Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent cavalry toward Najd, and they brought a man from Banu Hanifah named Thumamah ibn Uthal, the leader of the people of Yamamah. They tied him
2 to a pillar of the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) approached and said: “What do you have, O Thumamah?” He said: “I have good, O Muhammad. If you kill, you kill one with blood ties. If you show favor, you favor one who is grateful. If you want wealth, ask, and you will be given what you wish.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) left him until the next day and asked: “What do you have, O Thumamah?” He replied: “As I told you: if you show favor, you favor one who is grateful; if you kill, you kill one with blood ties; if you want wealth, ask, and you will be given what you wish.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) left him until the following day and asked again: “What do you have, O Thumamah?” He said: “As I told you: if you show favor, you favor one who is grateful; if you kill, you kill one with blood ties; if you want wealth, ask, and you will be given what you wish.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “
3 Release Thumamah.” He went
4 to a palm grove near the mosque, bathed, entered the mosque, and said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Muhammad, by Allah, no face on earth was more hated to me than yours, but now it is the most beloved. By Allah, no religion was more hated to me than yours, but now it is the most beloved. By Allah, no land was more hated to me than yours, but now it is the most beloved.
5 Your cavalry captured me while I intended Umrah. What do you think?” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave him glad tidings and ordered him to perform Umrah. When he arrived in Makkah, someone said: “Have you apostatized?” He replied: “No, but I have embraced Islam with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). By Allah, not a grain of wheat will come to you from Yamamah until the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) permits it.” [Narrated by Muslim, summarized by Bukhari]
Al-Allamah al-Ayni said: Releasing captives freely is abrogated in our view. Some said it was specific to our master, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). All narrations about Badr captives are abrogated. At-Tahawi said: A disbeliever’s vow, if he embraces Islam, is not obligatory in our view, and we interpret the narration as recommended.
Commentary and footnotes (2)
Chapter-heading commentary
(2) The statement: “Kill the polytheists, etc.”: In (‘Umdat al-Qari): There is no disagreement among the people of tafsir and narrators of traditions that Surah Bara’ah (At-Tawbah) was revealed after Surah Muhammad, so its rulings abrogate the ransom mentioned elsewhere.
Chapter-heading commentary
(٢) قوله: اقتلوا المشركين إلخ: وقال في (عمدة القاري): ولم يختلف أهل التفسير ونقله الآثارأن سورة براءة بعدسورة محمد ، فوجب أن يكون المذكور فيها ناسخا للفداء المذكور في غيرها.