Basic
كعب بن مالك
Surah: At-Tawbah (119)
Be With the Truthful — The Story of Kab ibn Malik and His Repentance
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ
— التوبة الآية 119
Verse: "O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with the truthful." (At-Tawbah 119)
Context:
Truthfulness saves its owner even from error — Kab made a mistake by staying behind, but his honesty with Allah and His Messenger was the cause of his salvation. Temporary lying would have drowned him in permanent hypocrisy.
Context:
- Kab ibn Malik, Hilal ibn Umayyah, and Murarah ibn Rabiʿah (may Allah be pleased with them) stayed behind from the Battle of Tabuk without a valid excuse
- Kab confessed his staying behind truthfully: "O Messenger of Allah, if I sat before anyone else from the people of the world I would think I could get out of their anger by excuses." — Sahih Al-Bukhari (4418)
- The Muslims were forbidden from speaking to them for fifty days until the earth felt narrow for them despite its vastness
- Then their acceptance was revealed: "And He accepted repentance from the three who were left behind." (At-Tawbah 118) — and they rejoiced greatly
- Kab said: "No blessing of Allah upon me after Islam was greater in my sight than my truthfulness to the Messenger of Allah." — Al-Bukhari (4418)
Truthfulness saves its owner even from error — Kab made a mistake by staying behind, but his honesty with Allah and His Messenger was the cause of his salvation. Temporary lying would have drowned him in permanent hypocrisy.
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari (4418); Sahih Muslim (2769); Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi (p. 249); Lubab Al-Nuqul by Al-Suyuti
Test Yourself
What is the difference between the position of Kab ibn Malik and that of the hypocrites who also stayed behind from Tabuk?
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