(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in intense heat, facing a long journey, facing a numerous enemy, and a desert. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) clarified the matter to the Muslims so that they might prepare the equipment for their expedition, and he informed them of his destination. The Muslims with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were many. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) undertook that expedition when the fruits were ripe and the shade was pleasant. I began to set out in the morning in order to prepare with him, but I would return without having accomplished anything, saying to myself: "I am capable of that if I wish." This continued with me until the people became pressed for time in their seriousness, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Muslims with him set out in the morning, and I had not accomplished any of my equipment. So I said: "I will prepare after him for a day or two, then I will catch up with them." I returned and did not accomplish anything. This continued with me until they hastened and the expedition moved far away. I intended to set out and catch up with them—would that I had done so—but it was not decreed for me. I began, whenever I went out among the people, to be saddened that I did not see anyone except a man suspected of hypocrisy or a man from among the weak whom Allah had excused. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not mention me until he reached Tabuk. He said, while sitting in the midst of the people: "What has Ka'b ibn Malik done?" A man from Banu Salamah said: "O Messenger of Allah, his cloaks and his looking at his sides have detained him." Mu'adh ibn Jabal said to him: "Woe to what you have said! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we do not know anything but good [about him]." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained silent. When I heard that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had set out returning from Tabuk, my sorrow returned to me and I began to recall lies and say: "With what will I exit from his anger tomorrow?" I sought help in that from every intelligent person among my family. When it was said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has overshadowed us, coming [back]," falsehood vanished from me, and I knew that I would not be saved from him by anything that contained a lie. So I resolved upon telling him the truth. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arrived in the morning, and it was his custom that when he returned from a journey, he would begin with the mosque, pray two rak'ahs, then sit for the people. When he did that, those who had stayed behind came to him and began to offer excuses to him and swear to him—they were over eighty men. He accepted their outward appearance, accepted their pledges, asked for forgiveness for them, and entrusted their inner matters to Allah. Then I came, and when I greeted him, he smiled with the smile of one who is angry, then said: "Come." So I came walking until I sat before him, and he said: "What kept you behind? Had you not bought a mount?" I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah. By Allah, if I were to sit before anyone other than you today from among the people of the world, I would have seen that I would exit from his anger with an excuse; I have been given the gift of argumentation. But by Allah, I knew that if I told you a lie that would make you pleased with me, Allah would soon make you angry with me, and if I told you a truth that would make you feel displeased with me, I hope for Allah's consequence in it. No..."
صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَرٍّ شَدِيدٍ وَاسْتَقْبَلَ سَفَرًا بَعِيدًا وَاسْتَقْبَلَ عَدُوًّا كَثِيرًا وَمَفَازًا فَجَلا لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ أَمَرَهُمْ لِيَتَأَهَّبُوا أُهْبَةَ غَزْوِهِمْ، فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ بِوَجْهِهِ، وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- كَثِيرٌ، وَغَزَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِلْكَ الْغَزْوَةَ حِينَ طَابَتِ الثِّمَارُ وَالظِّلالُ، وَطَفِقْتُ أَغْدُو لِكَيْ أَتَجَهَّزَ مَعَهُ فَأَرْجِعُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، فَأَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي: إِنِّي قَادِرٌ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِذَا أَرَدْتُهُ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ يَتَمَادَى بِي حَتَّى تَشَمَّرَ بِالنَّاسِ الْجِدُّ، وَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَادِيًا، وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَهُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ مِنْ جهازي شيئا فقلت: أتجهز بعده يوم أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَلْحَقُهُمْ، فَرَجَعْتُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ شَيْئًا، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ يَتَمَادَى بِي حَتَّى أَسْرَعُوا وَتَفَاوَتَ الْغَزْوُ، وَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَرْتَحِلَ فَأُدْرِكَهُمْ وَلَيْتَنِي فَعَلْتُ فَلَمْ يُقَدَّرْ لِي فَطَفَقْتُ إِذَا خَرَجْتُ فِي النَّاسِ أَحْزنَنِي أَنِّي لَا أَرَى إِلا رَجُلا مَغْمُوصًا عَلَيْهِ النِّفَاقُ، أَوْ رَجُلا مِمَّنْ عَذَرَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الضُّعَفَاءِ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى بِتَبُوكَ فَقَالَ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي وَسَطِ الْقَوْمِ:
مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، حَبَسَهُ براده، وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ: بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا إِلا خَيْرًا، فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- قَدْ تَوَجَّهَ قَافِلا مِنْ تَبُوكَ حَضَرَنِي بَثِّي وَطَفِقْتُ أَتَذَكَّرُ الْكَذِبَ وَأَقُولُ: بِمَاذَا أَخْرُجُ مِنْ سَخْطَتِهِ غَدًا؟ وَأَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِكُلِّ ذِي لُبٍّ مِنْ أَهْلِي، فَلَمَّا قِيلَ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ- صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- قَدْ أَظَلَّ قَادِمًا زَاحَ الْبَاطِلُ عَنِّي وَعَرَفْتُ أَلا أَنْجُوَ مِنْهُ بِشَيْءٍ فِيهِ كَذِبٌ فَأَجْمَعْتُ صِدْقَهُ وَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَادِمًا وَكَانَ إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ بَدَأَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ، فَرَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيْنٍ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ لِلنَّاسِ فَلَمَّا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ جَاءَهُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ، فَطَفِقُوا يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ، وَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ وَكَانُوا بِضْعَةً وَثَمَانِينَ رَجُلا فَقَبِلَ عَلانِيَتَهُمْ، وَبَايَعَهُمْ، وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمْ، وَوَكَلَ سَرَائِرَهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ، حَتَّى جِئْتُ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ تَبَسَّمَ تَبَسُّمَ الْمُغْضَبِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: تَعَالَ، فَجِئْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقَالَ:
