The wife of Hilāl ibn Umayyah then came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, Hilāl ibn Umayyah is a helpless old man who has no servant. Would you dislike it if I were to serve him?” He replied, “No—but let him not come near you.” She said, “By Allah, he has no desire for anything at all. By Allah, he has done nothing but weep from the day his affair occurred until this very day.”
Some members of my family said to me, “Why do you not ask the Messenger of Allah for permission concerning your wife, just as he allowed the wife of Hilāl ibn Umayyah to serve him?” I replied, “By Allah, I will not ask the Messenger of Allah about her. Who can tell what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say if I asked him, while I am still a young man!”
After that I remained as I was for ten further nights, until a full fifty nights had passed since the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had forbidden people to speak to us. When I had performed the dawn prayer on the morning of the fiftieth day, I was sitting on the roof of one of our houses in the very condition Allah described—my soul constricted, and the earth, vast as it is, seeming narrow to me—when I heard a herald’s voice from the heights of Mount Salʿa calling out at the top of his lungs, “O Kaʿb ibn Mālik, rejoice!” I fell prostrate, knowing that relief had come.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had informed the people, after leading the dawn prayer, that Allah had accepted our repentance, so they hurried to bring us the glad tidings. Someone went to my two companions, while a horseman galloped toward me and a runner from the tribe of Aslam raced up the mountain; the runner’s voice reached me before the horse. When the man whose voice I had heard finally reached me with the good news, I took off my two garments and gave them to him in gratitude—by Allah, I owned nothing else that day. I then borrowed two other garments, put them on, and set out for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
People met me in groups, congratulating me on the acceptance of my repentance and saying, “Congratulations on Allah’s turning toward you.”
Kaʿb continues: I entered the mosque and found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sitting there with the people around him. Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh rose, hurried toward me, shook my hand, and congratulated me. By Allah, no other Emigrant stood up for me, and I shall never forget Ṭalḥah for that.
Kaʿb says: When I greeted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his face was radiant with joy, and he said, “Rejoice in the best day that has ever come to you since your mother bore you!” I asked, “Is this from you, O Messenger of Allah, or from Allah?” He replied, “No—rather, it is from Allah.”
Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was pleased, his face would shine as though it were a piece of the moon, and we recognized that in him. When I sat before him I said, “O Messenger of Allah, as part of my repentance I wish to give all my wealth in charity for Allah’s sake and His Messenger’s sake.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Keep some of your wealth; that will be better for you.” I said, “Then I shall keep my share in Khaybar.”
I added, “O Messenger of Allah, Allah saved me only because I spoke the truth, and as part of my repentance I shall never speak anything but the truth for as long as I live.” By Allah, from the time I said that to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until this very day, I do not know that Allah has tested anyone among the Muslims more thoroughly in truthful speech than He has tested me. From that day until now I have never deliberately uttered a lie, and I hope that Allah will protect me for the rest of my life.
Allah—exalted is He—then revealed to His Messenger ﷺ: “Allah has indeed turned in mercy to the Prophet, the Emigrants, and the Helpers…” up to His words, “…and be with the truthful.” (Qur’an 9:117–119).
By Allah, after Allah guided me to Islam, no blessing has ever been greater in my eyes than the truth I spoke to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—that I did not lie to him and thereby perish like those who lied. Allah the Exalted spoke of those who lied, when He revealed His word, with the harshest statement He has ever addressed to anyone: “They will swear to you by Allah when you return to them so that you may turn away from them…” up to His words, “…surely Allah is not pleased with the defiantly disobedient people.” (Qur’an 9:95–96).
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