Ka'b ibn Zuhayr's pardon and recitation of Banat Su'ad

The poet Ka'b ibn Zuhayr came to Medina after the Prophet's return from al-Ta'if and made himself known in the mosque; the Prophet granted him safety and he recited to him the ode Banat Su'ad ¹.

Ka'b ibn Zuhayr was of a house of poets, among the most poetic of the Arabs, and used to lampoon the Prophet ². When the Prophet turned back from the al-Ta'if campaign, his brother Bujayr wrote to him that the Prophet had killed men at Mecca who had lampooned and harmed him, that the poets had fled in every direction, and that he killed no one who came to him repentant ². The earth grew narrow on Ka'b; he came to Medina, lodged with a man of Juhayna and prayed the dawn prayer with him, then went to the Prophet, placed his hand in his and told him that Ka'b had come repentant and Muslim seeking safety — "I am Ka'b ibn Zuhayr" ². A man of the Ansar sprang on him asking leave to strike his neck, but the Prophet said: let him be — he has come repentant, turning from what he was upon ². He recited to him his famous ode beginning "Su'ad has departed and today my heart is love-sick", apologising in it and praising him; then he praised the Muhajirun, and after his Islam made up for the Ansar with another ode ³.