The Prophet ﷺ said to a man, "Become Muslim."The man replied, "I find myself reluctant."The Prophet ﷺ said, "Even if you are reluctant."
أن النبي ﷺ قال لرجل: أسلم. قال: إني أجدني كارها! قال: وإن كنت كارها.
Imam Ahmad narrated it (12868) from Yahya (al-Qattan), from Humayd (al-Tawil), from Anas, as mentioned. It is one of the three-narrator chains (thulathiyat) of Imam Ahmad, and it is sahih. He also narrated it (12061) from Ibn Abu Adi, from Humayd, from Anas, in similar fashion. Diya transmitted it through this route in Al-Mukhtarah (1990), and Abu Yaala (3765) narrated it through another route from Humayd al-Tawil, in which it says, "The man was from Banu Najjar." Haythami said in Al-Majma (5/305), "Ahmad and Abu Yaala narrated it, and their men are the men of the Sahih."There is nothing in the hadith indicating that he was compelled to accept Islam. Rather, the Prophet ﷺ invited him to Islam, and he informed him that his soul was not receptive to it, but rather averse to it. So the Prophet said to him, "Become Muslim," even if you are averse, for Allah will grant you good intention and sincerity. This is what Ibn Kathir said in his tafsir.