Quran Universe

The Three Who Stayed Behind, Forgiven for their honesty

In the Quran

In the QuranForgiven for their honesty

The Three Who Stayed Behindالثلاثة الذين خلفوا

Madinah

Three believers who stayed home from Tabuk without excuse, told the truth, and were forgiven after fifty days.

Ka'b ibn Malik, Murarah ibn al-Rabi and Hilal ibn Umayyah did not go to Tabuk, and unlike the hypocrites they refused to make excuses. The Prophet ﷺ told the Muslims not to speak to them. For fifty days the earth felt narrow despite its vastness. Then Allah revealed their forgiveness, and Ka'b said his honesty had saved him.

What does the Quran say?

And [He also forgave] the three who were left behind [and regretted their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.

Quran 9:118

9:117-119

What does the hadith say?

Sahih al-Bukhari 4418

The lesson

Truthfulness, even when it costs you, is the way out.

Who else is linked?

MadinahMuhammad ﷺState of MadinahKa'b ibn MalikHilal ibn Umayyah

Who lived at the same time?

Muhammad ﷺHeracliusAl-MuqawqisAbu al-Aswad al-Du'aliAli ibn Abi TalibSa'id ibn ZaydAbu Musa al-Ash'ariSa'd ibn Abi Waqqas

Source: the Quran

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