Bought, Freed, and Given a Choice

Thawban, known as Abu 'Abd Allah, came from the south of Arabia. The biographers say he was from Himyar in Yemen, or from the people of al-Sarat. He had been taken captive and sold, and the Prophet ﷺ bought him and set him free.

The Prophet ﷺ then gave him a choice. If he wished, he could go back to his own people; if he wished, he could stay, and he would be counted as one of the Prophet's ﷺ household. Thawban chose to stay.