Mishkat al-Masabih 3964

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Hurayra reported: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent cavalry toward Najd, and they returned with a man from Banu Hanifa named Thumama ibn Uthal, chief of the people of Yamama. They tied him to one of the mosque’s pillars. The Messenger of God came out to him and asked, ‘What have you to say, Thumama?’ He replied, ‘I have good to say, Muhammad. If you kill me, you kill a man whose blood will be avenged; if you show favor, you show favor to one who is grateful; and if you want wealth, ask for whatever you wish.’ The Messenger of God left him until the next day and asked, ‘What have you to say, Thumama?’ He replied, ‘What I told you: if you show favor, you show favor to one who is grateful; if you kill me, you kill a man whose blood will be avenged; and if you want wealth, ask for whatever you wish.’ The Messenger of God left him until the following day and asked him, ‘What have you to say, Thumama?’ He replied, ‘What I told you: if you show favor, you show favor to one who is grateful; if you kill me, you kill a man whose blood will be avenged; and if you want wealth, ask for whatever you wish.’ The Messenger of God then said, ‘Release Thumama.’ He went to a palm grove near the mosque, washed, then entered the mosque and said, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Muhammad, by God, there was no face on earth more hateful to me than yours, but now your face has become the dearest of all faces to me. By God, no religion was more hateful to me than yours, but now your religion has become the dearest of all religions to me. By God, no land was more hateful to me than yours, but now your land has become the dearest of all lands to me. Your cavalry captured me while I intended to perform ʿumra; what do you advise?’ The Messenger of God gave him good news and instructed him to perform ʿumra. When he arrived in Mecca, someone asked him, ‘Have you become a Sabian?’ He replied, ‘No, but I have accepted Islam with the Messenger of God.’ He added, ‘By God, not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamama until the Messenger of God permits it.’ Narrated by Muslim; al-Bukhari gave an abridged version.