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As I was walking in the bazaars of Al-Madinah, a man from the Syrian peasants, who had come to sell food grains
in Al-Madinah, asked people to direct him to Ka`b bin Malik. People pointed towards me. He came to me and
delivered a letter from the King of Ghassan, and as I was a scribe, I read that letter whose purport was: `It has been
conveyed to us that your friend (the Prophet (PBUH)) was treating you harshly. Allah has not created you for a place
where you are to be degraded and where you cannot find your right place; so come to us and we shall receive you
graciously.' As I read that letter I said: 'This is too a trial,' so I put it to fire in an oven. When forty days had elapsed
and Messenger of Allah (PBUH) received no Revelation, there came to me a messenger of the Messenger of Allah
and said, `Verily, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has commanded you to keep away from your wife.' I said, `Should I
divorce her or what else should I do?' He said, `No, but only keep away from her and don't have sexual contact with
her.' The same message was sent to my companions. So, I said to my wife: 'You better go to your parents and stay
there with them until Allah gives the decision in my case.' The wife of Hilal bin Umaiyyah came to Messenger of
Allah (PBUH) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, Hilal bin Umaiyyah is a senile person and has no servant. Do you
disapprove if I serve him?' He said,
`No, but don't let him have any sexual contact with you.
' She said, 'By Allah, he
has no such desire left in him. By Allah, he has been in tears since (this calamity) struck him.' Members of my
family said to me, `You should have sought permission from Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in regard to your wife. He
has allowed the wife of Hilal bin Umaiyyah to serve him.' I said, 'I would not seek permission from Messenger of
Allah (PBUH) for I do not know what Messenger of Allah might say in response to that, as I am a young man'. It
was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty days had passed since people boycotted us and gave up
talking to us. After I had offered my Fajr prayer on the early morning of the fiftieth day of this boycott on the roof of
one of our houses, and had sat in the very state which Allah described as: `The earth seemed constrained for me
despite its vastness', I heard the voice of a proclaimer from the peak of the hill Sal` shouting at the top of his voice:
'O Ka`b bin Malik, rejoice.' I fell down in prostration and came to know that there was (a message of) relief for me.
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had informed the people about the acceptance of our repentance by Allah after he had
offered the Fajr prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my companions in
order to give them the glad tidings. A man spurred his horse towards me (to give the good news), and another one
from the tribe of Aslam came running for the same purpose and, as he approached the mount, I received the good
news which reached me before the rider did. When the one whose voice I had heard came to me to congratulate me,
I took off my garments and gave them to him for the good news he brought to me. By Allah, I possessed nothing
else (in the form of clothes) except these garments, at that time. Then I borrowed two garments, dressed myself and
came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) On my way, I met groups of people who greeted me for (the acceptance of)
repentance and they said: 'Congratulations for acceptance of your repentance.' I reached the mosque where
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was sitting amidst people. Talhah bin `Ubaidullah got up and rushed towards me,
shook hands with me and greeted me. By Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the Muhajirun
besides him.'' Ka`b said that he never forgot (this good gesture of) Talhah. Ka`b further said: "I greeted Messenger
of Allah (PBUH) with `As-salamu `alaikum' and his face was beaming with pleasure. He (PBUH) said,
`Rejoice
with the best day you have ever seen since your mother gave you birth.
'I said: `O Messenger of Allah! Is this (good
news) from you or from Allah?' He said,
`No, it is from Allah.
' And it was common with Messenger of Allah
(PBUH) that when ever he was happy, his face would glow as if it were a part of the moon and it was from this that
we recognized it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said, I have placed a condition upon myself that if Allah accepts
my Taubah, I would give up all of my property in charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger (PBUH)!'
Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,
`Keep some property with you, as it is better for you.'
I said, 'I shall
keep with me that portion which is in Khaibar'. I added: 'O Messenger of Allah! Verily, Allah has granted me
salvation because of my truthfulness, and therefore, repentance obliges me to speak nothing but the truth as long as I
am alive.'' Ka`b added: "By Allah, I do not know anyone among the Muslims who has been granted truthfulness
better than me since I said this to the Prophet (PBUH). By Allah! Since the time I made a pledge of this to
Messenger of Allah (PBUH), I have never intended to tell a lie, and I hope that Allah would protect me (against
telling lies) for the rest of my life. Allah, the Exalted, the Glorious, revealed these Verses:
'Allah has forgiven the Prophet (PBUH), the Muhajirun (Muslim Emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-
Madinah) and the Ansar (Muslims of Al-Madinah) who followed him (Muhammad (PBUH)) in the time of distress
(Tabuk expedition), after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated (from the Right Path), but He accepted
their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of kindness, Most Merciful. And (He did forgive also) the three who
did not join [the Tabuk expedition and whose case was deferred (by the Prophet (PBUH)) for Allah's Decision] till
for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened and their ownselves were straitened to them, and they perceived that
there is no fleeing from Allah, and no refuge but with Him. Then, He forgave them (accepted their repentance), that
they might beg for His Pardon [repent (unto Him)]. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance,
Most Merciful. O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds).''
(9:117,118).
Ka`b said: "By Allah, since Allah guided me to Islam, there has been no blessing more significant for me than this
truth of mine which I spoke to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as
were ruined those who had told lies, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever
attributed to anybody else, as He sent down the Revelation:
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