Gardens of the Righteous — Page 9
RIYADH AS-SALIHIN companions. One spurred his horse in the direction of my home. One of the tribe of Aslam ran up to the mount and his voice reached me before the arrival of the cavalier. When the one whose voice I had heard arrived to felicitate me, I took off my garments and made him wear them. I had no other garments for my own wearing and borrowed a pair to put on and set out to present myself before the. Holy Prophet. On the way I encountered crowds of people who congratulated me, saying: Blessed be the acceptance by Allah of thy repentance. When I entered the mosque I found the Holy Prophet seated surrounded by people. Of them, Talha ibn Ubaidullah got up and sprang towards me and, shaking my hand, congratulated me. He was the only one out of the Emigrants who got up and I have never forgotten this gesture of his. . When I saluted the Holy Prophet his face was aglow with joy and he said: Be happy with the best one of all thy days that have passed since thy mother gave thee birth. I said: Messenger of Allah, is this from you or from Allah? He answered: It is indeed from Allah. It was usual with him that his happy face glowed as if it were a segment of the moon, which we took as a signal that he was pleased. I then submitted to him: Messenger of Allah, to complete my repentance I would like to give up all my possessions as charity in the cause of. Allah and His Messenger. He said: Hold back part of it; that would be better for you. On which I said: I shall hold back that portion which is in Khaibar. Then I submitted: Messenger of Allah, Allah, the Exalted, has delivered me only because I adhered to the truth, and it is part of my repentance that for the rest of my days I shall speak nothing but the truth. Ever since I declared this before the Holy Prophet, Allah, the Exalted, has not tried anyone so well in the matter of telling the truth as He has tried me. To this day, since my declaration, I have never had any inclination to tell a lie, and I hope that Allah will continue to safeguard me against it during the rest of my days. . Allah, the Exalted, revealed: Allah has assuredly turned with mercy to the. Prophet and to the Emigrants and the Helpers who stood by him in the hour of distress when the hearts of a party of them had well-nigh swerved, and He has turned with mercy to these last also. He is Compassionate and Merciful to all of them. He has also turned with mercy to the three whose matter had been deferred and who felt as if the wide earth was closing in upon them and whose lives became a burden to them and who became convinced that there was no refuge against the wrath of Allah save in Himself. He turned to them with mercy that they might turn to Him in repentance. Surely, it is Allah Who is. Oft-Returning with compassion and is Ever Merciful. O ye who believe, be mindful of your duty to Allah and keep company with the righteous (9. 117-119). . Ka'ab continued: After Allah had guided me to Islam, His greatest bounty in my estimation, that He bestowed upon me, was my telling the truth to the Holy. Prophet, and not lying to him and ruining myself as were ruined those who did tell lies to him. In His revelation Allah had said concerning those who told lies worse than He said concerning anyone: They will swear to you by Allah, when you return to them that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone. They