"I heard my father Ka'b bin Malik -who was one of the three whose repentance was accepted- say: 'The Messenger of Allah sent word to me and to my two companions saying: The Messenger of Allah commands you to keep away from your wives. I said to his envoy: Shall I divorce my wife, or what should I do? He said: No, just keep away from her, and do not approach her. I said to my wife: Go to your family and stay with them. So she went to them.'"  

وَهُوَ أَحَدُ الثَّلاَثَةِ الَّذِينَ تِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ يُحَدِّثُ قَالَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَإِلَى صَاحِبَىَّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلُوا نِسَاءَكُمْ فَقُلْتُ لِلرَّسُولِ أُطَلِّقُ امْرَأَتِي أَمْ مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ قَالَ لاَ بَلْ تَعْتَزِلُهَا فَلاَ تَقْرَبْهَا فَقُلْتُ لاِمْرَأَتِي الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ فَكُونِي فِيهِمْ فَلَحِقَتْ بِهِمْ  

"I heard Ka'b narrate the Hadith about when he stayed behind and did not join the Messenger of Allah on the expedition to Tabuk. He said: 'The envoy of the Messenger of Allah came to me and said: "The Messenger of Allah commands you to keep away from your wife." I said: "Shall I divorce her, or what should I do?" He said: "No, just keep away from her and do not approach her." And he sent similar instructions to my two companions. I said to my wife: "Go to your family and stay with them until Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, decides concerning this matter."'"  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ وَقَالَ فِيهِ إِذَا رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْتِينِي وَيَقُولُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلَ امْرَأَتَكَ فَقُلْتُ أُطَلِّقُهَا أَمْ مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ قَالَ بَلِ اعْتَزِلْهَا وَلاَ تَقْرَبْهَا وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى صَاحِبَىَّ بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ فَقُلْتُ لاِمْرَأَتِي الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ وَكُونِي عِنْدَهُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ ﷻ فِي هَذَا الأَمْرِ خَالَفَهُمْ مَعْقِلُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ  

"Abdur-Rahman bin 'Abdullah bin Ka'b narrated that his paternal uncle 'Ubaidullah bin Ka'b said: 'I heard my father Ka'b say: The Messenger of Allah sent word to me and my two companions saying: The Messenger of Allah commands you to keep away from your wives. I said to the envoy: Should I divorce my wife, or what should I do? He said: No, just keep away from her and do not come near her. I said to my wife: Go to your family and stay with them until Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, decides (concerning me). So she went to them.'"  

أَرْسَلَ إِلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَإِلَى صَاحِبَىَّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلُوا نِسَاءَكُمْ فَقُلْتُ لِلرَّسُولِ أُطَلِّقُ امْرَأَتِي أَمْ مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ قَالَ لاَ بَلْ تَعْتَزِلُهَا وَلاَ تَقْرَبْهَا فَقُلْتُ لاِمْرَأَتِي الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ فَكُونِي فِيهِمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ ﷻ فَلَحِقَتْ بِهِمْ خَالَفَهُ مَعْمَرٌ  

‘Abd Allah bin Ka’b reported “I heard Ka’ab bin Malik. He then narrated his story about the battle of Tabuk.(Narrating the story) he added “When forty out of fifty days passed”, the messenger of the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ came and said “The Apostle of Allaah ﷺ has commanded you to keep away from your wife. He said “So, I (Ka’b bin Malik)” said “Should I divorce her or what should I do? He said “No, but only keep away from her and do not go near her”. So, I said to my wife “Go to your people and live with them until Allaah, the exalted makes a decision in this matter.”  

حَتَّى إِذَا مَضَتْ أَرْبَعُونَ مِنَ الْخَمْسِينَ إِذَا رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْتِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلَ امْرَأَتَكَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ أُطَلِّقُهَا أَمْ مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ قَالَ لاَ بَلِ اعْتَزِلْهَا فَلاَ تَقْرَبَنَّهَا فَقُلْتُ لاِمْرَأَتِي الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ فَكُونِي عِنْدَهُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ فِي هَذَا الأَمْرِ  

"I heard my father Ka'b bin Malik -who was one of the three whose repentance was accepted- say: 'The Messenger of Allah sent word to me and to my two companions saying: The Messenger of Allah commands you to keep away from your wives. I said to his envoy: Shall I divorce my wife, or what should I do? He said: No, just keep away from her, and do not approach her. I said to my wife: Go to your family and stay with them. So she went to them.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3423)   

أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَإِلَى صَاحِبَيَّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَعْتَزِلُوا نِسَاءَكُمْ قُلْتُ لِلرَّسُولِ أُطَلِّقُ أَمْ مَاذَا أَفْعَلُ؟ قَالَ «لَا بَلْ تَعْتَزِلُهَا وَلَا تَقْرَبْهَا» فَقُلْتُ لِامْرَأَتِي الْحَقِي بِأَهْلِكِ فَكُونِي فِيهِمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللهُ فَلَحِقَتْ بِهِمْ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ خَالَفَهُ مَعْمَرٌ