this is evident in Ka'b's words:
24:50
"When this state of affairs prolonged
24:52
upon me,
24:54
I climbed over the orchard wall of Abu Qatadah,
24:56
who was my cousin
24:58
and the most beloved of people to me."
25:00
The recommendation of the prostration
25:02
of gratitude:
25:04
Ka'b fell in prostration the moment he heard
25:06
the voice of the bearer of glad tidings;
25:08
scholars state that this was the practice of the Companions
25:10
(may Allah be pleased with them).
25:12
It shows the Companions' eagerness
25:14
for good and their love
25:16
for one another,
25:18
for the race between the horseman
25:20
and the one who scaled Mount Sal'
25:22
is clear evidence of that,
25:24
as was their competing to bring joy
25:26
to one another.
25:28
The recommendation of shaking hands
25:30
upon meeting,
25:32
which is an undisputed Sunnah.
25:35
The best of a servant's days
25:37
is the day he repents to Allah
25:39
and Allah accepts
25:41
his repentance,
25:43
as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said
25:45
when addressing Ka'b
25:47
ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him):
25:49
"Rejoice in the best day
25:51
that has passed over you since
25:53
your mother gave birth to you!"
25:55
If it is asked:
25:57
"How could this day be better
25:59
than the day he embraced Islam?"
26:01
The answer is:
26:03
it completes the day he embraced Islam;
26:05
the day of his Islam
26:07
was the beginning of his felicity,
26:09
while the day of his repentance was its perfection
26:11
and fulfillment,
26:13
and deeds are judged by their final outcomes.
26:15
The perfect compassion of the Prophet
26:17
(peace be upon him),
26:19
his mercy toward his Ummah, and his gentleness
26:21
with them:
26:23
for he rejoiced at Allah's acceptance of the repentance of the three
26:25
who had stayed behind;
26:27
he was delighted and his face beamed with light,
26:29
such that his joy
26:31
was even greater than the joy of Ka'b ibn Malik.
26:33
The recommendation for a person to weep
26:35
over himself whenever
26:37
he falls into a sin;
26:39
this is seen in Ka'b's words
26:41
describing his two companions:
26:43
"As for my two companions, they surrendered in grief
26:45
and sat in their homes,
26:47
weeping."
26:49
And in his words about himself:
26:51
"My eyes overflowed with tears,
26:53
and I turned away and climbed back over
26:55
the wall."
26:57
The obligation of prioritizing obedience to Allah
26:59
and His Messenger (peace be upon him)
27:01
over affection for a friend,
27:03
a relative, or anyone else,
27:05
just as Abu Qatadah did
27:07
when Ka'b spoke to him
27:09
and he did not respond to him,
27:11
since speaking to him had been forbidden.
27:13
The gravity of the matter of sin:
27:15
al-Hasan al-Basri
27:17
(may Allah have mercy on him) drew attention to this,
27:19
saying:
27:21
"Glory be to Allah!
27:23
These three did not consume
27:25
unlawful wealth,
27:27
nor did they shed forbidden blood,
27:29
nor did they cause corruption in the land,
27:31
yet they suffered what you have heard,
27:33
and the earth, vast as it is,
27:35
grew narrow for them!
27:37
How then will it be for someone who commits
27:39
obscenities and major sins?"
27:42
Ascribing all grace to Allah,
27:44
for He alone is worthy of it,
27:46
and all goodness belongs to Him;
27:48
this is evident in Ka'b's question
27:50
to the Messenger of Allah:
27:52
"Is this from you, O Messenger of Allah,
27:54
or from Allah?"
27:56
He (peace be upon him) replied:
27:58
"No,
28:00
rather it is from Allah."
28:02
It is recommended to arrive
28:04
from travel during the daytime,
28:06
and not to knock on one's family's door
28:08
late at night.
28:10
Boycotting someone for the sake of the religion
28:12
is permitted to exceed
28:14
three nights.
28:16
Whoever repents by means of a virtuous act
28:18
ought to hold firmly
28:20
to that very means,
28:22
for that is more profound in revering the sacred ordinances of Allah;
28:24
just as he did—
28:26
may Allah be pleased with him—regarding honesty.
28:28
Persisting in repentance
28:30
is a condition for its perfection
28:32
and enduring benefit,
28:34
but not a condition for its basic validity,
28:36
since maintaining absolute impeccability until death
28:38
is impossible.
28:40
A Muslim feels deep sorrow over his shortcomings
28:42
in fulfilling obligatory duties,
28:44
alongside an eager striving not to be
28:46
among the laggards or hypocrites.
28:48
Disregarding
28:50
the people of hypocrisy and immorality,
28:52
and leaving them to time,
28:54
which will expose and humiliate them.
28:56
Islam's firmness
28:58
in boycotting sinners,
29:00
even by isolating them from society,
29:02
so that it serves as a more effective deterrent.
29:04
It is recommended
29:06
to share glad tidings of good news,
29:08
to reward the bearer of good tidings,
29:10
and to offer congratulations on occasions
29:12
of joy and celebration.
29:14
Riyad al-Salihin.