6 Ways to Increase Rizq (Hadith No. 2540)

Bismillah.

Ahadith 2538 – 2539 (below) are repeats. See linked text for related posts.

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 143 :
Narrated by Anas bin Malik (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said to Abu Talha (radiallaahu `anhu), “Choose one of your boy servants to serve me in my expedition to Khaibar.” So, Abu Talha (radiallaahu `anhu) took me letting me ride behind him while I was a boy nearing the age of puberty. I used to serve Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) when he stopped to rest. I heard him saying repeatedly, “O Allah! I seek refuge with You from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men.” Then we reached Khaibar; and when Allah enabled him to conquer the Fort (of Khaibar), the beauty of Safiya bint Huyai bin Akhtab (radiallaahu `anhaa) was described to him. Her husband had been killed while she was a bride. So Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) selected her for himself and took her along with him till we reached a place called Sad-AsSahba,’ where her menses were over and he took her for his wife. Haris (a kind of dish) was served on a small leather sheet. Then Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) told me to call those who were around me. So, that was the marriage banquet of Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and Safiya. Then we left for Medina. I saw Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) folding a cloak round the hump of the camel so as to make a wide space for Safiya (to sit on behind him) He sat beside his camel letting his knees for Safiya to put her feet on so as to mount the camel. Then, we proceeded till we approached Medina; he looked at Uhud (mountain) and said, “This is a mountain which loves us and is loved by us.” Then he looked at Medina and said, “O Allah! I make the area between its (i.e. Medina’s) two mountains a sanctuary as Abraham made Mecca a sanctuary. O Allah! Bless them (i.e. the people of Medina) in their Mudd and Sa (i.e. measures).”

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 144 :
Narrated by Anas bin Malik (radiallaahu `anhu)
Um Haram (radiallaahu `anhaa) told me that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) one day took a midday nap in her house. Then he woke up smiling. Um Haram asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! What makes you smile?” He replied “I was astonished to see (in my dream) some people amongst my followers on a sea-voyage looking like kings on the thrones.” She said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Invoke Allah to make me one of them.” He replied, “You are amongst them.” He slept again and then woke up smiling and said the same as before twice or thrice. And she said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Invoke Allah to make me one of them.” And he said, “You are amongst the first batch.” ‘Ubada bin As-Samit married her (i.e. Um Haram) and then he took her for Jihad. When she returned, an animal was presented to her to ride, but she fell down and her neck was broken.

Today’s Hadith:

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 145 :
Narrated by Mus’ab bin Sad (radiallaahu `anhu)
Once Sad (bin Abi Waqqas) (radiallaahu `anhu) thought that he was superior to those who were below him in rank. On that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “You gain no victory or livelihood except through (the blessings and invocations of) the poor amongst you.”

Along with being charitable, one has to be humble and kind towards those below him in rank or status, enough to have them sincerely pray for you. More ways of increasing rizq (provision):

1. Istighfaar (praying for forgiveness)

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“I said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord; Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving;
He will send rain to you in abundance;
And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers”
[Nooh 70:10-12].

2. Upholding ties of kinship

Al-Bukhaari (2067) and Muslim (2557) narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever would like his rizq (provision) to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinship.”

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“his rizq (provision) to be increased” means to be expanded and made abundant or, it was said, to be blessed (barakah). End quote.

3. Giving a great deal of charity

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: Truly, my Lord enlarges the provision for whom He wills of His slaves, and (also) restricts (it) for him, and whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah’s Cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers”
[Saba’ 34:39].

Muslim (2588) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Charity does not decrease wealth.”

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

They (the scholars) mentioned two meanings of this hadeeth, one of which is that (the wealth) will be blessed (as a result of giving charity) and harm will be warded off from it, so the apparent decrease will be compensated for by means of hidden blessing (barakah). This is something that is well known from experience. The second is that even if it appears to be decreased outwardly, there will be compensation for that in the reward that results from it, and it will be increased manifold. End quote.

4. Being mindful of Allah and fearing Him (taqwa)

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine”
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3].

5. Performing Hajj and ‘Umrah often, following one with the other

At-Tirmidhi (810) narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood said: The Messenger of Allah (sa) said:

“Make the Hajj and ‘Umrah follow each other closely, for they remove poverty and sins as the bellows removes the dross of iron, gold and silver, and an accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.”.
[It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.]

6. Du‘aa’ (supplication)

It was narrated by Ibn Maajah (925) from Umm Salamah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say, when he said the salaam at the end of Fajr prayer:

“Allaahumma inni as’aluka rizqan tayyiban, wa ‘ilman naafi’an, wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan.
(O Allaah, I ask you for good (halaal) provision, beneficial knowledge and accepted good deeds).”
[Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.]

Taken from IslamQA

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A Charitable Life (Hadith No. 2536)

Bismillah.

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 141 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Charity is obligatory everyday on every joint of a human being. If one helps a person in matters concerning his riding animal by helping him to ride it or by lifting his luggage on to it, all this will be regarded charity. A good word, and every step one takes to offer the compulsory congregational prayer, is regarded as charity; and guiding somebody on the road is regarded as charity.”

Taking this and numerous other narrations about charity and its rewards, I’ve come to the conclusion that a Muslim’s life is a charitable life. A lot of the small good deeds that we do, even without thinking, are counted as charity. Why is that a big deal, you ask? What’s the difference between getting rewarded for a regular ‘good deed’ and a ‘charity’? Well it’s simple, charity brings enormous rewards, as discussed in some of the previous posts:

“If one gives in charity what equals one date-fruit from the honestly-earned money — and Allah accepts only the honestly-earned money — Allah takes it in His right (hand) and then enlarges its reward for that person (who has given it); as anyone of you brings up his baby horse, so much so that it becomes as big as a mountain.” [Vol. 2, Book 24, No. 491]

You don’t have to be a billionaire supporting various causes, charities and trusts to be charitable. You just need to be a humble Muslim, helping others with your words and deeds being your nature. :)

In words of Talib al-Habib:

Shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the Earth
Let your kindness come like rain that cares not whom it falls upon
And let ocean deep your wisdom be,
Your heart a lantern spreading peace
Give yourself in love of Him, be like al-Habib
(Al-Habib)

Convenient Rewards (Ahadith 2491 – 2492)

Bismillah.

Hadith no. 2490 (below) is a repeat. Read it here.

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 95 :
Narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri (radiallaahu `anhu)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) ascended the pulpit and said, “Nothing worries me as to what will happen to you after me, except the temptation of worldly blessings which will be conferred on you.” Then he mentioned the worldly pleasures. He started with the one (i.e. the blessings) and took up the other (i.e. the pleasures). A man got up saying, “O Allah’s Apostle! Can the good bring about evil?” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) remained silent and we thought that he was being inspired divinely, so all the people kept silent with awe. Then the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) wiped the sweat off his face and asked, “Where is the present questioner?” “Do you think wealth is good?” he repeated thrice, adding, “No doubt, good produces nothing but good. Indeed it is like what grows on the banks of a stream which either kills or nearly kills the grazing animals because of gluttony except the vegetation-eating animal which eats till both its flanks are full (i.e. till it gets satisfied) and then stands in the sun and defecates and urinates and again starts grazing. This worldly property is sweet vegetation. How excellent the wealth of the Muslim is, if it is collected through legal means and is spent in Allah’s Cause and on orphans, poor people and travelers. But he who does not take it legally is like an eater who is never satisfied and his wealth will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection.”

Today’s Ahadith:

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 96 :
Narrated by Zaid bin Khalid (radiallaahu `anhu)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “He who prepares a Ghazi going in Allah’s Cause is given a reward equal to that of) a Ghazi; and he who looks after properly the dependents of a Ghazi going in Allah’s Cause is (given a reward equal to that of) Ghazi”

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 97 :
Narrated by Anas (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) used not to enter any house in Medina except the house of Um Sulaim (radiallaahu `anhaa) besides those of his wives. When he was asked why, he said, “I take pity on her as her brother was killed in my company.”

We are often faced with restrictions and limitations when it comes to spending our time and/or efforts in Allah’s Cause. We’re either busy with other obligations or bound by (lack of) availability of means. Well here’s a good news for us: if we support those who are active in the Cause and their dependents, we get the same reward as them. This is by analogy, of course.

Sadaqah has various levels and ranks. If you give some money to a poor person, it’s a very good deed indeed. But if you spend that money on a student of knowledge, the rewards are huge! You get rewarded for sadaqah, and you get the reward equal to the student because you’re supporting him, and later on when he starts teaching, you get rewarded for every single person he benefits. And the cycle continues. This is sadaqah jaariyah. Is it not a better option?

The Gates of Paradise (Hadith No. 2489)

Bismillah.

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 94 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Whoever spends two things in Allah’s Cause, will be called by all the gate-keepers of Paradise who will be saying, ‘O so-and-so! Come here.’ ” Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Such persons will never be destroyed.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “I hope you will be one of them.”

Ask yourself. Is it really that hard to get this honor? Two things. Only two things to be spent in Allah’s cause. I do think that this hadith means two ‘kinds’ of things, like wealth and time for example, instead of two “things” like cash and gold. I could be wrong but this is what I understand of it.

How many gates of Paradise?

It is known that Paradise has many gates, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“‘Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens), which they shall enter and (also) those who acted righteously from among their fathers, and their wives, and their offspring. And angels shall enter unto them from every gate”

[al-Ra’d 13:23] 

“And those who kept their duty to their Lord (Al-Muttaqoon – the pious) will be led to Paradise in groups till when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salaamun ‘Alaykum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein”

[al-Zumar 39:73]

In the saheeh ahaadeeth it says that there are eight gates:

It was narrated from Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “In Paradise there are eight gates, among which is a gate called al-Rayyaan, which none will enter but those who fast.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3017).

It was narrated from ‘Ubaadah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever bears witness that there is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, and that ‘Eesa is the slave of Allaah and His Messenger, and a word which Allaah bestowed on Maryam and a spirit created by Him (cf. al-Nisa’ 4:171), and that Paradise is true and Hell is true, will have the right to be admitted by Allaah to Paradise through whichever of the eight gates he wishes, because of his good deeds.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3180; Muslim, 41)

One of the bounties that Allaah has bestowed upon this ummah is that He opens all the gates of Paradise during the month of Ramadaan, not just one gate. Whoever says that there is a gate in Paradise called Baab al-Radwaan has to produce evidence for that.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Ramadaan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3035; Muslim 1793)

We ask Allaah to make us among those who will enter Paradise. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

[Taken from IslamQA]

What is written on the gate(s) of Paradise?

There are some reports which speak of what is written on the gate of Paradise. The strongest report that we have found is that which was narrated by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi from Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man entered Paradise and saw written on its gate ‘Charity receives a tenfold reward and a loan an eighteenfold reward.’”

Classed as hasan by al-Albaani. See Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/537.

Although some scholars were inclined to accept the attribution of this hadeeth to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), others – including Ibn al-Jawzi, al-‘Iraaqi, al-Manaawi and others – classed it as da’eef (weak), because the narrators who transmitted it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) include a narrator who is very weak.

There is another report which says: “Written on the gates of Paradise is: ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Muhammad Rasool-Allaah ‘Ali akhoo rasool-Illaah (There is no god but Allaah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, ‘Ali is the brother of the Messenger of Allaah).’ This was written two thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth.”

But this is a false report which cannot be attributed to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). See al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, vol. 10, no. 4901.

We should also note that speaking about this topic or similar topics that have to do with Paradise, Hell or other matters of the unseen cannot be accepted as correct unless it is based on revelation (wahy) that is proven to be from Allaah, on the lips of His Messenger.

And we have to ask ourselves: what is the practical benefit of knowing such things? What good things will we be missing out on if we do not know this?

The question which we should really be asking is: How can we get to those gates? How can they be opened for us? How can we enter them?

This is the decisive question which people should concern themselves with.

In truth there is only one way to reach Paradise: the straight path in which there is no crookedness. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become Al‑Muttaqoon (the pious)”

[al-An’aam 6:153]

Taken from IslamQA

The Story of Ka’b ibn Malik’s (radiallaahu `anhu) Repentance (Hadith No. 2413)

Bismillah.

Ahadith 2410 – 2412 (below) are repeats. See linked text for related posts.

Volume 4, Book 51, Number 17 :
Narrated by Anas (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) saw a man driving a Badana (i.e. camel for sacrifice) and said to him, “Ride on it.” The man said, “O Allah’s Apostle! It is a Badana.” (The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) repeated his order) and on the third or fourth time he said, “Ride it, “woe to you!” (or said: “May Allah be merciful to you).”

Volume 4, Book 51, Number 18 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) saw a man driving a Badana and said to him, “Ride on it,” and on the second or the third time he added, “Woe to you.”

Volume 4, Book 51, Number 19 :
Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas (radiallaahu `anhu)
The mother of Sad bin ‘Ubada (radiallaahu `anhu) died in his absence. He said, “O Allah’s Apostle! My mother died in my absence; will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqa on her behalf?” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Yes,” Sad (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al Makhraf in charity on her behalf.”

Today’s Hadith:

Volume 4, Book 51, Number 20 :
Narrated by Kab bin Malik (radiallaahu `anhu)
I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! For the acceptance of my repentance I wish to give all my property in charity for Allah’s sake through His Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam).” He said, “It is better for you to keep some of the property for yourself.” I said, “Then I will keep my share in Khaibar.”

The story of Ka’b’s (radiallaahu `anhu) repentance is most beautiful. He narrated it in his own words to his son who then narrated it further, and it’s recorded in Bukhari and Muslim. We’ll come to the story after this point: it is mustahabb (liked) to give charity after committing a sin (and repenting).

It was narrated that Ka‘b ibn ‘Ajrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to me:

“Charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire.”
Al-Tirmidhi (614); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Sunan al-Tirmidhi.

The Story of Ka’b’s (radiallaahu `anhu) Repentance

After the Conquest of Makkah, Caeser – Ruler of Byzantium, which was considered the greatest military force on earth at the time – could no longer turn a blind eye to the activities of the Muslims. He was anxiously aware of the Arab tribes’ expectations of independence, and their hopes of getting free from his reign and influence. They could not ignore the alliance of the Arab tribes on his borders to the Muslims. So he concluded that the demolition of the Muslims’ power had grown an urgent necessity. This decision of his should, in his opinion, be achieved before the Muslims become too powerful to conquer, and raise troubles and unrest in the adjacent Arab territories. Thus, Caeser raised a huge army of Byzantine and pro-Roman Ghassanide tribes to launch a decisive bloody battle against the Muslims. News of this army reached the Muslims and much fear spread in their hearts. After much deliberating on the situation, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam made up his mind and ordered his companions to prepare for war. No sooner had the Muslims heard the voice of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam calling them to fight the Byzantines, than they rushed to comply with his orders. Almost all the Muslims responded positively. Only those who had weakness in their hearts favoured to stay behind. They were only three people. Their story is told below:

Due to its particular circumstances, this invasion was a particularly severe trial provided by Allah only to try the believers’ faith and sort them out from the others. This is Allah’s permanent Will in such circumstances. In this respect He says:

“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are in now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good … “[Al-Qur’an 3:179]

Lagging behind and hanging back from full participation in that invasion amounted to a degree of hypocrisy. Whenever the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was informed of a man’s lingering, he would say: “Leave him alone! If Allah knows him to be good, He will enable him to follow you; but if he were not so, Allah would relieve us of him.”

Nobody stayed behind except those who were either hindered by a serious excuse or the hypocrites who told lies to Allah and His Messenger. Some of those hypocrites’ lingering was due to an excuse based on forgery and delusion. Some others tarried, but didn’t ask for instant permission. But there were three believers who unjustifiably lingered. They were the ones whose faith Allah tried, but later He returned to them in Mercy and accepted their repentance. One of the believers’ stories is recorded in an authentic hadeeth:

It has been related by ‘Abdullah ibn Ka’ab ibn Malik, who became Ka’ab’s guide from amongst his children – when he became blind. He said: I heard Ka’ab ibn Malik speaking about the incident concerning his non-participation during the Battle of Tabuk. Ka’ab said:

“I was not absent from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam during any campaign that he fought in, except the Battle of Tabuk. Nevertheless, I was absent from the Battle of Badr. However, no individual was admonished for non-participation. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam departed in search of a caravan of the Quraysh, thereafter certain events took place until Allah assembled the two armies unexpectedly. Verily, I witnessed the night of Al-‘Aqabah (the Pledge) with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the night wherein we pledged our allegiance to Islam. Furthermore I would not exchange it for participation in the Battle of Badr, regardless of the fact that the Battle of Badr is deemed more noteworthy amongst the people. In relation to my news: I had never before been stronger nor wealthier than at the time I remained behind the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam during that campaign. By Allah – I had never before been in possession of two she-camels, until the time of the battle.”

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would conceal his intention to embark upon a military expedition by making reference to other campaigns, until the time for that expedition arrived.

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam conducted that expedition during a season of extreme heat, undertaking a lengthy journey through desert terrain. In addition, the enemy was great in number. Thus, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, clarified the matter to the Muslims, in order that they prepare themselves adequately for their campaign, and he informed them of their intended destination. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was accompanied by a considerable number of Muslims, whose names could not be recorded in a book. Ka’ab continued:

“Any individual who wished to remain absent would assume that his absence would pass unnoticed, unless it was revealed by Allah by means of Divine Revelation. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam undertook that expedition during a season wherein the fruit had ripened and the shade had become pleasant.

“The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the Muslims equipped themselves with the necessary provisions. I too departed in order to prepare myself, however I returned without accomplishing anything. I would say to myself: I am able to prepare myself. Hence, I continued to postpone my preparations. However the people occupied themselves in earnest with the journey, until the day arrived wherein the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the Muslims proceeded to depart. However I had not completed any part of my preparations. I said to myself: I shall prepare myself in one or two days after his departure, and then I will join them.

“The morning after their departure, I set out in order to equip myself. However, I returned without completing anything. The following morning, I set out again, nevertheless, but I returned without accomplishing anything. This continued until they hastened towards the battle, and the campaign had passed by. Nevertheless, I intended to depart and reach them, would that I had done so! However, I was not destined to do that.

“After the departure of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam I would enter amongst the people and it would become a cause of sadness for me. For I did not see except the one suspected of being a hypocrite, or the weak and infirm whom Allah had excused from participation.

“The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not remember me until he arrived in Tabuk. He was sitting amongst his people in Tabuk and asked, ‘What happened to Ka’ab?’ A man from amongst the tribe of Bani Salimah responded: ‘O Messenger of Allah, he was hindered by his garments and pleasure for his clothes and his self.’

“Mu’adh ibn Jabal said: ‘What a wretched statement you have uttered. O Messenger of Allah, we do not know of him save goodness.’

“Hence, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam became silent. Whilst he was in that position, he saw a man clothed in a white garment real in essence (not merely a desert mirage). The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: ‘May it be Abu Khaythama al-Ansari, he was the one who donated a measure of dates when the Munafiqin (Hypocrites) defamed him.’ “

Ka’ab ibn Malik continued:

“When I learned that he had turned in order to return, I was consumed by distress, and started therefore to invent lies. I started to question myself: With what can I avoid his anger tomorrow? I sought assistance from every individual of sound mind and judgment from amongst my family.

“When it was mentioned that the Messenger of Allah’s sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam arrival was imminent, the false excuses vanished from my mind. I recognized that I could not liberate myself from this predicament by means of falsehood. I therefore resolved to speak the truth.

“The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam arrived the following morning. It was a practice of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that upon returning from a journey, he would proceed towards the Mosque and perform a two rak’ah prayer therein, and then sit amongst the people. After those matters had taken place, the absentees approached him. They started to present their excuses and take oaths to that effect. There were over eighty men in number. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallamaccepted their excuses, their oaths, and sought forgiveness on their behalf. In addition, he entrusted unto Allah their secret affairs. Thereafter I approached him, and conveyed the greeting upon him. He smiled – the smile of the one enraged. Then he said: ‘Come forward.’ I therefore approached him walking until I was sitting before him. Then he said: ‘What prevented you from accompanying us? Had you not purchased a riding animal?’

“I responded: ‘Of course O Messenger of Allah. However, by Allah, if I was in the presence of any other man from amongst the inhabitants of this World, I would avoid His wrath by presenting an excuse for I have been granted the ability to speak in an eloquently persuasive manner. However, I am aware that if I utter a lie today in order to seek your pleasure, certainly Allah will cause you to become enraged with me in the future. Alternatively, if I inform you of the truth, thereby causing you to become angry, I may nevertheless hope for Allah’s Pardon. No, By Allah I have no excuse to present. I had never before been stronger nor wealthier than during the time I neglected to accompany you.’

“The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied: ‘In relation to this man – he has spoken the truth. Therefore, stand until Allah pronounces judgment in this matter.’ I therefore stood, a group of men from the tribe of Bani Salimah became disorderly and started following me. They addressed me: ‘By Allah – we have not known you to commit a misdeed. Verily you erred in not excusing yourself before the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in a similar manner to the other absentees who excused themselves. The Messenger of Allah’s sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam action of seeking forgiveness for your misdeed would have been sufficient for you.’ They continued to reprimand me until I desired to return to the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and fabricate a lie against myself (contradict my story).

“However I questioned them, ‘Is there any other individual in a similar position?’ They responded, ‘Yes, there are two men who uttered the same statement as you and both received the same directive as you did. ‘I asked: ‘Who are these two men?’ They answered: ‘Murarah ibn al-Rabi’ and Hilal ibn Umayyah al-Waqifi.’

“By their statement, they had made reference to two virtuous men who had participated in the Battle of Badr, and were examples to be followed. After they had mentioned these two men I remained steadfast upon my original statement.

“Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam prohibited the Muslims from speaking to us – namely the three individuals from amongst us who had neglected to accompany him.

“As a consequence the people avoided us and altered their conduct towards us, until the land wherein I lived appeared foreign, not one which I was familiar with. We remained in that state for a period of fifty nights. In relation to my companions – they surrendered themselves to their houses and remained seated therein, weeping. However, I was the youngest and most forbearing of the three, I would therefore exit the house in order to perform the prayer with the other Muslims.

“I would wander around the markets, yet no one would speak to me. I would approach the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and convey the greeting upon him whilst he was sitting amidst his gatherings, which took place upon completion of the prayer. I would question myself: Did his lips move in the act of reciprocating the greeting upon me or not? Thereafter, I would perform the prayer close by him, and look towards him in a surreptitious manner. When I occupied myself with the prayer, he would turn towards me. However, when I looked in his direction, he would avoid me. When this period of estrangement lengthened, I set out to walk until I climbed upon the wall of Abu Qatadah’s garden. He was my cousin and amongst the most beloved of people to me. I conveyed the greeting upon him, and by Allah – he did not reciprocate the greeting upon me. Hence, I said: ‘O Abu Qatadah: I implore you by Allah, are you aware that I love Allah and His Messenger?’ He remained silent. I appealed to him by Allah a second time, however he remained silent. Then he responded: ‘Allah and His Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam are greater in knowledge.’ Thereupon tears flowed from my eyes, I turned away and climbed over the wall.”

He continued:

“Whilst I was walking in the market in Madinah I saw a Christian farmer from amongst the farmers of Sham, who had traveled to Madinah in order to sell their produce. He said: ‘Who shall direct me to towards Ka’ab bin Malik?’ The people started to gesture towards me, until he approached me and presented me with a letter from the King of Ghassan, in which it was written:

‘To proceed, it has come to our attention that your companion has dealt with you in a harsh manner. Allah has not rendered this world for you as a dwelling of disgrace and degradation, nor one of loss and ruin. So join us and we shall bestow upon you comfort and consolation.’

“Upon reading the letter I said to myself: This too is a trial placed before me. I therefore placed the letter in the oven and created a fire by burning it therein.

“When a period of forty out of fifty nights had passed, the messenger of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallamapproached me and said: ‘The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam commands you to distance yourself from your wife.’ I said: ‘Should I divorce her, or what must I do?’ He responded: ‘No, distance yourself from her and do not approach her. The Prophetsallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has issued a similar directive to your two companions.’ Hence, I said to my wife:

‘Go to your parents and remain with them until Allah passes judgment in this matter.’ “

Ka’ab said:

“The wife of Hilal ibn Umayyah came to the Apostle of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, verily Hilal bin Umayyah is an elderly man who is incapable of taking care of himself. Furthermore, he is not in possession of a servant, would you therefore object if I was to serve him?’ He responded: ‘No, but he must not approach you.’ She said: ‘By Allah, he has no desire for any matter. By Allah, he has not ceased to weep from the day this matter started until this time now.’ Some of my family members questioned me: ‘Why don’t you seek permission from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam concerning your wife, as he has granted permission for the wife of Hilal bin Umayyah to serve him?’ I responded: ‘By Allah, I shall not seek permission from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam concerning her. I am not aware of what the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would say if I sought his permission in relation to her whilst I am still a young man.’ I remained in that state for an additional ten nights, until fifty nights had been completed from the point that he had prohibited the people from speaking to us.

“On the morning of the fiftieth night, I performed the Fajr prayer upon the roof of one of our houses. I was experiencing a condition which Allah had mentioned in the Book:

‘My soul had become contracted, and the earth had contracted upon me despite its vastness.’

“Suddenly I heard a clear voice emanating from the direction of Mount Safa. Somebody announced with his loudest voice: ‘O Ka’ab bin Malik, I confer upon you glad tidings!’ I prostrated myself upon the ground. I realized that relief from this tribulation had arrived and that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had indicated that Allah had granted us penitence. After the Fajr prayer, the people thereupon proceeded forth to congratulate us, and bearers of glad tidings departed to my two companions. A horseman raced towards me in order to congratulate me and a messenger from the tribe of Aslam raced towards the mountain and scaled it in order to make the announcement. I heard his voice before that of the horseman. When the individual whose voice I had heard approached me to convey the glad tidings, I removed my garments and clothed him in them. By Allah, on that day I was not in possession of any other garments, I therefore borrowed two items, clothed myself and proceeded towards the Messenger of Allahsallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. People started receiving me in groups, congratulating me upon the acceptance of my penitence. They said: ‘We congratulate you upon Allah’s acceptance of your repentance.’ When I entered the Mosque, the Messenger of Allahsallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was sitting, surrounded by people. Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah hastened towards me. He shook my hand, and congratulated me. By Allah, no one from amongst the Muhajirin (Emigrants) stood in order to greet me save him, and I shall never forget Talhah’s action in doing so.

“When I greeted the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his face was radiant with happiness, and he said: ‘I give you the glad tidings of the best day you have witnessed since your mother gave birth to you.’ I asked, ipation in that invasion amounted to a degree of hypocri’Is this from you or from Allah?’ He responded, ‘It is from Allah.’

“Whenever the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam became delighted, his face became illuminated until it resembled a piece of the moon. We recognized that this matter was characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, by virtue of the acceptance of my repentance, I shall donate the sum total of my wealth in charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.’ The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam responded: ‘Retain a portion of your wealth, for it is better for you to do so.’ I said: ‘I shall retain a portion of my wealth in Khaybar. O Messenger of Allah, verily Allah has delivered me from this tribulation because I spoke the truth. My penitence therefore dictates that I shall speak only the truth as long as I live.’

“By Allah, I am not aware of any individual from amongst the Muslims whom Allah has blessed for speaking the truth more than myself, from the time wherein I mentioned those words of truth to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. In addition, I have never intended to utter a falsehood from the time wherein I mentioned those words of truth to the Messenger of Allahsallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to the present day. Furthermore, I hope that Allah will protect me from uttering falsehood during the remaining portion of my life. Allah revealed the Verse to His Messenger:

“Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin, and the Ansar … be with those who are truthful … “ [Al-Qur’an 9:117-119]

“By Allah, after guiding me to Islam, Allah has not bestowed upon me a favour – greater in magnitude – than my statement of truth to the Apostle of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and my action of not uttering a lie to him. For I would have destroyed myself, as those who uttered lies were destroyed. Allah ascribed to those who had uttered falsehood, a description more evil than he had ascribed to any other individual, when He revealed His Revelation. Allah, Blessed be He, the Most High stated:

‘They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them. Surely, they are impure, and Hell is their dwelling place – a recompense for that which they used to earn. They (the hypocrites) swear to you (Muslims) that you may be pleased with them, but if you are pleased with them, certainly Allah is not pleased with people who are rebellious.’ [Al-Qur’an 9:95-96]“

Ka’ab continued:

“We, the three who neglected to participate, differed from those whose excuses were accepted by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam when they swore to him to that effect. He accepted their pledge of allegiance and sought forgiveness for them. However, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam deferred our case until Allah passed judgment in relation to it. With reference to that, Allah said: ‘He also forgave the three who remained behind … ‘ [Qur’an 9:118]

“In this Verse Allah did not refer to our non-participation in the military expedition. However it refers to the postponement and deferment of the Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in the act of passing judgment. In contrast to the one who took an oath before him and excused himself: an action which was accepted by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

In a different narration: The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam departed for the Battle of Tabuk on Thursday, he would love to set out on a Thursday. In a further narration: He would not return from a journey save during the day time before noon. Upon arrival, he would proceed towards the Mosque and perform a two rak’ah prayer. Thereafter, he would sit.” [Collected: Bukhari (4418), Kitab al-Maghazi, and Muslim (2769), Kitab at-Tawbah]