كعب بن مالك
Ka'b ibn Malik RA was an Ansari of the Banu Salimah and one of the leading poets of Madinah, whose verse urged the Muslims to courage in battle. He was present at the Second Pledge of Aqabah and fought in the Prophet ﷺ's campaigns, but he stayed behind from Tabuk in 9 AH without excuse. Refusing to lie about it, he and two others were boycotted for fifty days until Allah revealed their forgiveness, and his own account of that ordeal is one of the most famous narrations in the seerah. He vowed to speak only the truth thereafter, went blind in old age, and died during the reign of Mu'awiyah RA.
All 3 events
Witnessed and took part in the Second Covenant of Aqaba, meeting the Prophet ﷺ by night; later a companion whose repentance (tawba) was revealed in Qur'an 9:118.
وَعَلَى ٱلثَّلَـٰثَةِ ٱلَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَن لَّا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّآ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
“And [Allah has also turned in mercy to] the three who were left behind, [whose guilt distressed them] until the earth, despite its vastness, seemed to close in on them, and their souls were torn in anguish, [until He accepted their repentance so that they could repent].”
Ka'b ibn Malik's repentance (tawba) after his absence from Tabuk was revealed in this ayah, in 9 AH (see episode 88).
وَعَلَى ٱلثَّلَـٰثَةِ ٱلَّذِينَ خُلِّفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَن لَّا مَلْجَأَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّآ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
“And [Allah has also turned in mercy to] the three who were left behind, [whose guilt distressed them] until the earth, despite its vastness, seemed to close in on them, and their souls were torn in anguish, [until He accepted their repentance so that they could repent].”
One of "the three who were left behind" whose repentance this ayah describes.