Abu Mas’ud reported: I was beating a servant-boy of mine when I heard a voice from behind me, “Know, O Abu Mas’ud, that Allah has more power over you than you have over him.” I turned around and it was the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have freed him for the sake of Allah.” The Prophet said, “If you had not done so, you would have been burnt in the Hellfire.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1659
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim
عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَضْرِبُ غُلَامًا لِي فَسَمِعْتُ مِنْ خَلْفِي صَوْتًا اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَيْهِ فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُوَ حُرٌّ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ أَمَا لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ لَلَفَحَتْكَ النَّارُ أَوْ لَمَسَّتْكَ النَّارُ
1659 صحيح مسلم كتاب الأيمان باب صحبة المماليك وكفارة من لطم عبده