Continuation of the explanation of the hadith: “... By Allah, I have not known any of the Muslims whom Allah the Exalted has treated better in truthfulness of speech since I mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) than how Allah the Exalted has treated me, and by Allah, I have not intentionally told a lie since I said that to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until this day of mine, and I hope that Allah the Exalted will preserve me in what remains. He said: So Allah the Exalted revealed: ‘Indeed, Allah has accepted the repentance of the Prophet, the emigrants, and the helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship’ until it reached: ‘Indeed, He is to them Most Merciful and Compassionate. And as for the three who were left behind, until the earth became narrow to them despite its vastness’ until it reached: ‘Fear Allah and be with the truthful.’ Ka'b said: By Allah, no blessing has Allah bestowed upon me after He guided me to Islam that is greater in my heart than my truthfulness to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), that I not have lied to him, and thus be destroyed as those who lied were destroyed; indeed, Allah the Exalted said to those who lied when the revelation was revealed the worst of what He said to anyone, so Allah the Exalted said: ‘They will swear to you by Allah when you return to them, so turn away from them. Indeed, they are impure, and their home is Hell, a reward for what they used to earn. They swear to you that you may be pleased with them. But if you are pleased with them, then indeed, Allah is not pleased with the corrupt people’ ...”

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
We are still in the hadith of Ka'b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) and his two companions, who were: Hilal ibn Umayyah, and Mirarah ibn al-Rabi', who lagged behind in the Battle of Tabuk and were left without a decision on their matter until Allah decrees for them what He wills. We have already mentioned most of the story, and here we point out a word that I and the reader inadvertently overlooked, which is the statement of Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him): meaning: when someone other than Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah came to the mosque. This is the correct version, and we had mentioned it as a man from the Ansar, which is an error. The correct version is that he was from the Muhajireen, because Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) was from the Muhajireen and not from the Ansar, so let one be attentive to that.
Ka'b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that part of his repentance was that he would not narrate a false hadith after Allah the Exalted saved him through truthfulness, and he remained so; he never narrated a false hadith after Allah accepted his repentance. So he (may Allah be pleased with him) became a byword for truthfulness, to the extent that Allah revealed regarding him and his two companions: . Allah the Exalted revealed the verses explaining His pardon of them through repentance, from His saying: . In this verse, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, affirmed His acceptance of the repentance of the Prophet, the Muhajireen, and the Ansar. He affirmed it by saying: . As for the Prophet, he is Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Seal of the Prophets, whom Allah forgave for what had passed of his sin and what remained. As for the Muhajireen, they are those who emigrated from their lands from Makkah to al-Madinah. They emigrated to Allah and His Messenger, so they combined in that the emigration and parting with their homeland and their dwellings, and the support of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because they only emigrated to Allah and His Messenger. So the Muhajireen combined emigration and support. As for the Ansar, they are those who settled in the home and faith before them, the people of al-Madinah (may Allah be pleased with them), who sheltered the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), supported him, and protected him from what they protect their women and children from. Allah mentioned the Muhajireen first because they are superior to the Ansar, due to their combining emigration and support: . They followed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hour of hardship, which was in his departure with them to the Battle of Tabuk to distant lands, while the people were in the most intense heat, and the people were in the most pleasant of conditions if they had remained in their dwellings, because the time was the heat of summer and the time of good fruits and pleasant shades. But they (may Allah be pleased with them) went out in this critical hour, in the hour of hardship. : For some of them almost lagged behind without an excuse, and their hearts would have deviated, but Allah, Mighty and Majestic, bestowed upon them steadfastness until they went out with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). : He affirmed that again. : He encompassed them with mercy and compassion, and mercy is softer than compassion, because it is a gentler and greater compassion than general compassion. Then He said: . Who are these three? They are: Ka'b ibn Malik, Hilal ibn Umayyah, and Mirarah ibn al-Rabi', the three. These are the three who were left behind, meaning: the decision on their matter was left pending, and it is not intended that they lagged behind the battle. Rather, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) left them to see what would be the ruling of Allah the Exalted regarding them.
: due to the severity of the narrowness upon them (may Allah be pleased with them). : The soul of a person became narrow for him, unable to bear to remain, but they were patient (may Allah be pleased with them) until Allah relieved them. : They became certain. The word "zann" here means certainty. : He accepted their repentance so that they might attain the ranks of repentance that are not attained except by those whom He guides, not attained except by the close friends of Allah, as Allah the Exalted said: .
As for those who made excuses from among the hypocrites, who made excuses to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and he sought forgiveness for them and left their inner secrets to Allah, then Allah revealed regarding them the worst of what He revealed regarding any human being. What did He say? : So do not blame them. : I seek refuge in Allah. Impure. Intoxicants are impure. The filth that comes out of a person from his rear is impure. The dung of donkeys is impure. These are like that impurity. : What a bad home, and I seek refuge in Allah, that they transition from this world to Hellfire. We ask Allah for safety. A blazing fire that rises to the hearts, barred against them on extended pillars. We ask Allah to save us and you from it.
: Because you do not know their inner secrets, and only the appearances are apparent to you.
: Even if everyone in the people were pleased, and by Allah, He would not be pleased with you, for it would not benefit you. It does not benefit you except the pleasure of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. If Allah is pleased with you, He makes the people pleased with you, inclining their hearts toward you, as came in the hadith: : Allah aids the man for Jibril. : O Allah, make us among Your close friends. : He will be accepted by the people of the earth, as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: . But if a person seeks the pleasure of the people through the anger of Allah, the matter is the opposite; Allah becomes angry with him and the people become angry with him. For this reason, when Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) took over the caliphate, 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) wrote to him, saying: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: .
And how many are those who seek the pleasure of the people through the anger of the Creator, and I seek refuge in Allah. These are in the anger of Allah even if the people are pleased with them; the pleasure of the people does not benefit them. Allah the Exalted said here: : Even if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the noblest of creation, were pleased with them, it would not benefit them, because Allah is not pleased with the corrupt people. And in this verse is a warning against open sinfulness, which is committing sins, the greatest of which is disbelief. And every open sinfulness decreases the pleasure of Allah with a person according to its degree, because the ruling attached to a description increases with its increase and decreases with its decrease, and strengthens with its strength and weakens with its weakness. Open sinfulness is among the causes of the displeasure of Allah. .
Open sinfulness has many types and great ranks. For example: undutifulness to parents is open sinfulness, severing family ties is open sinfulness, deceiving people is open sinfulness, betraying a covenant is open sinfulness, lying is open sinfulness. Every sin is open sinfulness. But the minor sins, the minor of sins, are expiated by good deeds if a person rectifies his good deeds, as Allah the Exalted said: .
And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: : So when a person does a good deed, it wipes away the bad deed if it was a minor one, but as for major sins, nothing benefits in them except repentance. In any case, open sinfulness is among the causes of Allah’s displeasure with the servant, and obedience is among the causes of His pleasure. So, my brother, you must obey Allah. Adhere to the obedience of Allah if you want the pleasure of Allah. And if you want the pleasure of Allah, and if you want the pleasure of people, then please Allah. If Allah is pleased with you, He will suffice you from the burden of people and He will please the people with you. But if you anger Allah by pleasing people, then expect the anger of people along with the anger of Allah, may Allah protect us from that. And Allah grants success.