[86] Or whose cases were deferred. They were: Ka‘b ibn Mālik, Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah and Murārah ibn al-Rabī‘, who were sincere Companions but failed to join the Messenger’s (ﷺ) campaign in Tabūk Expedition. When he came back, unlike the hypocrites, they told the truth that they had no excuse. So, the Messenger (ﷺ) imposed a ban on them and forbade people to talk to them. This lasted for fifty nights until this verse was revealed. During this time, they endured huge mental anguish for being ostracized by the whole society. [For further details see: Al-Bukhārī: 4418, and Muslim: 2769]
[87] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “...A man speaks the truth and heeds it until he is recorded with Allah as an affirmer of the truth (siddīq)...” [Al-Bukhārī: 6094, Muslim: 2607]
[88] In times of hardship, they should have endured sufferings along with the Prophet (ﷺ) instead of staying behind.