عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ فِي حَدِيثِهِ الطَّوِيلِ فِي قِصَّةِ تَوْبَتِهِ -وَقَدْ سَبَقَ فِي بَابِ التَّوْبةِ- قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي الْقَوْمِ بِتَبُوكَ: «مَا فَعَلَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ؟» فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللّهِ حَبَسَهُ بُرْدَاهُ وَالنَّظَرُ فِي عِطْفَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ: بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ وَاللّهِ يَا رسُولَ اللّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ إلّا خَيْرًا، فَسكَتَ رسُولُ اللّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ. مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Ka'b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), in his long hadith concerning the story of his repentance - which has already been mentioned in the Chapter on Repentance - said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, while sitting among the people at Tabuk: "What did Ka'b ibn Malik do?" A man of the Banu Salimah said: O Messenger of Allah, his two garments and his gazing at his own flanks held him back. Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: What an evil thing you have said! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing of him but good. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
حبسه برداه: أي منعه من حضور المعركة. برداه: أي ثوباه كناية عن ترفه. عِطْفَاهُ: جَانِباهُ، وَهُوَ إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى إِعْجَابِهِ بِنَفْسِهِ.
"His two garments held him back": that is, they prevented him from attending the battle. "His two garments": that is, his two robes, a metaphor for his luxury. "His flanks": his two sides, an allusion to his self-admiration.
الدروس · lessons
إقرار النبي صلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم لمعاذ بن جبل في الدفاع عن أخيه كعب بن مالك رضي اللّه عنهما. التوجيه لمثل هذا العمل النبيل في حفظ غيبة المسلمين.
The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) approval of Mu'adh ibn Jabal for defending his brother Ka'b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with them both). Guidance toward such a noble deed in guarding Muslims from backbiting.