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the polytheists, yet they did not compel them to accept Islam. Rather, the Prophet ﷺ once captured Thumamah b. Athal while he was still an idolater, then granted him freedom and never forced him to embrace Islam until he himself chose to do so. (1) He likewise set free some of the captives taken at Badr. (2)
As for female captives from among the polytheists, they were many, yet he did not coerce a single woman into Islam. In fact, he compelled no one—neither man nor woman—to enter the faith.
(1) The story of pardoning Thumama and his subsequent conversion is recorded by al-Bukhari (no. 4112) and Muslim (no. 1764) on the authority of Abu Hurayra.
(2) The episode of granting clemency to some captives from Badr is narrated by Muslim (no. 1762); for a detailed account, see Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, vol. 2, p. 290.
المُشْرِكِينَ، وَلا يُكْرِهُونَهُمْ عَلَى الإِسْلَام، بَلْ قَدْ أَسَرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ثُمَامَةَ بنَ أَثَّالٍ وَهُوَ مُشْرِكٌ، ثُمَّ مَنَّ عَلَيه، وَلَمْ يُكْرِهْهُّ عَلَى الإِسْلَامِ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهِ (١)، وَكَذَلِكَ مَنَّ عَلَى بَعْضِ أَسْرَى بَدْرٍ (٢).
وَأَمَّا سَبْيُ المُشْرِكَاتِ فَكَانَ كَثِيرًا، وَلَمْ يُكْرِه امْرَأَةً عَلَى الإِسْلَام، فَلَمْ يُكْرِهْ عَلَى الإِسْلَامِ لا رَجُلًا، وَلا امْرَأَةً.
(١) قصة المن على ثمامة، وإسلامه: أخرجها البخاري (ح/ ٤١١٢)، ومسلم (ح/ ١٧٦٤) من حديث أبي هريرة ﵁.
(٢) قصة المن على بعض أسرى بدر أخرجها مسلم (ح/ ١٧٦٢)، وانظرها مفصلة في تفسير ابن كثير (٢/ ٢٩٠).