Volume 8 Surah 9 - Enjoy Islam

Al-Tawbah (The Repentance) | THE EARTH’S SUFFOCATING EXPANSEand His Messenger?’ He did not answer. I repeated my question three times, but hestill did not answer. I then beseeched him once again, and his answer came: ‘God andHis Messenger know better.’ Tears sprang to my eyes and I came down.”These details give us a clear impression of the level of discipline and obedience inthe Muslim community, despite all the looseness that crept in after the fall of Makkahto the Muslims, and the confusion that accompanied the preparations for theexpedition to Tabūk. The Prophet gave his instructions that nobody should speak tothose three, and hence no one uttered a word to them. None would even meet Ka`bwith a smiling face, and none would give or take anything from him. Even his closestcousin and friend would not return his greeting or answer his question, after Ka`bhad climbed the fence to enter his garden. When he answered after much beseeching,his answer was far from reassuring. He only said: “God and His Messenger knowbetter.”In his eagerness to know his position, after his whole world had changed, Ka`bwould try to detect a faint movement on the lips of the Prophet to know whether hehad answered his greetings. He would look sideways to find out whether theProphet had looked at him in a way which would renew his hopes, and tell him thathis situation was not totally desperate.Left all alone, with no one saying a word to him even as a gesture of charity, hereceives a letter from the King of Ghassān offering him a position of honour andinfluence. He turns his back on all this in a single movement. His only reaction is tothrow the letter into the fire, considering this tempting offer as part of his trial.Yet the boycott is extended and he is ordered not to go near to his wife, so that heis totally alone, isolated, hanging in the air. He feels too shy to request the Prophet tolet his wife look after him, because he was unsure what the answer would be like.The Whole World Seems Too NarrowThis should be contrasted with the piece of really happy news subsequently givento the three offenders. It is the news of rehabilitation, acceptance of the three men’srepentance and their return to the fold and to life. Let us remind ourselves of Ka`b’sown account of that happy moment:I was still in that condition which I have described: the world seemed to mesuffocatingly small and I did not recognize myself any more. As I sat downafter the dawn prayers, however, I heard a voice from the direction of MountSal `saying: ‘Ka`b ibn Mālik! Rejoice!’ I realized that my hardship was over,and I prostrated myself in gratitude to God.What happened was that the Prophet informed the congregation after235