Hilal (rta) and Murarah (rta): When Procrastination Equals Sin

By

Sadaf Azhar – Assistant Senior Editor Hiba Magazine

The expedition of Tabuk is most often associated with the repentance of Ka’ab bin Malik (rta), but his predicament was shared by two other men. Allah (swt) does not name any of the three men who lagged behind the Muslim army marching to Tabuk in the Quranic Ayah forgiving them. However, Ka’ab bin Maalik (rta) preserves their names in his narration of the Tabuk incident. Hilal (rta) and Murarah (rta) are ‘the forgotten two’ referred to in the Quran. 

Al Hafidh ibn Kathir identifies them as Murarah tu Rabi’i (rta) and Hilal ibn Ummayah al Waqafii (rta), who were ‘two righteous men who witnessed the Battle of Badr’. Like Ka’ab (rta), they were sincere in their repentance and regret for procrastinating and not joining the Muslim army marching for Battle of Tabuk.

Murarah (rta) – The righteous Ansari

Murrah (rta) was an Ansari from the Banu Amr ibn Awf tribe of Quba, which the Prophet (sa) praised for its people. Little is known about him except that he was also one of the blessed companions who had fought in the Battle of Badr.

Hilal (rta) – Referred to twice in the Quran

Hilal (rta) was from the tribe of Banu Waqif. His mother was Onaysah bin al- Hadham, the sister of Kulthum bin Hadhm (rta), the first person to host the Prophet (sa) in Quba and the first person to be buried in Baqii. Hilal (rta) witnessed both Battles of Badr and Uhud and was one of the earliest recipients of Dawah at the hands of Musab ibn Umair (rta). Ibn Saad reports that Hilal (rta) broke the idols of Banu Waqif. He is also referred to in Surah An Nur in the case of Li’aan against his wife Shariq ibn Suhma.

The test of Imaan

Though no battle was fought, the expedition of Tabuk was a test of faith of the Muslims, and helped expose the hypocrites. It occurred in the latter part of the Prophet’s (sa) life in Madinah and was a trial in terms of the maturity of the Prophet’s (sa) message and the intensely hot harvesting season of Madinah.

In addition, not only was Tabuk very far away from Madinah, but the Muslim army set out against one of the super-powers of that time, the Byzantines. Finally, the Muslims had scarce resources, so much so that each campaigner was given just a date a day to suffice as nourishment. 

The silent treatment

When the Muslim army returned from the Tabuk expedition, Prophet (sa) accepted the excuses of the hypocrites who did not participate in the battle. But he gave these three men the silent treatment and turned away from them.

Ka’ab (rta), Murarah (rta) and Hilal (rta) were sincere Muslims who had erred- similar to the archers who abandoned their post in the Battle of Uhud. Their sin was not rejection- they simply procrastinated. They waited far too long to leave the comfort of their homes and the army left without them. This is a warning for us- privilege and comfort can become a Fitnah.

The three companions realized that they had missed an opportunity for earning Allah’s (swt) pleasure and wept for forgiveness. They did not present excuses in front of the Prophet (sa), and instead, they admitted their neglect.

One of the signs that Allah (swt) loves us is that He allows us to repent and hastens our punishment in this world to save us from everlasting consequences. These companions also chose to face the consequences in this life.

Divine forgiveness

Murarah (rta) and Hilal (rta) confined themselves to their house and wept for forgiveness, in contrast to Ka’ab (rta) who followed the Messenger of Allah (sa) seeking any sign of forgiveness from him. Allah (swt) recognizes their pain and suffocation in the Quran, noting that they knew that they couldn’t escape Allah (swt). Allah (swt) declared:

“And [He also forgave] the three who were left behind [and regretted their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.” (At Tawbah 9:118)

The three companions faced complete social boycott in Madinah, to the extent that their wives separated from them. Hilal’s (rta) wife appealed to the Prophet (sa): ‘O Messenger of Allah! Hilal is a helpless old man and he has no servant. Would you dislike that I serve him even though I am separated?’

She indicated that he had lost an appetite for everything: ‘He has not stopped crying since his matter began till this day.’

After 50 days of suffering and repentance Allah (swt) forgave all three of them. They claimed it was the best day of their lives.

Allah (swt) is Al Baseer (The All-Seeing) and Al Aleem (The Most Knowledgeable)

Allah (swt) did not let the fame of Ka’ab (rta) overshadow the pain of the other two companions. In the same way, Allah (swt) will write down your pain even if no one else witnesses it. Their individual repentance is not recorded, but Allah (swt) blessed them.

On the day of the Conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (sa) gave Hilal (rta) the banner of Banu Waqif. Despite his error, he was honoured for sincerely believing in Tawheed and destroying the idols of his tribe while marching towards the House of Allah (swt), the Ka’aba.

A huge lesson in the idea of offering opportunities to those who fall into error and helping them repent to Allah (swt) and ultimately restore their status as the slave of Allah (swt).