The noble character and conduct of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) were the primary reasons for the spread of Islam. Here is an inspiring incident demonstrating this:
Narrated by the companion Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (ﷺ) sent a cavalry towards the region of ‘Najd’. The army captured a man named Thumamah bin Uthal, from the tribe of Banu Hanifah, and brought him back. They tied him to one of the pillars of the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi) in Medina.
The Prophet (ﷺ) came to him and asked:
“What do you think (of the judgment I will pass on you), O Thumamah?”
Thumamah replied:
“I think good, O Muhammad! If you kill me, you will kill a person whose blood will be avenged. If you forgive me and do me a favor, you will be doing a favor to someone who is grateful.”
The next day, the Prophet (ﷺ) approached him again and asked:
“What do you think, O Thumamah?”
He replied:
“What I have already told you: If you do me a favor, you will be doing a favor to someone who is grateful.”
On the third day, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked him yet again:
“What do you think, O Thumamah?”
He replied:
“I think what I have already told you.”
The Unconditional Release
The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered his companions:
“Release Thumamah.”
He was immediately untied and set free.
Thumamah went to a date-palm garden near the mosque, took a bath (washed himself), and then returned to the mosque. He declared:
“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
He then added:
“O Muhammad! By Allah, there was no face on the surface of the earth more detestable to me than your face, but now, your face has become the most beloved of all faces to me.
By Allah, there was no religion more detestable to me than your religion, but now, your religion has become the most beloved of all religions to me. By Allah, there was no city more detestable to me than your city (Medina), but now, your city has become the most beloved city to me.”
He continued, “Moreover, I now wish to go to Mecca to perform Umrah (minor pilgrimage). What is your opinion?”
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave him glad tidings and permitted him to perform Umrah.
When Thumamah arrived in Mecca, someone asked him, “Have you changed your religion (become a Sabian)?”
Thumamah (Allah be pleased with him) proudly replied:
“No, by Allah! I have not changed my religion blindly. Rather, I have surrendered to God and become a Muslim alongside the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (ﷺ).”
