حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّی وَابْنُ بَشَّارٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لِابْنِ الْمُثَنَّی قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّهُ کَانَ يَضْرِبُ غُلَامَهُ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ يَضْرِبُهُ فَقَالَ أَعُوذُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ فَتَرَکَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاللَّهِ لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْکَ مِنْکَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَأَعْتَقَهُ
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 4309
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported: When I was beating my servant, I heard a voice behind me (saying): Abu Mas'ud, bear in mind Allah has more dominance over you than you have upon him. I turned and (found him) to be Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ). I said: Allah's Messenger, I set him free for the sake of Allah. Thereupon he said: Had you not done that, (the gates of) Hell would have opened for you, or the fire would have burnt you
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020