He did not forget it for Talhah. He said: When I greeted the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said—and his face was beaming with joy: "Rejoice at the best day you have experienced since your mother gave birth to you." I asked: "Is this from Allah, O Messenger of Allah?" When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was happy, his face would light up as if it were a piece of the moon, and we used to recognize that in him. When I sat before him, I said: "O Messenger of Allah, part of my repentance is that I shed my wealth as charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger." He said: "Keep your share that you have in Khaybar." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah only saved me through truthfulness, and part of my repentance is that I shall not speak anything but the truth as long as I live." By Allah, I do not know of anyone among the Muslims whom Allah has tested with truthfulness in speech—since I mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)—better than He has tested me. By Allah, I have not intentionally told a lie since I mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) until this day of mine, and I hope that Allah will preserve me for the remainder of my life.

Ka'b said: And Allah revealed to His Messenger: "Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Emigrants, and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of difficulty, after the hearts of a party of them had almost deviated, then He accepted their repentance. Indeed, He is to them Kind and Merciful. And [He has also forgiven] the three who were left behind until the earth, despite its vastness, became constricted for them, their souls became constricted for them, and they realized that there is no refuge from Allah except unto Him. Then He accepted their repentance so that they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful." Ka'b ibn Malik said: By Allah, no blessing that Allah bestowed upon me after He guided me to Islam was greater in my soul than my telling the truth to the Messenger of Allah, so that I would not lie to him and perish as those who lied to him perished. For Allah said to those who lied to him when He revealed His revelation the worst thing He said to anyone. He—Blessed and Exalted be His Name—said: "They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them so that you might leave them alone. So turn away from them. Indeed, they are a filth, and their refuge is Hell as a reward for what they were earning. They swear to you that you might be pleased with them; but if you are pleased with them, indeed Allah is not pleased with the defiantly disobedient people."

Ka'b said: We were the three who were left behind from the affair of those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) accepted [the excuses of] when they swore to him, so he pledged allegiance to them and sought forgiveness for them, while the Messenger of Allah postponed our affair until Allah the Almighty decided regarding it. That is why Allah the Almighty said: "And [He has also forgiven] the three who were left behind." And what Allah mentioned by "those who were left behind" does not refer to our lagging behind from the battle; rather, it is His delaying us and postponing our affair from those to whom he had sworn and [from whom he] accepted their excuses—(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).