The Madinan Period II, Part 16: The Hadith of Kaʿb ibn Mālik
Section 11 of 12 · The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: The Madinan Period, Part Two
The Three Who Were Left Behind
Allah (ʿazza wa jall) revealed the following two āyāt of Sūrat al-Tawbah, and the second ayah is about Kaʿb and his two companions. Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says: Allah has already forgiven the Prophet and the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār who followed him in the hour of difficulty, after the hearts of a party of them had almost inclined to doubt; and then He forgave them; indeed, He was to them Kind and Merciful. This ayah was spoken of before: it represents the peak of the Muslim community, and towards the end of the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Allah was accepting their tawbah. And then Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says:
وَعَلَى ٱلثَّلَـٰثَةِ ٱلَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَن لَّا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّآ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
“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 towards them, so that they may repent. Surely, Allah is the Most-Relenting, the Very Merciful.” (9:118)
And the earth was burdened for them because of what it was burdened with, and their souls were burdened for them, and they thought that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him; then He turned to them, that they might repent; indeed, Allah is the Accepter of repentance. And He also forgave the three who were left behind, and who regretted their error to the point that the earth closed in on them, in spite of its vastness, and their souls confined them, and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Look at the description: and their souls confined them — it was as if they were prisoners, even though they were free. Allah says: then He turned to them, so that they could repent; indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. So Allah (ʿazza wa jall) accepted the tawbah of Kaʿb ibn Mālik and his two companions.
Well, let us see what Allah said about the ones who gave convincing excuses and lied. Allah says about them, in verses 95 and 96 of Sūrat al-Tawbah:
سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَأَعْرِضُوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ ۖ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَرْضَوْا۟ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَرْضَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
“They will swear by Allah before you when you will go back to them, so that you may ignore their misdeeds. So, just ignore them. They are filth, and their abode is Jahannam, a recompense for what they used to do. They swear before you, so that you may be pleased with them. So, even if you are pleased with them, Allah will not be pleased with the sinning people.” (9:95–96)
They will swear by Allah to you, when you return to them, so that you will turn away from them; so turn away from them; indeed, they are a disgrace, and their abode is Hell as recompense for what they used to earn. They swear to you so that you will be pleased with them; but if you are pleased with them, Allah is not pleased with the disobedient people. They will swear by Allah to you, when you return to them, that you would leave them alone; so leave them alone; indeed, they are evil, and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they have been earning. They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them; but if you should be satisfied with them, indeed Allah is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people. One can see the consequences of truth and the consequences of lying.