It is reported on the authority of Abdullah b. K’ab and he was the guide of Ka’b as he lost his eyesight and he was the greatest scholar amongst his people and he retained in his mind many ahadith of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him). He said: I heard my father Ka’b b. Malik, and he fas one of those three whose repentance was accepted (by Allah). He transmitted that He never lagged behind Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) from any expedition that he undertook except two expeditions; the rest of the hadith is the same, and in the tradition narrated through another chain of transmitters the words are:” That Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on an expedition with a large number of persons more than ten thousand and this could not be recorded in the census register.”
Hadith In Arabic Text :
وحدثني سلمة بن شبيب، حدثنا الحسن بن أعين، حدثنا معقل، – وهو ابن عبيد الله – عن الزهري، أخبرني عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله بن كعب بن مالك، عن عمه، عبيد الله بن كعب وكان قائد كعب حين أصيب بصره وكان أعلم قومه وأوعاهم لأحاديث أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال سمعت أبي كعب بن مالك وهو أحد الثلاثة الذين تيب عليهم يحدث أنه لم يتخلف عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في غزوة غزاها قط غير غزوتين . وساق الحديث وقال فيه وغزا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بناس كثير يزيدون على عشرة آلاف ولا يجمعهم ديوان حافظ .
Chapter : The Book Pertaining to Repentance and Exhortation to Repentance – كتاب التوبة