Name: The acceptance of the repentance of the three
Start: 0630-10

The acceptance of the repentance of the three

قبول توبة الثلاثة

October 630 CE · Rajab 9 AH

At dawn on the fiftieth night Ka'b heard a caller on Mount Sal' bringing him good news and fell prostrate. After the dawn prayer the Prophet announced God's acceptance of their repentance and people congratulated them; Talha ibn Ubaydullah rose to Ka'b and congratulated him, and the Prophet told him this was the best day that had come upon him since his mother bore him.

Summary

God's acceptance of the three was announced after the dawn prayer of the fiftieth night; the bearers of glad tidings ran to them, and Talha ibn Ubaydullah congratulated Ka'b. ¹

The fiftieth dawn

Ka'b said: then I prayed the dawn prayer of the fiftieth night on the roof of one of our houses, in the state God mentioned of us — the earth had narrowed for us despite its vastness, and my soul had narrowed for me; I had built a tent on the height of Sal' and used to stay in it. ² He heard the voice of a crier who had reached the top of Mount Sal' calling at the top of his voice: "Ka'b ibn Malik — rejoice!" He fell prostrate, knowing relief had come. ¹

The announcement

The Prophet announced God's acceptance to the people when he prayed the dawn prayer; the people went to give them the tidings, and bearers went toward his two companions. A man spurred a horse toward Ka'b while a runner of Aslam hurried up the mountain — "and the voice was faster than the horse". ¹

The tidings and the garments

When the man whose voice he had heard came bearing the tidings, Ka'b took off his two garments and clothed him in them for the glad news — they were all he owned that day — and borrowed two garments to wear. ¹

The mosque

Then he set off toward the Prophet, the people meeting him with tidings — "rejoice in God's acceptance of you" — until he entered the mosque where the Prophet sat among the people. Talha ibn Ubaydullah stood to greet and congratulate him; no other man of the Muhajirun stood for him, and Ka'b never forgot it for Talha. ¹

The Prophet's words

When he had greeted him the Prophet said, his face gleaming with joy: "rejoice at the best day that has passed over you since your mother bore you." Ka'b said: is it from you, Messenger of God, or from God? He said: from God. When the Prophet rejoiced his face was like a piece of the moon. ¹

The verses

God sent down on them two verses Ibn Ishaq records: al-Tawba 117 and al-Tawba 118; his quotation ran to "and be with the truthful" — al-Tawba 119. ³

The meaning of "deferred"

Ka'b said God's mention of their being "deferred" was not for their staying behind from the expedition, but for God's deferring them and postponing their case apart from those who swore to him, excused themselves and were accepted. ³

Source notes and markers of doubt

What appears in the verses is referred to by citation number; their wording is not reproduced.
The interpretation of "deferred" is Ka'b's in his account (p. 181), not the museum's.
The "runner of Aslam" is not named.

Opinions on the question

The question: How is the acceptance of the repentance of the three who stayed behind understood?

First opinion · Sunni tradition (the museum's frame)Main reference

Ibn Ishaq relates from Ka'b that their repentance was announced after the dawn prayer and that Qur'an was revealed on it, and he recounts Ka'b's interpretation of 'khullifu' as deferral rather than mere absence from the campaign; Sunni exegetes have commentaries on these verses that need review of specific tafsir works (needs_source).

More opinions (1)

Academic viewSecondary opinion

Researchers link the incident to the consolidation of loyalty norms within the Medinan community after Tabuk; the summary needs a specific academic reference (needs_source).

The acceptance of the repentance of the three

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