Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,
said: I live in the thought of My servant and I am with
him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said:
By Allah, Allah is more pleased wth the repentance of His
servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost
camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by
the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a
cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit.
I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he
draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the
repentance of His servant when he turns penitently towards
Him than one of you would be on finding the lost camel.
Harith b. Suwaid said: I went to see 'Abdullah to
inquire about his health as he was sick and he narrated to
us a hadith of Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him).
He heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His
believing servant than a person who loses his riding beast
carrying food and drink. He sleeps (being disappointed of
its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for
that, until he is stricken with thirst. then comes back to
the place where he had been before and goes to sleep
completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands
waiting for death. And when he gets up, lot there is
before him his riding beast and his provisions of food and
drink. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His
servant than the recovery of this riding beast along with
the provisions (of food and drink).
'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance
of a believing man. The rest of the hadith is the same.
Nu'man b. Bashir reported: Allah is more pleased with
the repentance of a believing servant than of a person who
set out on a journey with a provision of food and drink on
the back of his camel. He went on until he came to a
waterless desert and he felt like sleeping. So he got down
under the shade of a tree and was overcome by sleep and
his camel ran away. As he got up he tried to see (the
camel) standing upon a mound. but did not find it. He then
got upon the other mound, but could not see anything. He
then climbed upon the third mound but did not see anything
until he came back to the place where he had been
previously. And as he was sitting (in utter
disappointment) there came to him the camel, till that
(camel) placed its nosestring in his hand. Allah is more
pleased with the repentance of His servant than the person
who found (his lost camel) in this very state. Simak
reported that Sha'bi was of the opinion that Nu'min traced
it to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). Simak,
however, did not hear that himself.
Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) as saying that Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said: What is your opinion about the delight
of a person whose camel loaded with the provisions of food
and drink is lost and that moves about with its nosestring
trailing upon the waterless desert in which there is
neither food nor drink, and lie wanders about in search of
that until he is completely exhausted and then
accidentally it happens to pass by the trunk of a tree and
its nosestring gets entangled in that and he finds it
entangled therein? He (in response to the question of the
Holy Prophet) said: Allah's Messenger, he would feel
highly delighted. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at
the repentance of His servant than that person (as he
finds his lost) camel.
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) said: Allah is more pleased with the
repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for
repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the
camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel)
his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by
him, and he having lost all hope (to get tbat) lies down
in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and
there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes
hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy says:
0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He
commits this mistake out of extreme delight.
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) said: Allah is more pleased with the
repentance of His servant than if one of you gets up and
he finds his camel missing in a waterless desert (and then
he accidentally finds it). This hadith has been narrated
on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of
transmitters.
Chapter 2: THE OBLITERATION OF SINS WITH THE HELP
OF SEEKING FORGIVENESS PROM ALLAH
Abu Sirma reported that when the time of the death of
Abu Ayyub Ansari drew near, he said: I used to conceal
from you a thing which I heard from Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) and I heard Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as sayirig: Had you not committed sins,
Allah would have brought into existence a creation that
would have committed sin (and Allah) would have forgiven
them.
Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) said: If you were not to commit sins,
Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have
replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and
then asked forgiveness from Allah, and He would have
granted them pardon.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) having said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if
you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of
existence and He would replace (you by) those people who
would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He
would have pardoned them.
Chapter 3: THE EXCELLENCE OF CONSTANT REMEMBRANCE
OF ALLAH AND MEDITATION IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE HEREAFTER AND
PERMISSION OF ABANDONING IT AT TIMES AND ATTENDING TO THE
AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD
Hanzala Usayyidi, who was amongst the scribes of
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). reported: I met
Abu Bakr. He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala
has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed
be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say
that when we are in the company of Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise
as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we
are away from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) we
attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of
these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our
minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also experience the
same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) and said to him: Allah's Messenger,
Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: What has happened
to you? I said: Allah's Messenger, when we are in your
company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if
we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go
away from you and attend to our wives, children and
business, much of these things go out of our minds.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind
remains the same as it is in my presence and you are
always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will
shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but,
Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs)
and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He
(the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.
Hanzala reported: We were in the company of Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he delivered to us a
sermon and made a mention of Hell-Fire. Then I came to my
house and began to laugh with my children and sport with
my wife. (Hanzala) further reported: I went out and met
Abu Bakr and made a mention of that to him. Thereupon he
said: I have done the same as you have mentioned. So we
went to see Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) and
said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to he a
hypocrite. And he (the Holy Prophet) said Show respite.
And then I narrated to him the story, and Abu Bakr said: I
have done the same as he has done. Thereupon he (the Holy
Prophet) said: Hanzala, there is a time for worldly
affairs and a time for (worship and devotion), and if your
state of mind is always the same as it is at the time of
remembrance of Allah, the Angels would shake hands with
you and would greet you on the path by saying: As-Salamu-Alaikum.
Hanzala Taimi Ufayyidi, the scribe of Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him), reported: We were in the presence
of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he
brought to our minds the problems pertaining to Paradise
and Hell-Fire. The rest of the hadith is the same.
Chapter 4: THE MERCY OF ALLAH PREDOMINATES HIS
WRATH
Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said: When Allah created the creation as He
was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My
mercy predominates My wrath.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: When Allah created the creation, He
ordained for Himself and this document is with Him:
Verily, My mercy predominates Mv wrath.
Abu Huraira reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as saying: Allah created mercy in one
hundred parts and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts,
and He has sent down upon the earth one part, and it is
because of this one part that there is mutual love among
the creation so much so that the animal lifts up its hoof
from its younc, one, fearing that it might harm it.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Allah created one hundred (parts of
mercy) and He distributed one amongst His creation and
kept this one hundred excepting one with Himself (for the
Day of Resurrection).
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: There are one hundred (parts of)
mercy for Allah and He has sent down out of these one part
of mercy upon the jinn and human beings and the insects
and it is because of this (one part) that they love one
another, show kindness to one another and even the beast
treats its young one with affection, and Allah has
reserved ninetynine parts of mercy with which He would
treat His servants on the Day of Resurrection.
Salman Farisi reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Verily, there are one hundred (parts
of) mercy for Allah, and it is one part of this mercy by
virtue of which there is mutual love between the people
and ninety-nine reserved for the Day of Resurrection.
Salman reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said: Verily, Allah created, on the same very
day when He created the heavens and the earth, one hundred
parts of mercy. Every part of mercy is coextensive with
the space between the heavens. and the earth and He out of
this mercy endowed one part to the earth and it is because
of this that the mother shows affection to her child and
even the beasts and birds show kindness to one another and
when there would be the Day of Resurrection, Allah would
make full (use of Mercy).
'Umar b. Khattab reported that there were brought some
prisoners to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
amongst whom there was also a woman, who was searching
(for someone) and when she found a child amongst the
prisoners, she took hold of it, pressed it against her
chest and provided it suck. Thereupon Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) said: Do you think this woman
would ever afford to throw her child in the Fire? We said:
By Allah, so far as it lies in her power, she would never
throw the child in Fire. ' Thereupon Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) said: Allah is more kind to His
servants than this woman is to her child.
'Ala' reported on the authority of his father who
reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If a believer were
to know the punishment (in Hell) none would have the
audacity to aspire for Paradise (but he would earnestly
desire to be rescued from Hell), and if a non-believer
were to know what is there with Allah as a mercy. none
would have been disappointed in regard to Paradise.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying that a person who had never done any
good deed asked the members of his family to burn his dead
body when he would die and to scatter half of its ashes
over the land and half in the ocean. By Allah, if Allah
finds him in His grip, He would torment him with a torment
with which He did not afflict anyone amongst the people of
the world; and when the person died, it was done to him as
he had commanded (his family) to do. Allah commanded the
land to collect (the ashes scattered on it) and He
commanded the ocean and that collected (ashes) contained
in it. Allah questioned him why he had done. that He said:
My Lord, it is out of Thine fear that I have done it and
Thou art well aware of it, and Allah granted him pardon:.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying that a person committed sin beyond
measure and when he was going to die, he left this will:
(When I die), bum my dead body and then cast them (the
ashes) to the wind and in the ocean. By Allah, if my Lord
takes hold of me, He would torment me as He has not
tormented anyone else. They did as he had asked them to
do. He (the Lord) said to the earth: Return what you have
taken. And he was thus restored to his (original form). He
(Allah) said to him: What prompted you to do this? He
said: My Lord, it was Thine fear or Thine awe, and Allah
pardoned him because of this. Abu Huraira reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying that a woman
was thrown into Hell-Fire because of a cat whom she had
tied and did not provide it with food. nor did she set it
free to cat insects of the euth until it died inch by
inch. Zuhri said: (These two ahidith) show that a person
rhould neither feel confident (of getting into Paradise)
because of his deeds, nor should he lose (all hopes) of
getting into Paradise.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying that a servant transgressed the litnit
in committing sins. The rest of the hadith is the same but
there is no mention of the story of the cat in it and in
the hadith transmitted on the authority of Ziibaidl (the
words are):" Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said to
everything which had taken a part of lies ashes to return
what it had taken."
Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) said that a person amongst the earlier
nations before you was conferred property and children by
Allah, He said to his children: 'You must do as I command
you to do, otherwise I will make others besides you as my
inheritors. As I die, burn my body and blow my ashes in
the wind as I do not find any merit of mine which would
please Allah, and if Allah were to take hold of me, He
would punish me. He took a pledge from them and they did
as he commanded thein to do. Allah said: What prompted you
to do this? He said: My Lord. Thine fear, and Allah did
not punish him at all.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of
Shu'ba with the chain of transmitters but with a slight
variation of wording and Qatada explained the word" lam
yasiru" as:" I find no good in store for rxie in the eye
of Allah."
Chapter 5: REPENTANCE IS ACCEPTED SO LONG AS ONE
REPENTS AFTER COMMITTING SINS
Abu Huraira reported from Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) that his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, thus
said. A servant committed a sin and he said: O Allah,
forgive me my sins, and Allah (the Exalted and Glorious)
said: My servant commited a sin and then he came to
realise that he has a Lord Who forgives the sins and takes
to account (the sinner) for the sin. He then again
committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive me my sin, and
Allah, the Exalted and High, said: My servant committed a
sin and then came to realise that he has a Lord Who would
forgive his sin or would take (him) to account for the
sin. He again committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive
me for my sin, and Allah (the Exalted and High) said: My
servant sas committed a sin and then came to realise that
he has a Lord Who forgives the sins or takes (him) to
account for sin. 0 servant, do what you like. I have
granted you forgiveness.
'Abd al-A'la said: I do not know whether he said thrice
or four times to do" what you desire". The hadlth has been
narrated on the authority of 'Abd al-A'la b. Hammad with
the same chain of transmitters.
Abu Huraira reported lie heard Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as saying that a servant committed a
sin. The rest of the hadith is the same, but there is a
slight variation of wording.
Abu Mu'sa reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,
Stretches out His Hand during the night so that the people
repent for the fault committed from dawn till dusk and He
stretches out His Hand daring the day so that the people
may reprint for the fault committed from dusk to dawn. (He
would accept repentance) before the sun rises in the west
(before the Day of Resurrection). A hadith like this has
been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same
chain of transmitters.
Chapter 6: ALLAH'S SENSE OF HONOUR, AND HIS
PROHIBITION OF THE ABOMINABLE ACTS
'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying: Nothing is more loveable to Allah than His
praise as He has praised Himself and no one is more
self-respecting than Allah Himself and it As because of
this that He has prohibited abominable acts.
'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying: None is more self-respectidg than Allah
and it is because of this that He has prohibited
abominable acts-both visible and invisible-and none loves
His praise more than Allah Himself.
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported it directly from Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) that he said: None is
more self-respecting than Allah and it is because of this
that He has prohibited abominable acts-both visible and
invisible and nothing is loved by Allah more than the
praise of His Ownself and it is because of this that He
has praised Himself.
Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) said: None loves one's own praise more
than Allah, the Exalted and Glurious, does. It is because
of this that He has praised Himself, and none is more
self-respecting than Allah and it is because of this that
He has prohibited abominable acts and there is none who is
more anxious to accept the apologies of the people than
Allah Himself and it is because of this that He has
revealed the Book and sent the Messengers.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Allah is self-respecting and a
believer is also self-respecting and the respect of Allah
is injured if a believer does what He has forbidden him to
do.
Abu Salama reported from Abu Huraira that he narrated
that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon hin) said: There
is none more self-respecting than Allah, the Exalted and
Glorious There is no mention of the narration of Asma'.
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that a person kissed a
woman and he came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him) and made a mention of that to him. It was (on this
occasion) that this verse was revealed:" And observe
prayer at the (two) ends of the day and in the first hours
of the night. Surely, good deeds take away evil deeds.
That is a reminder for the mindful" (xi. 115). That person
said: Allah's Messenger, does it concern me only? He (the
Holy Prophet) said: It concerns every one of my Unimah,
who acts according to it.
Ibn Mas'ud reported that a person came to Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and told him that he had
kissed a woman or touched her with his hand or did
something like this. He inquired of him about its
expiation. It was (on this occasion) that Allah, the
Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse (as mentioned
above).
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of
Sulaiman Taimi with the same chain of transmitters that a
person had taken liberty with a woman less than fomication.
He came to 'Umar b. Khattab and he took it to be a serious
offence. Then he came to Abu Bakr and he also took it to
be a serious offence. Then he came the Allahs Apostle (may
peace be upon him) and he made a mention of this to him.
The rest of the hadith is the same.
'Abdullah reported that a person came to Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's
Messenger, I sported with a woman in the outskirts of
Medina, and I have committed an offence short of
fornication. Here I am (before you), kindly deliver
verdict about me which you deem fit. Unar said: Allah
concealed your fault. You had better conceal it yourself
also. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), however,
gave no reply to him. The man stood up and went away and
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) sent a person
after him to call him and be recited this verse:" And
observe prayer at the ends of the day and in the first
hours of the night. Surely, good deeds take away evil
deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful" (xi. 115). A
person amongst the people said: Allah's Apostle, does it
concern this marn only? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet)
said: No, but the people at large.
This hadith has been transmitted by Abu al-Ahwas and in
this (these words are) also found: Mu'adh said: Allah's
Messenger, does it concern this particular case or to all
of us? And he (the Holy Prophet) said: Of course, to all
of you.
Anas reported that a person came to Allah's Apostle
(may peace be upon him) said: Allah's Messenger, I have
committed an offence which deserves imposition of haad, so
impose it upon me according to the Book of Allah.
Thereupon he said: Were you not present with us at the
time of prayer? He said: Yes. Thereupon he said: You have
been granted pardon.
Abu Umama reported: We were sitting in the mosque in
the company of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).
A person came there and said: Allah's Messenger, I have
committed an offence which deserves the imposition of hadd
upon me, so impose it upon me. Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) kept silent. He repeated it and said:
Allah's Messenger, I have committed an offence which
deserves the imposition of hadd upon me, so impose it upon
me. He (the Holy Prophet) kept silent, and it was at this
time that Iqama was pronounced for prayer (and the prayer
was observed). And when Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him) had concluded the payer that person followed Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him). Abu Umama said: I too
followed Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) after
he had concluded the prayer, so that I should know what
answer he would give to that person. That person remained
attached to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and
said: Allah's Messenger, I have committed an offence which
deserves imposition of hadd upon me, so impose it upon me.
Abu Umama reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said to him: Didn't you see that as you got out
of the house, you performed ablution perfectly well. He
said: Allah's Messenger, of course. I did it. He again
said to him: Then you observed prayer along with us. He
said: Allah's Messenger, yes, it is so. Thereupon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to him: Verily,
Allah has exempted you from the imposition of hadd, or he
said. From your sin.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as saying: There was a person before
you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an
inquiry about the learned persons of the world (who could
show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk.
He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine
persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his
repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also
and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the
learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a
scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred
persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his
repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands
between you and the repentance? You better go to such and
such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship
and you also worship along with them and do not come to
the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So
he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance
when death came to him and there was a dispute between the
angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels
of mercy said: This man has come as a penitant and
remorseful to Allah and the angels of punishment said: He
has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in
the form of a human being in order to decide between them.
He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near.
They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he
intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of
mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that Hasan told
him that it was said to them that as death approached him,
he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the
land of mercy.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as saying that a man killed ninety-nine
persons and then he began to make an inquiry whether there
was any way left for him for repentance. He came to a monk
and asked him about that, and he said: There is no chance
for repentance for you. He killed the monk also and then
began to make an inquiry and moved from one village to
another village where there lived pious persons, and as he
had covered some distance, he was overtaken by death, but
he managed to crawl upon his chest (to the side nearer to
the place where the pious men lived). He died and then
there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the
angels of punishment and (when it was measured) he was
found to be nearer to the village where pious persons were
living equal to the Space of a span and he was thus
included among them.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of
Qatida with the same chain of transmitters but (with this
variation of wording):" Allah commanded the earth (from
where) he wanted to come out to move itself away and to
the other earth (where he wanted to go) to draw nearer."
Chapter 8: THROWING OF NON-BELIEVERS IN HELL-FIRE
FOR BELIEVERS AS DIVINE GRACE AND MERCY
Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection
Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian
and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.
Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: No Muslim
would die but Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a
Christian in Hell-Fire. 'Umar b. Abd al-'Aziz took an
oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice
that his father had narrated that to him from Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him).
Abu Burda reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying: There would come people amongst the
Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a
mountain, and Allah would forgive them and He would place
in their stead the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I
think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in
doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to 'Umar b. 'Abd
al-'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who
narrated it to you from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him)? I said: Yes.
Safwan b. Muhriz reported that a person said to Ibn
'Umar: How did you hear Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying something about intimate conversation?
He said: I heard him say: A believer will be brought to
his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, on the Day of
Resurrection and He would place upon him His veil (of
Light) and make him confess his faults and say: Do you
recognise (your faults)? He would say: My Lord, I do
recognise (them). He (the Lord) would say: I concealed
them for you in the world. And today I forgive them. And
he would then be given the Book containing (the account of
his) good deeds. And so far as the non-believers and
hypocrites are concerned, there would be general
announcement about them before all creation telling them
that these (people, i. e. non-believers and hypocrites)
told a lie about Allah.
Chapter 9: PERTAINING TO THE REPENTANCE OF KA'B
B. MALIK AND HIS COMPANIONS
Ibn Shihab reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) made an expedition to Tabuk and he (the Holy
Prophet) had in his mind (the idea of threatening the)
Christians of Arabia in Syria and those of Rome. Ibn
Shihab (further) reported that 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Abdullah
b. Ka'b informed him that Abdullah b. Ka'b who served as
the guide of Ka'b b. 'Malik as he became blind that he
heard Ka'b b. Malik narrate the story of his remaining
behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) from the
Battle of Tabuk. Ka'b b. Malik said: I never remained
behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) from any
expedition which he undertook except the Battle of Tabuk
and that of the Battle of Badr. So far as the Battle of
Badr is concerned, nobody was blamed for remaining behind
as Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and the
Muslims (did not set out for attack but for waylaying) the
caravan of the Quraish, but it was Allah Who made them
confront their enemies without their intention (to do so).
I had the honour to be with Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) on the night of 'Aqaba when we pledged our
allegiance to Islam and it was more dear to me than my
participation in the Battle of Badr, although Badr was
more popular amongst people as compared with that (Tabuk).
And this is my story of remaining back from Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the occasion of the
Battle of Tabuk. Never did I possess means enough and (my
circumstances) more favourable than at the occasion of
this expedition. And, by Allah, I had never before this
expedition simultaneously in my possession two rides.
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out for this
expedition in extremely hot season; the journey was long
and the land (which he and his army had to cover) was
waterless and he had to confront a large army, so he
informed the Muslims about the actual situation (they had
to face), so that they should adequately equip themselves
for this expedition, and he also told them the destination
where he intended to go. And the Muslims who accompanied
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) at that time
were large in numbers but there was no proper record of
them. Ka'b (further) said: Few were the persons who wanted
to absent themselves, and were under the impression that
they could easily conceal themselves (and thus remain
undetected) until revelations from Allah, the Exalted and
Glorious (descended in connection with them).
And Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out
on an expedition when the fruits were ripe and their
shadows had been lengthened. I had weakness for them and
it was during this season that Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) made preparations and the Muslims too
along with them. I also set out in the morning so that I
should make preparations along with them but I came back
and did nothing and said to myself: I have means enough
(to make preparations) as soon as I like. And I went on
doing this (postponing my preparations) until people were
about to depart and it was in the morning that Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out and the Muslims
too along with him, but I made no preparations. I went
early in the morning and came back, but I made no
decision. I continued to do so until they (the Muslims)
hastened and covered a good deal of distance. I also made
up my mind to march on and to meet them. Would that I had
done that but perhaps it was not destined for me. After
the departure of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as I went out amongst people, I was shocked to find that I
did not find anyone like me but people who were labelled
as hypocrites or the people whom Allah granted exemption
because of their incapacity and Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) took no notice of me until he had
reached Tabuk. (One day as he was sitting amongst the
people in Tabuk) he said: What has happened to Ka'b b.
Malik? A person from Banu' Salama said: Allah's Messenger,
the (beauty) of his cloak and his appreciation of his
sides have allured him and he was thus detained. Mua'dh b.
Jabal said: Woe be upon that what you contend. Allah's
Messenger, by Allah, we know nothing about him but good.
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), however, kept
quiet. It was during that time that he (the Holy Prophet)
saw a person (dressed in all white (garment) shattering
the illusion of eye (mirage).
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
said: May he be Abu Khaithama and, lo, it was Abu
Khaithama al-Ansari and he was that person who contributed
a sa' of dates and was scoffed at by the hypocrites. Ka'b
b. Malik farther said: When this news reached me that
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was on his way
back from Tabuk I was greatly perturbed. I thought of
fabricating false stories and asked myself how I would
save myself from his anger on the following day. In this
connection, I sought the help of every prudent man from
amongst the members of my family and when it was said to
me that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was
about to arrive, all the false ideas banished (from my
mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing could save
me but the telling of truth, so I decided to speak the
truth and it was in the morning that Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) arrived (in Medina). And it was
his habit that as he came back from a journey he first
went to the mosque and observed two Rak'ahs of nafl prayer
(as a mark of gratitude) and then sat amongst people. And
as he did that, those who had remained behind him began to
put forward their excuses and take an oath before him and
they were more than eighty persons. Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) accepted their excuses on the very face
of them and accepted their allegiance and sought
forgiveness for them and left their secret (intentions) to
Allah, until I presented myself to him. I greeted him and
he smiled and there was a tinge of anger in that. He (the
Holy Prophet) then said to me: Come forward. I went
forward until I sat in front of him. He said to me: What
kept you back? Could you not afford to go in for a ride? I
said: Allah's Messenger, by Allah, if I were to sit in the
presence of anybody else from amongst the worldly people I
would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one
pretext (or the other) and I have also the knack to fall
into argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware of the
fact that if I were to put forward before you a false
excuse to please you Allah would definitely provoke your
wrath upon me, and if I speak the truth you may be annoyed
with me, but I hope that Allah would make its end well
and, by Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah,
I never possessed so good means, and I never had such
favourable conditions for me as I had when I stayed behind
you (failed to join the expedition).
Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
said: This man told the truth, so get up until Allah gives
a decision in your case. I stood up and some people of
Banu' Salama followed me in hot haste, and they said to
me: By Allah, we do not know about you that you committed
a sin prior to this. You, however, showed inability to put
forward an excuse before Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as those who stayed behind him have put forward
excuses. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of
your sin that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
would have sought forgiveness for you. By Allah, they
continued to incite me until I thought of going back to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and contradict
myself. Then I said to them: Has anyone else also met the
same fate? They said: Yes, two persons have met the same
fate as has fallen to you and they have made the sane
statement as you have made, and the same verdict has been
delivered in their case as it has been delivered in your
case. I said: Who are they? They said: Murara b. ar-Rabi'a
'Amiri and Hilal b. Umayya al-Waqafi. They made a mention
of these two pious persons to me who had participated in
the Battle of Badr and there was an example for me in
them. I went away when they named these two persons.
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the
Nluslims to talk with three of us from amongst those
(persons) who had stayed behind him. The people began to
avoid us and their attitude towards us underwent a change
and it seemed as if the whole atmosphere had turned
(hostile) against us and it was in fact the same
atmosphere ot which I was fully aware and in which I had
lived (for a fairly long time). We spent fifty nights in
this very state and my two friends confined themselves
withen their houses and spent (most of the) time in
weeping, but as I was young and strong amongst them I got
(out of my house), participated in congregational prayers,
moved about in the bazar; but none spoke to me. I came to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as he sat
amongst (people) after the prayer, greeted him and asked
myself whether his lips stirred in response to my
greetings (or not).
Then I observed prayer beside him and looked at him
with stealing glances and when I attended to my prayer, he
looked at me and when I cast a glance at him he turned
away his eyes from me. And when the harsh treatment of the
Muslims towards me extended to a (considerable) length of
time, I walked until I climbed upon the wall of the garden
of Abu Qatada, and he was my cousin, and I had the
greatest love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did
not respond to my greetings. I said to him: Abu Qatada, I
adjure you by Allah, arn't you well aware of the fact that
I love Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him) the
most. He kept quiet. I again repeated saying: I adjure you
by Allah. arn't you well aware of the fact that I love
Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him) the most.
He kept quiet. I again adjured him, whereupon he said:
Allah and the Messenger (may peace be upon him) are best
aware of it. My eyes began to shed tears and I came back
climbing down from the wall and as I was walking in the
bazar of Medina a Nabatean from amongst the Nabateans of
Syria, who had come to sell foodgrains in Medina, asked
people to direct him to Ka'b b. Malik. People gave him the
indication by pointing towards me. He came to me and
delivered to me a letter of the King of Ghassan and as I
was a scribe I read that letter and it was written like
this:" Coming to my point, it has been conveyed to us that
your friend (the Holy Prophet) is subjecting you to
cruelty and Allah has not created you for a place where
you are to be degraded and where you cannot find your
right place, so you come to us that we should accord you
honour. As I read that letter I said: This is also a
calamity, so I burnt it in the oven. When out of the fifty
days, forty days had passed and Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) received no revelation, there came the
messenger of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to
me and said: Verily, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) has commanded you to remain separate from your wife.
I said: Should I divorce her or what (else) should I do?
He said: No, but only remain separate 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 b. Umayya came to Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger, Hilal b.
Umayya is a senile person, he has no servant. Do you
disapprove of my serving him? He said: No, but don't go
near him. She said: By Allah, he has no such instinct in
him. By Allah, he spends his time in weeping from that day
to this day. Some of the members of my family said to me:
Were you to seek permission from Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) in regard to your wife as he has
granted permission to the wife of Hilal b. Umayya to serve
him. I said: I would not seek permission from Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him), for I cannot say what
Allah's Apostle may say in response to seeking my
permission. Moreover, I am a young man. It was in this
state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty nights
had passed that (people) had observed boycott with us. It
was on the morning of the fiftieth night that I observed
my dawn prayer and was sitting on one of the roofs of our
houses. And I was in fact sitting in that very state which
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has described about us in
these words:" Life had become hard for myself and the
earth had compressed despite its vastness," that I heard
the noise of an announcer from the peak of the hill of
Sal' saying at the top of his voice: Ka'b b. Malik, there
is glad tidings for you. I fell down in prostration and
came to realise that there was (a message of) relief for
me. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had informed
the people of the acceptance of our repentance by Allah as
he offered the dawn prayer. So the people went on to give
us glad tidings and some of them went to my friends in
order to give them the glad tidings and a person galloped
his horse and came from the tribe of Aslam and his horse
reached me more quickly than his voice. And when he came
to me whose sound I heard, he gave me the glad tidings. I
took off my clothes and clothed him with them because of
his bringing good news to me and, by Allah, I possessed
nothing else (in the form of clothes) than these two on
that occasion, and I asked one to lend me two clothes and
dressed myself in them.
I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and
on my way I met groups of people who greeted me because of
(the acceptance of) repentance and they said: Here is a
greeting for you for your repentance being accepted by
Allah. (I moved on) until I came to the mosque and Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) had been sitting there
amongst persons. So Talha b. 'Ubaidullah got up and rushed
towards me and he shook hands with me and greeted me and,
by Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst
the emigrants except he. Ka'b said that he never forgot
(this good gesture of) Talha. Ka'b further said: I greeted
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) with
Assalam-o-'Alaikam and his face was glistening because of
delight, and he said: Let there be glad tidings and
blessings for you, the like of which (you have neither
found nor you will find, as you find today) since your
mother gave your birth. I said: Allah's Messenger. is this
acceptance of repentance from you or from Allah? He said:
No, (it is not from ma), it is from Allah, and it was
common with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) that
as he was happy his face brightened up and it looked like
a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognised
it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said: Allah's
Messenger, am I allowed to give in charity my wealth for
Allah's sake and for the sake of His Messenger (may peace
be upon him)? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said: Keep some property with you as it is
better for you. I said: I shall keep with me that part (of
my property) which fell to my lot (on the occasion of the
expedition of) Khaibar. I said: Allah's Messenger, verily,
Allah has granted me salvation because of truth and,
therefore, (I think) that repentance implies that I should
not speak anything but truth as long as I live. He said:
By Allah, I do not know whether anyone amongst the Muslims
was put to more severe trial than I by Allah because of
telling the truth. And since I made a mention of this to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) up to this day I
have not told any lie and, by Allah, I have decided not to
tell a lie and I hope that Allah would save me (from
trials) for the rest of my life and Allah, the Exalted and
Glorious, revealed these verses:"
Certainly, Allah has turned in Mercy to the Prophet and
the emigrants and the helpers who followed him in the hour
of hardship after the hearts of a part of them were about
to deviate; then He turned to them in mercy. Surely, to
them He is Compassionate, Merciful and (He turned in
Mercy) to the three who were left behind until the earth
despite its vastness became strait for them and their
souls were also straitened to them." And this revelation
reached up to the (words):" O you who believe, develop God
consciousness, and be with the truthful" (ix. 117-118).
Ka'b said: By Allah, since Allah directed me to Islam
there has been no blessing more significant for me than
this truth of mine which I spoke to Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) and if I were to tell a lie I would
have been ruined as were ruined those who told lies, for
in regard to those who told lies Allah used harshest words
used for anyone as He descended revelation (and the words
of Allah are):" They will swear by Allah to you when you
return to them so that you may leave them alone. So leave
them alone. Surely, they are unclean and their resort is
Hell, recompense for what they earned. They will swear to
you that you may be pleased with them but if you are
pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with
the transgressing people" (ix. 95-96). K'ab said that the
matter of us three persons was deferred as compared with
those who took an oath in the presence of Allahs Messenger
(may peace be upon him) and he accepted their allegiance
and sought forgiveness for them and Allah did not give any
decision in regard to us. It was Allah, the Exalted and
Glorious, Who gave decisions in our case, three who
remained behind. (The words of the Qur'an)" the three who
were left behind" do not mean that we remained back from
Jihad but these imply that He kept our matter behind them
who took oath and presented excuse before Him. This hadith
has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same
chain of transmitters.
'Abdullah b. K'ab, who was his (Ka'b's) guide as he
became blind, reported that he heard from Ka'b b. Malik
the story of his staying behind Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) from the expedition of Tabuk. The rest
of the hadith is the same (but with this variation) that
in the narration transmitted on the authority of Yunus
(the words are): When Allah's Messenger (may. peace be
upon him) intended to set on an expedition he kept It as a
secret, but. be did not do so in thic. expedition. And in
the narration transmitted on the authority of Muhammad b.
Abdullah b. Muslim, there is no mention of Abu Khaithana
(Allah be pleased with him) and no mention of his meeting
with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).
It is reported on the authority of Abdullah b. K'ab and
he was the guide of Ka'b as he lost his eyesight and he
was the greatest scholar amongst his people and he
retained in his mind many ahadith of the Companions of
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). He said: I
heard my father Ka'b b. Malik, and he fas one of those
three whose repentance was accepted (by Allah). He
transmitted that He never lagged behind Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) from any expedition that he
undertook except two expeditions; the rest of the hadith
is the same, and in the tradition narrated through another
chain of transmitters the words are:" That Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on an expedition
with a large number of persons more than ten thousand and
this could not be recorded in the census register."
Chapter 10: HADITH PERTAINING TO THE LIE ABOUT
(HADRAT) 'A'ISHA SIDDIQA (ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH HER) AND
ACCEPTING OF REPENTANCE OF THOSE WHO BROUGHT FALSE
ALLEGATION ABOUT HER
Sa'id b. Musayyib, 'Urwa b. Zubair, 'Alqama b. Waqqas
and 'Ubaidullah b. Abdullah b. 'Utba b. Mas'ud--all of
them reported the story of the false allegation against
'A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him). And they (the slanderers) said what they had to say,
but Allah exonerated her of this charge and all of them
reported a part of the hadith and some of them who had
better memories reported more and with better retention,
and I tried to retain this hadith (listening) from every
one of them that they reported to me and some of them
attested the other. (The sumaried substance of the false
allegation is this): 'A'isha said: Whenever Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) intended to set out on a
journey he cast lots amongst his wives and he took one
with him in whose favour the lot was cast. It so happened
that he cast lots amongst us while setting out on a battle
and it was cast in my favour, so I set out along with
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). This relates to
the period when the revelation concerning the commands of
veil had been made. I was carried in a haudaj and I was
brought down where we had to stay. In short, when we set
out for return journey from the expedition and our caravan
was near Medina, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
commanded one night to march forward. I also got up when
the command for the march was given and moved on until I
went out of the encampments of the army and after
relieving myself I came to my place. I touched my chest
and found that my necklace which had been made of the
stones of zafar had been broken. I retraced my steps and
tried to search my necklace and this detained me there.
The group of people who saddled my ride and placed my
haudaj carrying me upon the camels marched on. They were
under the impression that I was in it. The women in those
days were light of weight and they did not wear much
flesh, as they ate less food; so they did not perceive the
weight of my haudaj as they placed it upon the camel as I
was a young girl at that time. So they drove the camel and
Eet out and I found my necklace after the army had
marched. I came to my place and there was none to call and
none to respond (the call).
I waited at my place under the impression that when the
people would riot find me they would come back. So I kept
sitting at my place. I was overpowered by sleep and slept.
Safwan b. Mu'attal Sulami Dhakwini, who had lagged behind
the army because of taking rest came to my place walking
in the latter part of the night and he saw the body of a
person who was asleep. He came to me and recognised me as
he had seen rue before it was enjoined to observe purda. I
got ap by his voice as he recited Inna lillahi wa inna
ilaihi raji'un [we are for Allah and to Him we have to
return. ] and I covered my head with my headdress. By
Allah, he did not speak to me a word and I did not hear a
word from him except Inna lillahi. He made his camel kneel
down and I amounted the camel as he pressed tLe camel's
foreleg and he moved on leaning the camel by the nose
string on which I was riding until we came to the army
where it had encamped for rest because of extreme heat.
Woe be upon those who harboured doubts about me and the
most notorious among them was 'Abdullah b. Ubayy, the
great hypocrite. We came to Medina and I fell sick for a
month. The people had been deliberating over the
statements of those who had brought these calumnies
against me. I was absolutely unaware of anything
concerning that. This, however, caused doubt in my mind
that I did not see Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him.) treating me with such kindness with which he treated
me as I fell ill before this. The Holy Prophet (may peace
be upon him) would coome and greet me with
Assalam-o-'Alaikum and only ask me how I was. This caused
doubt in my mind, but I was unaware of the evil. I wept
outside despite my failing health and there went along
with me Umm Mistah and she said the daughter of Abu Rhm b.
Muttalib b. 'Abd Manaf and his mother was the daughter of
Sakhr b. 'Amir, the sister of the mother of Abu Bakr Sidiq
and his son was Mistah b. Uthatha b. 'Abbad b. Muttalib. I
and the daughter of Abu Rahm set towards the direction of
my house. Something got into the head dress of Umm Mistah
and she said: Woe be upon Mistah. And I said. Woe be upon
what you say. Do you curse people who had participated in
Badr? She said: Innocent woman, have you not heard what he
said? I said: What did he say? She conveyed to me the
statement of those who had brought false allegations
against me. So my illness was aggravated.
I went to my house and Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) came to me and he greeted me and then said: How
is that woman? I said: Do you permit me to go to the
(house) of my parents? She (further) said: I had at that
time made up my mind to confirm this news from them.
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) permitted me. So
I came to (the house of) my parents and said to my mother:
Mother, do you know what the people are talking about? She
said: My daughter, you should not worry. By Allah, if
there is a handsome woman who is loved by her husband and
he has co-wives also they talk many a thing about her. I
said: Hallowed be Allah, what are the people talking
about? I wept during the whole night until it was morning
and I did not have a wink of sleep and I wept even in the
morning. As the revelation was delayed (in regard to this
matter), so Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
called 'Ali ibn Abi 'Talib and Usama b. Zaid in order to
seek their advice in regard to the separation of his wife.
Usama b. Zaid told Allah's Messenger (may peace be apen
him) about the innocence of his wives and what he knew
about his love for them. He said: Allah's Messenger, they
are your wives and we know nothing else about thembut
goodness. And as for 'Ali b. Abu Talib, he said: Allah has
not put any unnecessary burden upon you (in regard to your
wives). There are a number of women besides her and if you
ask that maidservant (Barira) she will tell you the truth.
So, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called
Bailra and said: Barira, did you see anything in 'A'isha
which can cause doubt about her? Barira said: By Him Who
sent thee with the truth, I have seen nothing
objectionable in her but only this much that she is a
young girl and she goes to sleep while kneading the flour
and the lamb eats that. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) mounted the pulpit and sought
vindication against 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul, and he
further said: Who would exonerate me from imputations of
that person who has troubled (me) in regard to my family?
By Allah, I find nothing in my wife but goodness and the
person whom the people have mentioned in this connection
is, according to my knowledge, a thoroughly pious person,
and he did never get into my house but along with me. Sa'd
b. Mu'adh stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, I defend
your honour against him. If he belong to the tribe of Aus
we would strike his neck and if he belongs to the tribe of
our brother Khazraj and you order us we would comply with
your order.
Then Sa'd b. 'Ubada stood up. He was chief of the
Khazraj tribe. He was otherwise a pioas man but he had
some what tribal partisanship in him and he said to Sa'd
b. Mu'adh: By the everlasting existence of Allah. you are
not stating the fact, you will not be able to kill him and
you will not have the power to do so. Thereupon, Usaid b.
Hudair stood up, and he was the first cousin of Sa'd b.
Mu'adh and said to Sa'd b. 'Ubada: By the everlasting
existence of Allah, you are not stating the fact. We would
kill him. You are a hypocrite and so you argue in defence
of the hypocrites, and thus both the tribes Aus and
Khazraj were flared up, until they were about to fall upon
one another and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
kept standing upon the pulpit and Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) tried to subside their anger until they
became silent and thus there was silence. 'A'isha further
reported: I spent the whole day in weeping and even the
night and could not have a wink of sleep even next night.
My parents thought that this constant weeping of mine
would break my heart. I wept and they sat beside me. In
the meanwhile a woman of the Ansar came to see me. I
permitted her to see me and she also began to weep. And we
were in this very state that Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) came and he greeted me and then sat down. He
had never sat with me since a month when this rumour was
afloat, and there was no revelation (to clarity) my case.
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) recited
Tashahhud (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His
Apostle) and then said: Coming to the point, 'A'isha, this
is what has reached me about you and if you are innocent,
Allah would Himself vindicate your honour, and if
accidentally there has been a lapse on your part sock
forgiveness of Allah; He will pardon thee for when a
servant makes a confession of his fault and turns (to Him)
penitently, Allah also turns to him (mercifully) accepting
his repentance.
When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) talked,
my tears dried up and not even a single drop of tear was
perceived by me (rolling out of my eyes). I said to my
father: You give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) on my behalf. He said: By Allah, I do not
know what I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him). I then said to my mother: Give a reply to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my behalf,
but she said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I was a small
girl at that time and I had not read much of the Qur'an
(but I said): By Allah, I perceive that you have heard
about this and it has settled down in your mind and you
have taken it to be true, so if I say to you that I am
quite innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you
would never believe me to be true, and if I confess to
(the alleged) lapse before you, whereas Allah knows that I
am completely innocent (and I have not committed this sin
at all), in that case You will take me to be true and, by
Allah, I, therefore, find no other alternative for me and
for you except that what the father of Yousuf said:, (My
course is) comely patience. And Allah it is Whose help is
to be sought for in that (predicament) which ye describe"
(xii 18). After this I turned my face to the other side
and lay down on my bed. By Allah, I was fully aware of
this fact that I was innocent but I did not expect that
Allah would descend Wahy Matlu (Qur'anic Wahy) in my case
as I did not think myself so much important that Allah,
the Exalted and Glorious, would speak in this matter in
words to be recited. I only hoped that Allah would in
vision give an indication of my innocence to Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) during his sleep. And,
by Allah, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had
not moved an inch from where he had been sitting and none
from the members of my family had gone that Allah, the
Exalted and Glorious, descended revelation upon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) there and then and he
felt the burden which he used to feel at the time of
receiving revelation. He began to perspire because of the
burden of words of Allah as they descended upon him even
during the winter season and there fell the drops of his
sweat like silvery beads. When this state of receiving
revelation was over, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) smiled and the first words which he spoke to me
were that he said: 'A'isha, there is glad tidings for you.
Verily, Allah has vindicated your honour, and my mother
who had been standing by me said: Get up (and thank him,
i. e. the Holy Prophet). I said: By Allah, I shall not
thank him and laud him but Allah Who has descended
revelation vindicating my honour. She ('A'isha) said:
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed:" 'Verily, those
who spread the slander are a gang among you" (and) ten
(subsequent) verses in regard to my innocence. She further
said: Abu Bakr used to give to Mistah (some stipend) as a
token of kinship with him and for his poverty and he (Abu
Bakr) said: By Allah, now I would not spend anything for
him. 'A'isha said: It was upon this that Allah the Exalted
and Glorious revealed this verse:" And let not those who
possess dignity and ease among you swear to give to the
near of the kin" up to" Yearn ye not that Allah may
forgive you?" Hibban b. Musa' said that 'Abdullah b.
Mubarak used to say: It is a verse contained in the Book
which most (eminently) brightens the hope.
Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I wish that Allah should
pardon me. I shall never stop this stipend. So he
continued to give him the stipend which he had withdrawn.
'A'isha said that Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon
him) asked Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, the wife of Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him), about me what she knew or
what she had seen in me, and she said: Allah's Messenger,
I shall not say anything without hearing (with my ears)
and seeing with my eyes. By Allah, I find nothing in her
but goodness. (And she stated this in spite of the fact)
that she was the only lady who amongst the wives of
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to vie with
me but Allah saved her in bringing false allegation
against me because of her God-consciousness. Her sister
Hamna bint Jahsh, however, opposed her and she was undone
along with others.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri
through other chains of transmitters but with a slight
variation of wording. In the hadith transmitters on the
authority of 'Urwa, there is an addition of these words:"
'A'isha did not like that Hassan should be rebuked in her
presence and she used to say: It was he who wrote this
verse also:" 'Verily, my father and my mother and my
honour, those are all meant for defending the honour of
Muhammad against you." And 'Urwa further reported that
'A'isha said: By Allah, the person, about whom the
allegation was trade used to say: Hallowed be Allah, by
One, in Whose hand is my life, I have never unveiled any
woman, and then he die, & as a martyr in the cause of
Allah, and in the narration transmitted on the authority
of Ya'qub b. Ibrahim., the word is Mu'irin and in the
narration transmitted on the'authority of 'Abd al-Razzaq
it is Mughirin. 'Abd b. Humaid said: I said to 'Abd
al-Razzaq: What does this word Mughirin mean? And he said:
Al- waghra means intense heat.
'A'Isha reported: When I came under discussion what the
people had to say about me, Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) stood up for delivering an address and he
recited tashahhud (I bear witness to the fact that iheie
is no god but Allah) and praised Allah, lauded Him what He
rightly deserves and then said: Coming to the point. Give
me an advice about them who have brought false charge
about my family. By Allah, I know no evil in the members
of my family and the person in connection with whom the
false charge is being levelled, I know no evil in him too.
And he never entered my house but in my presence and when
I was away on a journey, he remained with me even in that.
The rest of the hadith is the same but with this change
that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to my
house and asked my maidservant and she said: By Allah, I
know no fault in her but this that she sleeps, and goat
comes and eats the kneaded flour. Some of the Companions
(of the Holy Prophet) scolded her and said: State the fact
before Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and they
even made a pointed reference (to this incident). She
said: gallowed be Allah. By Allah, I know about her as
does the jeweller know about the pure piece of gold. And
when this news reached the person in connection with whom
the allegation was made he said: Hallowed be Allah. By
Allah, I have never unveiled any woman. 'A'isha said: He
fell as a martyr in the cause of Allah, and there is this
addition in this hadith that the people who had brought
false allegation amongst them were Mistah and Hamna and
Hassan. And so far as the hypocrite 'Abdullah b. Ubayy is
concerned, he was one who tried his best to gather the
false news and then gave them the wind. And he was in fact
a fabricator and there was Hamna, daughter of Jahsh with
him.
Chapter 11: THE EXONERATION OF THE SLAVEGIRL OF
ALLAH'S APOSTLE (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) FROM A FALSE CHARGE
Anas reported that a person was charged with
fornication with the slavegirl of Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said to 'Ali: Go and strike his neck. 'Ali
came to him and he found him in a well making his body
cool. 'Ali said to him: Come out, and as he took hold of
his hand and brought him out, he found that his sexual
organ had been cut. Hadrat 'Ali refrained from striking
his neck. He came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him) and said: Allah's Messenger, he has not even the
sexual organ with him.