Imam al-Sha'bi reports this account from a man of the Thaqif tribe: We made three requests of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but he did not grant us a concession. We said: Our land is a cold land, and we asked him to grant us a concession regarding purification, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not grant us a concession. We requested that he grant us a concession to use the dubba' (gourd vessel), but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not permit us that. We asked him to return Abu Bakrah to us, but he did not accept this either; he said: He is freed in the name of Allah and freed in the name of His Messenger. The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) had come out to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was besieging Ta'if, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) had accepted Islam.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب العتق / 7268