Repentance
18 hadiths
All human beings are sinners, and the best of the sinners are the frequent repenters
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "All human beings are sinners, and the best of the sinners are the frequent repenters."
I said: O Messenger of Allah, what is salvation? He said: "Control your tongue, abide in your house, and weep over your sin
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said: O Messenger of Allah, what is salvation? He said: "Control your tongue, abide in your house, and weep over your sin."
Allah is happier with the repentance of His slave than one of you is with finding his riding camel after having lost it in a desert
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is happier with the repentance of His slave than one of you is with finding his riding camel after having lost it in a desert." Another narration reads: "Verily, Allah is happier with the repentance of His slave when he turns in repentance to Him than one of you who was on his camel in a desert and it got lost and was carrying his provision of food and drink. He, having lost all hope (of finding it), lies down in the shade of a tree feeling hopeless; when all of a sudden he finds it (his camel) standing before him. He takes hold of its reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out: 'O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord!' He makes this mistake out of extreme joy."
Allah, Blessed and Exalted, accepts the slave's repentance as long as the death rattle has not yet reached his throat
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, Blessed and Exalted, accepts the slave's repentance as long as his death rattle has not yet reached his throat."
Verily, Allah Almighty extends His Hand during the night so the sinner of the day may repent, and He extends His Hand during the day so the sinner of the night may repent until the sun rises from its west
Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah Almighty extends His Hand during the night so the sinner of the day may repent, and He extends His Hand during the day so the sinner of the night may repent until the sun rises from its west."
Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will accept his repentance
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will accept his repentance."
O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Allah Almighty said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to meet Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I shall bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it is.'"
There is no man who commits a sin, then gets up and performs Tahārah (ritual purification), then performs prayer, then seeks forgiveness from Allah, except that Allah forgives him
‘Ali reported: Indeed I am a man who, when hearing a Hadīth from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), Allah benefitted me thereby as much as He willed for me to benefit thereby. When a man from his Companions narrates some Hadīth to me, I ask him to swear upon it, when he swears, I believe him. And Abu Bakr narrated to me - and Abu Bakr told the truth; he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "There is no man who commits a sin, then gets up and performs Tahārah (ritual purification), then performs prayer, then seeks forgiveness from Allah, except that Allah forgives him." Then, he recited this verse: {And those who, when they commit a shameful act or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 135]
A man kissed a woman (unlawfully), so he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and told him of what he did. So Allah, the Almighty, revealed the verse: {And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds.} [Sūrat Hūd: 114]
Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man kissed a woman (unlawfully), so he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and told him of what he did. Thereupon Allah, the Almighty revealed the verse: {And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds.} [Sūrat Hūd: 114]. The man said: "O Messenger of Allah, is this (verse) for me?" He replied: "For everybody of my Ummah, all of them."
A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, I committed a sin liable to a legal punishment, so inflict it upon me
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I committed a sin liable to a legal punishment, so inflict it upon me." As the time of the prayer came, he offered the prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. When the prayer was over, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I committed a sin liable to a legal punishment, so apply the Book of Allah to me." He asked: "Have you offered the prayer with us?’ He said: 'Yes.’ He said: "You have been forgiven."
Avoid this filth, which Allah has prohibited. The one who commits it, let him conceal himself with Allah's concealment and repent to Allah, for, indeed, anyone who exposes his sin to us, we shall enforce the Book of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, on him
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that after stoning Al-Aslami, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and said: "Avoid this filth, which Allah has prohibited. The one who commits it, let him conceal himself with Allah's concealment and repent to Allah, for, indeed, anyone who exposes his sin to us, we shall enforce the Book of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, on him."
Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting of Him to sleep
Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood among us and said five statements: "Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it is not befitting of Him to sleep. He lowers the Scales and raises them. The deeds done during the night are taken up to Him before the deeds done during the day, and the deeds done during the day before the deeds done during the night. His veil is light— and in another version: fire—and if He were to remove it, the glory of His Face would burn everything of His creation as far as His sight extends."
من نوقش الحساب يهلك
عن عائشة، زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنها كانت لا تسمع شيئا لا تعرفه، إلا راجعت فيه حتى تعرفه، وأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «من حوسب عذب» قالت عائشة: فقلت أوليس يقول الله تعالى: {فسوف يحاسب حسابا يسيرا} [الانشقاق: 8] قالت: فقال: «إنما ذلك العرض، ولكن: من نوقش الحساب يهلك».
أليس قد صليت معنا؟
عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: كنت عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فجاءه رجل فقال: يا رسول الله، إني أصبتُ حدًّا فأقِمْهُ عليَّ. قال: ولم يسأله عنه، قال: وحضرت الصلاة، فصلى مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فلما قضى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الصلاة قام إليه الرجل فقال: يا رسول الله، إني أصبتُ حدًّا، فأقم فيَّ كتاب الله. قال: «أليس قد صليت معنا؟» قال: نعم، قال: «فإن الله قد غفر لك ذنبك» أو قال: «حدك».
الندم توبة
عَنْ ابْنِ مَعْقِلٍ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «النَّدَمُ تَوْبَةٌ» فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي: أَنْتَ سَمِعْتَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «النَّدَمُ تَوْبَةٌ»؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ.
Among those who lived before you, there was a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a monk. When he went to him, he informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked if his repentance could be accepted. The monk replied in the negative, so the man killed him
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Among those who lived before you, there was a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a monk. When he went to him, he informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked if his repentance could be accepted. The monk replied in the negative, so the man killed him and made him the hundredth. After that, the man once again asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a scholar. He informed him of his hundred murders and asked if there was a chance for his repentance to be accepted. The scholar replied in the affirmative and said: 'Who can place a barrier between him and the repentance?' He advised him to travel to a certain land where people were worshiping Allah, the Almighty, and asked him to join them in their worship and not to return to his land, which was an evil land. The man listened to the scholar’s advice and set out from his land, when he reached the middle of the way death approached him. The angels of mercy and the angels of torment disputed over the man. The angels of mercy said: 'He came with a repenting heart to Allah, the Almighty.' The angels of torment said: 'He has never done anything good in his life.' Another angel then came in the form of a human being and they agreed to take him as an arbitrator. He said: 'Measure the distance between the man and the two lands and see to which one he is closer.' They did that and found him closer to the land he was traveling to, so the angels of mercy took his soul.” Another authentic narration reads: “He was one span closer to the land of piety, so he was considered one of its people.” The wording of another authentic narration reads: “Allah, the Almighty, ordered this land (evil place) to go far away and the other land (good place) to get closer and on measuring the distances, he was found one span closer to the village to which he intended to go and so he was forgiven.” Another narration reads: “He directed his chest towards it (the village he intended to go to).”
I did not miss any battle with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) except the battle of Tabūk. In fact, I did not take part in the battle of Badr, but none who failed to take part in it was blamed
‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn Ka‘b ibn Mālik reported that (his father) ‘Abdullāh ibn Ka‘b ibn Mālik, who was Ka‘b's guide from among his sons when Ka‘b turned blind, said: I heard Ka‘b ibn Mālik relating a Hadīth in which he mentioned his story when he remained behind after the departure of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for the battle of Tabūk. Ka‘b said: "I did not miss any battle with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) except the battle of Tabūk. In fact, I did not take part in the battle of Badr, but none who failed to take part in it was blamed, for Allah's Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had gone out to meet the caravans of the Quraysh. But Allah caused them (the Muslims) to meet their enemy unexpectedly (without prior planning). I witnessed the night of the ‘Aqabah pledge of allegiance with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when we jointly agreed to support Islam with all our efforts. It would not please me to have attended the battle of Badr instead of the ‘Aqabah pledge, although Badr is more notable than it among the people. As for my state at the time when I remained behind after the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had departed for the battle of Tabūk, I had never been stronger nor wealthier than I was at the time when I remained behind in that battle. By Allah, I had never been in possession of two she-camels until the time of the battle. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to conceal his intention to embark upon a battle by making reference to other battles, until that battle (Tabūk). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) conducted that battle during a season of extreme heat, undertaking a lengthy journey through desert terrain. In addition, the enemy was great in number. Thus, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the matter to the Muslims, in order that they would prepare themselves properly for the battle, and he informed them of the intended destination. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was accompanied by a considerable number of Muslims, whose names could not be recorded in a register." Ka‘b continued: "Any individual who wished to remain behind would assume that his absence would pass unnoticed, unless it was revealed by Allah by means of divine revelation. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) undertook that battle during a season wherein the fruit had ripened and the shade had become pleasant. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslims equipped themselves with the necessary provisions. I too went out in the morning in order to prepare myself; however, I returned without accomplishing anything and said to myself I am capable of it. In this manner, I continued to postpone my preparations until the departure of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslims with him while I had not prepared what I needed to join them. I said to myself I would prepare myself a day or two after his departure then catch up with them. Again, I did not accomplish anything until they were far and the battle was over. I intended to depart and catch up with them, and I wish I did, but I was not destined for it. I would go out amongst the people after the departure of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and it would make me sad to see no men around except one who was suspected of being a hypocrite, or a weak man whom Allah had excused from participation in battle. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not remember me until he reached Tabūk. He was sitting amongst his people in Tabūk and asked: 'What happened to Ka‘b ibn Mālik?' A man from the tribe of Banu Salimah responded: 'O Messenger of Allah, he was prevented by his preoccupation with his fine clothes and his self-admiration.' Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal said: 'What an evil statement you have made! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we do not know about him save what is good.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent.” Ka‘b ibn Mālik continued: “When I learned that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had started his journey back from Tabūk, I was consumed by distress, and thought, therefore, of inventing lies. I asked myself: With what can I avoid his anger tomorrow? I sought assistance from every individual of sound mind and judgment from my family. When it was mentioned that the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was imminent, the false excuses vanished from my mind. I knew that I could not pass safely from this situation by whatever lie I can come up with. I, therefore, resolved upon speaking the truth. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) arrived the following morning. It was his practice when he returned from a journey that he would proceed towards the mosque and perform a two-Rak‘ah prayer therein and then sit amongst the people. After those matters had taken place, those who lagged behind approached him. They started to present their excuses and take oaths to that effect. There were some and eighty men in number. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) accepted their apparent attitude and their pledge of allegiance, sought forgiveness for them, and he entrusted to Allah their secret affairs. Thereafter, I approached him, and when I greeted him, he smiled like one who is angry. Then he said: 'Come forward.' I approached him walking until I was sitting before him. Then he said: 'What prevented you from accompanying us? Had you not purchased a riding animal?' I responded: 'Yes, I did. By Allah, if I was in the presence of any other man from amongst the inhabitants of this world, I am sure that I would avoid His wrath by presenting an excuse, for I have been granted the ability to speak in an eloquently persuasive manner. However, I am aware that if I utter a lie today in order to seek your pleasure, certainly Allah will cause you to become angry with me in the future. Alternatively, if I tell you the truth, thereby causing you to become angry, I may hope for a good consequence from Allah, Exalted and Glorified. No, By Allah, I have no excuse to present. By Allah, I had never before been stronger nor wealthier than the time I failed to accompany you.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'As for this man, he has spoken the truth. So, stand up (and leave) until Allah gives a judgment concerning you.' I stood up, and a group of men from the tribe of Banu Salimah came along and followed me. They addressed me: 'By Allah! We have not known you to commit a misdeed before that. Verily you did wrong when you failed to find an excuse for yourself before the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) like the other absentees who excused themselves. It would have sufficed you against your sin that the Messenger of Allah would seek forgiveness for you.' They continued to reprimand me until I desired to return to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and speak contrary to what I had said to him before. Then I asked them: 'Is there any other individual in a similar position?' They responded: 'Yes, there are two men who uttered the same statement as you, and both received the same directive as you did. 'I asked: 'Who are these two men?' They answered: 'Murārah ibn Ar-Rabī‘ and Hilāl ibn Umayyah al-Wāqifi.' They mentioned two virtuous men who had participated in the battle of Badr and were good examples to be followed. After they had mentioned these two men, I remained steadfast upon my original statement. Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited the Muslims from speaking to us - namely the three individuals from amongst the Muslims who failed to join him for the battle. As a consequence, the people avoided us and changed the way they treated us, until the land wherein I lived seemed strange; not one which I was familiar with. We remained in that state for the length of fifty nights. As for my two companions, they committed themselves to their houses and stayed therein, weeping. However, I was the youngest and most enduring of the three, I would therefore leave my house to perform prayer with the Muslims. I would wander around the markets, yet no one would speak to me. I would approach the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and offer the greeting of peace to him whilst he was sitting amidst his gathering after having performed the prayer. I would ask myself: Did his lips move with returning the greeting or not? Thereafter, I would perform the prayer close by him and look at him stealthily. When I was engaged with the prayer, he would turn towards me. However, when I looked in his direction, he would turn his face away from me. When this period of estrangement became too long, I set out to walk until I climbed over the wall of Abu Qatādah's garden. He was my cousin and the most beloved person to me. I offered the greeting of peace to him, and, by Allah, he did not return the greeting to me. Hence, I said: 'O Abu Qatādah, I adjure you by Allah, do you not know that I love Allah and His Messenger?' He remained silent. I appealed to him by Allah a second time, but he remained silent. Then in the third time he replied: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' Thereupon, tears flowed from my eyes. I turned away and climbed over the wall." He continued: "While I was walking in the market of Madīnah, I saw a Christian farmer from amongst the farmers of Sham (Greater Syria), who had traveled to Madīnah to sell their produce. He said: 'Who shall direct me to Ka‘b ibn Mālik?' The people pointed towards me, so he approached me and handed me a letter from the King of Ghassān. As I was a scribe, I could read the letter in which it was written: 'It has come to our knowledge that your companion has forsaken you. Verily, God has not rendered this world for you as a dwelling of disgrace and degradation, nor one of loss and destitution. So join us and we shall bestow upon you comfort and consolation.' Upon reading the letter I said to myself: This too is a trial. I went toward the oven and burnt it therein. When a period of forty out of fifty nights had passed, the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approached me and said: 'The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands you to stay away from your wife.' I said: 'Should I divorce her, or what should I do?' He responded: 'No, just stay away from her and do not approach her.' He issued a similar directive concerning my two companions. Hence, I said to my wife: 'Go to your parents and remain with them until Allah passes judgment on this matter.' The wife of Hilāl ibn Umayyah came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, verily Hilāl ibn Umayyah is an old man who is incapable of taking care of himself, and he does not have a servant. Would you object if I serve him?' He replied: 'No, but he must not approach you.' She said: 'By Allah, he has no desire for any matter. By Allah, he has not ceased to weep from the day this matter started until this time now.' Some of my family members asked me: 'Why don’t you seek permission from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) concerning your wife, as he has granted permission for the wife of Hilāl ibn Umayyah to serve him?' I said: 'By Allah, I shall not seek permission from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) concerning her. I do not know what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would say if I sought his permission in relation to her while I am still a young man.' I remained in that state for an additional ten nights, until fifty nights had passed from the time the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had prohibited the people from speaking to us. On the morning of the fiftieth night, I performed the Fajr prayer on the roof of one of our houses. While I was in the state that Allah described in His Book: feeling that my soul had become contracted, and the earth had contracted for me despite its vastness, all of a sudden, I heard a loud voice coming from the direction of Mount Sal‘. Somebody shouted at the top of his voice: 'O Ka‘b ibn Mālik, Rejoice!' I prostrated myself upon the ground, realizing that relief from this trial had finally arrived. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told the people that Allah accepted our repentance. After the Fajr prayer, the people proceeded forth to congratulate us, and carriers of the good news rushed toward my two companions. A horseman raced towards me in order to congratulate me and a messenger from the tribe of Aslam raced towards the mountain and got over it in order to make the announcement. I heard his voice before that of the horseman. When the man whose voice I had heard approached me to convey the glad tidings, I took off my two garments and clothed him in them. By Allah, on that day I was not in possession of any other garments, so I borrowed two garments and put them on then I headed to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). People started receiving me in groups, congratulating me for the acceptance of my repentance. They said: 'We congratulate you for Allah's acceptance of your repentance.' When I entered the mosque, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting surrounded by people. Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullāh hastened towards me. He shook my hand and congratulated me. By Allah, no one from amongst the Muhājirūn stood in order to greet me save him. I never forgot that gesture from Talhah. When I greeted the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), his face was shining with happiness and he said: 'Rejoice for the best day you have witnessed since your mother gave birth to you.' I asked: 'Is this from you or from Allah?' He said: 'It is from Allah.' Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was delighted, his face became bright as if it was a piece of the moon. We recognized that as characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, part of my repentance is that I should give up my entire wealth as charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Keep a portion of your wealth, for it is better for you to do so.' I said: 'I shall keep my share in Khaybar. O Messenger of Allah, verily Allah has delivered me from this trial because I spoke the truth. My repentance therefore dictates that I shall speak only the truth as long as I live.' By Allah, I am not aware of any Muslim whom Allah has blessed for speaking the truth more than myself, from the time I mentioned those words of truth to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). By Allah, I have never intended to utter a word of falsehood from the time when I mentioned those words to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, to the present day. I hope that Allah will protect me from uttering falsehood in the remaining part of my life. Allah revealed the following verse to His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): {Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhājirūn, and the Ansar who followed him in the hour of difficulty after the hearts of a party of them had almost inclined [to doubt], and then He forgave them. Indeed, He was to them Kind and Merciful. 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. O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true} [Sūrat At-Tawbah :117-119]. By Allah, after guiding me to Islam, Allah has not bestowed upon me a favor greater in my sight than my statement of truth to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and my action of not uttering a lie to him, for I would have been ruined, as those who uttered lies were ruined. Allah ascribed to those who had uttered falsehood the most evil description he Had ever ascribed to anyone else when He revealed His statement: {They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them that you would leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed they are evil; and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they had been earning. They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them. But if you should be satisfied with them - indeed, Allah is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people} [Sūrat At-Tawbah: 95-96]. Ka‘b continued: "We, the three who lagged behind, differed from those whose excuses were accepted by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when they swore to him to that effect. He accepted their pledge of allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and he deferred our case until Allah passed judgment in relation to it. In reference to that, Allah Almighty said: {He also forgave the three who remained behind} [Sūrat At-Tawbah:118]. In this Verse, Allah did not refer to our remaining behind the military expedition. Rather, He refers to the deferment of passing judgment on us, in contrast to those who took an oath before the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and excused themselves and he accepted their excuses."
Give me your pledge that you will not associate anything with Allah, that you will not steal, that you will not commit adultery
‘Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him), who witnessed Badr and was one of the chiefs chosen to represent his tribe on the night of ‘Aqabah, reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, and around him was a group of his Companions: "Give me your pledge that you will not associate anything with Allah, that you will not steal, that you will not commit adultery, that you will not kill your children, that you will not bring forth slander you have invented between your hands and legs, and that you will not disobey in righteousness. Whoever among you fulfills these, his reward is with Allah. And whoever commits any of these and is punished in this world, it will be an expiation for him. And whoever commits any of these and Allah covers him, then it is up to Allah; if He wills, He will pardon him, and if He wills, He will punish him." So we gave him our pledge on that.