Hadith #219

Arabic Text

English Translation

It was narrated from Abu Hurayra (رضي الله عنه) — via Sufyan, from Ibn 'Ajlan, from Sa'id [Sufyan's note: what we heard from him was from Ibn 'Ajlan — I am not certain from whom Sufyan was asked; the hadith concerns] Thumama ibn Uthal: The Muslims had taken him captive. Each time the Prophet ﷺ passed by him, he would ask: 'What do you have to say, O Thumama?' He replied: 'If you kill, you kill one whose blood has value. If you show favor, you favor a grateful person. And if you want wealth, you will be given wealth.' [the Prophet ﷺ repeated this exchange repeatedly.] Then Thumama's answer shifted to: 'If you show favor, you favor a grateful person. If you kill, you kill one whose blood has value. And if you want wealth, you will be given wealth.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ decided to release him. Allah (عز وجل) cast [the light of Islam] into his heart. They took him to the well of the Ansar, where he washed himself and accepted Islam. He said: 'O Muhammad, yesterday your face was the most hateful of all faces to me, your religion the most hateful of all religions, and your city the most hateful of all cities. But now your religion is the most beloved of all religions to me, and your face the most beloved of all faces. Not a single grain from al-Yamama shall reach Quraysh [until you give the order].' 'Umar said: 'By Allah, in my eyes he had been smaller than a pig — but now he is greater than a mountain.' [Thumama] was released. He went to al-Yamama and cut off their grain [supply to Quraysh]. They clamored in distress and wrote [to the Prophet ﷺ asking him] to command the resumption of ties. And he [the Prophet ﷺ] wrote to him [Thumama]. [The chain is confirmed via:] Sufyan — I heard Ibn 'Ajlan, from Sa'id, from Abu Hurayra, that Thumama ibn Uthal said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ [these words].