Ka`b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) said in his long story about his repentance: The Prophet (PBUH) was sitting among the people in Tabuk. He (PBUH) said, "What happened to Ka`b bin Malik?" A person from the tribe of Banu Salamah said: "O Messenger of Allah! the embellishment of his cloak and an appreciation of his sides have allured him, and he was thus detained." Mu`adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "Woe be upon you! You have passed indecent remarks. O Messenger of Allah! by Allah, we know nothing about him but good." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) remained silent.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
This Hadith has already been mentioned in detail in the Chapter on Repentance. Here it is repeated to show how important it is to defend a Muslim when someone accuses him in his absence. In the presence of the Prophet (PBUH) a person expressed misgivings about Ka`b bin Malik that his obsession (for fine dress) had prevented him from coming to the battlefield. Mu`adh immediately defended him saying that there was no justification for such misgivings. The Prophet's silence endorsed the stand taken by Mu`adh (May Allah be pleased with him). This goes to prove that if a Muslim brother or sister is disgraced in his or her absence in a gathering, then it is incumbent on others to defend his or her honour.
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