English translation
4372. Narrated Abū Hurairah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet ﷺ sent some cavalry towards Najd and they brought a man from the tribe of Banū Hanifa who was called Thumāma bin Uthāl. They fastened him to one of the pillars of the mosque. The Prophet ﷺ went to him and said, "What have you got, O Thumāma?"(1) He replied, "I have got a good thought, O Muḥammad!"(2) If you should kill me, you would kill a person who has already killed somebody, and if you should set me free, you would do a favour to one who is grateful, and if you want property, then ask me whatever wealth you want." He was left till the next day when the Prophet ﷺ said to him, "What have you got, O Thumāma?" He said, "What I told you, i.e., if you set me free, you would do a favour to one who is grateful." The Prophet ﷺ left him till the day after, when he said, "What have you got, O Thumāma?" He said, "I have got what I told you." On that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Release Thumāma." So he (i.e., Thumāma) went to a garden of date-palm trees near to the mosque, took a bath and then entered the mosque and said, "I testify that Lā ilāha illallāh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh), and also testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh! By Allāh, O Muḥammad! There was no face on the surface of the earth most disliked by me than yours, but now your face has become the most beloved face to me. By Allāh, there was no religion most disliked by me than yours, but now it is the most beloved religion to me. By Allāh, there was no town most disliked by me than your town, but now it is the most beloved town to me. Your cavalry arrested me (at the time) when I was intending to perform the Umra. And now what do you think?" The Prophet ﷺ gave him good tidings (congratulated him) and ordered him to perform the Umra. So when he came to Makkah, someone said to him, "You have become a Ṣābi (Have you changed your religion)?" Thumāma replied, "No! By Allāh, I have embraced Islām with Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allāh. No, by Allāh! Not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamāma unless the Prophet ﷺ gives his permission."