(124) باب فِي الأَسِيرِ يُوثَقُ
Abu Hurairah said " The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) sent some horsemen to Najd and they brought a man of the Banu Hanifah called Thumamah bint Uthal who was the chief of the people of Al Yamamah and bound him to one of the pillars of the mosque. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) came out to him and said "What are you expecting, Thumamah?". He replied "I expect good, Muhammad. If you kill (me), you will kill one whose blood will be avenged, if you show favor, you will show it to one who is grateful and if you want property and ask you will be given as much of it as you wish. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) left him till the following day and asked him "What are you expecting, Thumamah?" He repeated the same words (in reply). The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ)left him till the day after the following one and he mentioned the same words. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) then said "Set Thumamah free." He went off to some palm trees near the mosque. He took a bath there and entered the mosque and said "I testify that there is no god but Allaah and I testify that Muhammd is His servant and His apostle. He then narrated the rest of the tradition. The narrator 'Isa said "Al Laith narrated to us". He said "a man of respect and reverence."
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 2679
In-book reference: Book 15, Hadith 203
English translation: Book 14, Hadith 2673