Riyad al-Salihin - Al-Nawawi - (1/53)

Riyad al-SalihinAl-Nawawi

and they were some eighty-odd men; he accepted their outward excuses, took their pledge of allegiance, sought forgiveness for them, and left the secrets of their hearts to Allah Most High. Then I came. When I offered my greeting he smiled the smile of one who is angry(1). He then said, “Come forward.” I walked up until I sat before him and he asked, “What kept you back? Had you not purchased your mount(2)?”

I replied, “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, if I were sitting before anyone in this world other than you, I would think I could escape his displeasure with some excuse, for I have been granted a ready tongue(3). But, by Allah, I know that if today I were to tell you a lie that pleased you with respect to me, Allah would soon make you angry with me; whereas if I tell you the truth and you find fault with me for it(4), I hope for Allah’s good outcome in that(5). By Allah, I have no excuse; by Allah, I was never stronger nor better provided than when I stayed behind.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “As for this man, he has spoken the truth. Get up until Allah decides your case.”

Some men of Banū Salamah followed after me and said, “By Allah, we have never known you to commit any offence before this. You really failed when you did not offer the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the same excuse the others who stayed behind put forward; it would have been enough for your sin that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sought forgiveness for you.” By Allah, they kept reproaching me(6) until I almost went back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to retract my words. Then I asked them, “Did anyone else receive the same treatment as I did?” They replied, “Yes, two men said exactly what you said, and they were told what you were told.” I asked, “Who are they?” They said, “Murārah ibn al-Rabīʿ al-ʿAmrī and Hilāl ibn Umayyah al-Wāqifī.” They mentioned to me two righteous men who had fought at Badr, and in them I found a model to follow. So I went on my way.

(1) Meaning: angry. (2) Meaning: I have bought your riding beast. (3) Meaning: eloquence, rhetorical skill, and the power of speech. (4) The verb tajid—pronounced with a short i after the j and a light d—means “you become angry.” (5) Meaning: the good outcome brought about by Allah’s acceptance of my repentance and the Messenger of Allah’s being pleased with me; and because he spoke truthfully—may Allah be pleased with him—Allah forgave him. (6) Meaning: they blame me with the utmost severity.

وَكَانُوا بِضْعًا وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلًا ، فَقُبِلَ مِنْهُمْ عَلَانِيَتَهُمْ وَبَايَعَهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفَرْ لَهُمْ وَوَكِّلْ سَرَائِرَهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ، حَتَّى جِئْتُ ، فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ (١) . ثُمَّ قَالَ : « تَعَالَى » ، فَجِئْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ لِي : « مَا خَلَّفَكَ ؟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ قَدْ ابْتَعْتُ ظَهْرَكَ (٢) ؟ » قَالَ قُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَوْ جَلَسْتُ عِنْدَ غَيْرِكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا لَرَأَيْتُ أَنِّي سَأَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ بِعُذْرٍ ؛ لَقَدْ أُعْطِيتُ جَدَلًا (٣) ، وَلَكِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ لَئِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيثَ كَذِبٍ تَرْضَى بِهِ عَنِّي لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللَّهُ يُسْخِطُكَ عَلَيَّ ، وَإِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثَ صِدْقٍ تَجِدُ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ (٤) إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو فِيهِ عُقْبَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ (٥) ، وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ لِي مِنْ عُذْرٍ ، وَاللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَقْوَى وَلَا أَيْسَرَ مِنِّي حِينَ تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْكَ . قَالَ : فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ : « أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَ ، فَقُمْ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ » . وَسَارَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلَمَةَ فَاتَّبَعُونِي فَقَالُوا لِي : وَاللَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَاكَ أَذْنَبْتَ ذَنْبًا قَبْلَ هَذَا لَقَدْ عَجَزْتَ فِي أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ اعْتَذَرْتَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَا اعْتَذَرَ بِهِ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ ، فَقَدْ كَانَ كَافِيكَ ذَنْبَكَ اسْتِغْفَارُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَكَ . قَالَ : فَوَاللَّهِ مَا زَالُوا يُؤَنِّبُونِي (٦) حَتَّى أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأُكَذِّبَ نَفْسِي ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُمْ : هَلْ لَقِيَ هَذَا مَعِي مِنْ أَحَدٍ ؟ قَالُوا : نَعَمْ لَقِيَهُ مَعَكَ رَجُلَانِ قَالَا مِثْلَ مَا قُلْتَ ، وَقِيلَ لَهُمَا مِثْلَ مَا قِيلَ لَكَ ، قَالَ قُلْتُ : مَنْ هُمَا ؟ قَالُوا : مُرَارَةُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ الْعَمْرِيُّ ، وَهِلَالُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ الْوَاقِفِيُّ ؟ قَالَ : فَدَكَرُوا لِي رَجُلَيْنِ صَالِحَيْنِ قَدْ شَهِدَا بَدْرًا فِيهِمَا أُسْوَةٌ ، قَالَ : فَمَضَيْتُ حِينَ

(١) أي : الغضبان . (٢) أي : اشتريت راحلتك . (٣) أي : فصاحة وبلاغة وقدرة على الكلام . (٤) تجد - بكسر الجيم وتخفيف الدال - أي : تغضب . (٥) أي : العاقبة الحسنة بتوبة الله علي ، ورضى رسول الله ﷺ عني ، ولصدقه رضي الله عنه ، تاب الله عليه . (٦) أي : يلومونني أشد اللوم .