Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we besieged Tustar, and Hormuzan submitted before the caliphate of Hazrat Umar. Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) sent me along with Hormuzan to Hazrat Umar. When we presented ourselves before Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Hormuzan did not speak and remained silent. Hazrat Umar said to him, "Speak." He said, "Should I speak as a living person or as a dead one?" Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You speak, there is no harm upon you." He said, "O people of Arabia, Allah Almighty has created a great difference between us and you. There was a time when we used to kill you and prevail over you. And when Allah became with you, now we have no power over you." Then Hazrat Umar said, "O Anas, what do you say?" I said, "O Commander of the Faithful! I have left behind great strength and a large number. If you kill him, people will lose hope in life and it will be hard for their strength, and if you spare his life, people will become greedy." Hazrat Umar said, "Should I spare the killer of Bara bin Malik and Mujaz’ah bin Thawr!" Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when I saw that he would be killed, I said, "You cannot kill him?" He said, "Why? Have you taken any financial help from him?" I said, "I have not done so. You told him to speak, there would be no harm to him." Hazrat Umar said, "You present a witness to this, otherwise I will punish you." So I went out in search of a witness and found Hazrat Zubair, who also remembered what I remembered. He testified to this, so Hazrat Umar spared Hormuzan, and later he accepted Islam and Hazrat Umar fixed his stipend.