قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ} [التوبة: 119]
[Machine] I heard Ka'b ibn Malik narrating his story when he lagged behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the Battle of Tabuk. He said, "While I was sitting in a state as Allah described us, my soul and the earth became narrow on me due to its vastness. I then heard someone screaming on top of a mountain with the loudest voice, 'O Ka'b ibn Malik, rejoice!' I prostrated out of gratitude and knew that relief had come and that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had announced the forgiveness of Allah upon us when he performed the Fajr prayer. The people rushed to give me the good news, and my companion went ahead to give me the glad tidings. A man came running towards me on a horse that belonged to him, and it had traveled for a moment from Aslam to inform me. He reached me on top of the mountain, and his voice arrived before the horse. When the man whose voice I had heard came to me, he conveyed the good news to me. I took off my garment and gave it to him as a sign of gladness, for, by Allah, I did not possess any other garment that day. I then wore two garments and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . People came to congratulate me in groups until I entered the mosque. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting with his Companions, and Talhah ibn Ubaydullah stood up until he reached me and congratulated me. By Allah, no man from the Muhajirun except him had stood up to congratulate me. I will never forget his deed for Talhah. When I greeted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while his face was radiant with joy, he said, 'Rejoice in the good news of a day that has passed by you which has not appeared since your mother gave birth to you.' I asked him, 'Is it from you, O Messenger of Allah, or from Allah?' He replied, 'No, rather it is from Allah.' Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was excessively overjoyed, his face would radiate like a piece of the moon. We recognized it from him. When I sat before him, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, verily, my repentance includes giving away in charity my wealth to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, and to you, O Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Hold on to some of your wealth, as it will be better for you.' I said, 'Then I will keep my share of the arrow that I own in Khaybar.' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, surely Allah, the Most High, saved me through my truthfulness, and part of my repentance is that I will not speak anything but the truth as long as I live.' By Allah, no one from the Muslims has been put to the test by Allah in speaking the truth since I said that to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . I would rather that Allah keeps me safe from it as long as I live.' Then Allah (ﷻ) revealed the verses: 'Indeed, Allah has forgiven the Prophet and the Muhajirin and the Ansar who followed him in the hour of difficulty' (Quran 9:117) till Allah's saying: 'And [He also forgave] the three who were left behind' (Quran 9:118). The person whom Allah mentioned as being left behind was not one of those who stayed behind from the battle; instead, it was in reference to those who presented excuses and sought the Messenger of Allah's ﷺ permission. Allah delayed the matter until a decision was made regarding them. Therefore, Allah mentioned them: 'And upon the three who were left behind' (Quran 9:118)."
سَمِعْتُ كَعْبَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يُحَدِّثُ حَدِيثَهُ حِينَ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ قَالَ فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَ اللهُ مِنَّا قَدْ ضَاقَتْ عَلَيَّ نَفْسِي وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيَّ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ سَمِعْتُ صَارِخًا أَوْفَى عَلَى أَعْلَى جَبَلٍ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتٍ يَا كَعْبُ بْنَ مَالِكٍ أَبْشِرْ قَالَ فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ فَرَجٌ وَآذَنَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِتَوْبَةِ اللهِ عَلَيْنَا حِينَ صَلَّى صَلَاةَ الْفَجْرِ فَدَهَمَ النَّاسُ يُبَشِّرُونَا وَذَهَبَ قِبَلَ صَاحِبِيَّ مُبَشِّرُونَ وَرَكَضَ رَجُلٌ إِلَيَّ فَرَسًا وَسَعَى سَاعٍ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأَوْفَى عَلَى جَبَلٍ فَكَانَ الصَّوْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنَ الْفَرَسِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَنِي الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَهُ بَشَّرَنِي نَزَعْتُ ثَوْبَيَّ فَكَسَوْتُهُ إِيَّاهُمَا بِشَارَةً وَاللهِ مَا أَمْلِكُ غَيْرَهُمَا وَاسْتَعَرْتُ ثَوْبَيْنِ فَلَبِسْتُهُمَا وَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَتَلَقَّانِي النَّاسُ فَوْجًا فَوْجًا يُهَنِّئُونِي بِالتَّوْبَةِ يَقُولُونَ لِتَهْنِئْكَ تَوْبَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ كَعْبٌ حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا بِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ جَالِسًا حَوْلَهُ النَّاسُ فَقَامَ إِلَيَّ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ يُهَرْوِلُ حَتَّى صَافَحَنِي وَهَنَّأَنِي وَوَاللهِ مَا قَامَ إِلَيَّ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا أَنْسَاهَا لِطَلْحَةَ [122] قَالَ كَعْبٌ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَهُوَ يَبْرُقُ وَجْهُهُ مِنَ السُّرُورِ «أَبْشِرْ بِخَيْرِ يَوْمٍ مَرَّ عَلَيْكَ مُنْذُ وَلَدَتْكَ أُمُّكَ» فَقُلْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَوْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ؟ قَالَ «لَا بَلْ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ» وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا سُرَّ اسْتَنَارَ وَجْهُهُ كَأَنَّهُ قِطْعَةُ قَمَرٍ وَكُنَّا نَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ فَلَمَّا جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَنْ أَنْخَلِعَ مِنْ مَالِي صَدَقَةً إِلَى اللهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى وَإِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضَ مَالِكَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ» قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُمْسِكُ سَهْمِي الَّذِي بِخَيْبَرَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى إِنَّمَا أَنْجَانِي بِالصِّدْقِ وَإِنَّ مِنْ تَوْبَتِي أَلَّا أُحَدِّثَ إِلَّا صِدْقًا مَا بَقِيتُ فَوَاللهِ مَا أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَبْلَاهُ اللهُ فِي صِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ مُنْذُ ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَحْسَنَ مِمَّا أَبْلَانِي وَمَا تَعْلَمُونَ مُنْذُ ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَذِبًا وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَحْفَظَنِي اللهُ فِيمَا بَقِيَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {لَقَدْ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ} [التوبة 117] تَلَا إِلَى {الصَّادِقِينَ} [التوبة 119] فَوَاللهِ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيَّ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ قَطُّ بَعْدَ أَنْ هَدَانِي لِلْإِسْلَامِ بِأَعْظَمَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ صِدْقِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَلَّا أَكُونَ كَذَبْتُهُ فَأَهْلِكَ كَمَا هَلَكَ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوهُ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ الْوَحْيُ بِشَرِّ مَا قَالَ لِأَحَدٍ {سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ} [التوبة 95] إِلَى {الْفَاسِقِينَ} [التوبة 96] قَالَ كَعْبٌ وَكُنَّا تَخَلَّفْنَا أَيُّهَا الثَّلَاثَةُ عَنْ أَمْرِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ قَبِلَ مِنْهُمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ حِينَ حَلَفُوا لَهُ فَبَايَعَهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمْ وَأَرْجَأَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَمْرَنَا حَتَّى قَضَى اللهُ فِيهِ فَلِذَلِكَ قَالَ اللهُ ﷻ {وَعَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا} [التوبة 118] وَلَيْسَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللهُ تَخَلُّفَنَا عَنِ الْغَزْوِ وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ تَخْلِيفُهُ إِيَّانَا وَإِرْجَاؤُهُ أَمْرُنَا عَمَّنْ حَلَفَ لَهُ وَاعْتَذَرَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَبِلَ مِنْهُ مُخْتَصَرٌ