عنْ أبي مَسْعُودٍ البدْرِيِّ رضِيَ اللَّه عنْهُ قَال: كُنْتُ أضْرِبُ غلامًا لي بالسَّوطِ، فَسمِعْتُ صوتًا مِنْ خَلفي: «اعلَمْ أبا مَسْعُودٍ» فَلَمْ أفْهَمِ الصَّوْتَ مِنَ الْغَضب، فَلَمَّا دنَا مِنِّي إذا هُو رسُولُ اللَّه صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم فَإذا هُو يَقُولُ: «اعلَمْ أبا مسْعُودٍ أنَّ اللَّه أقْدرُ علَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلى هذا الغُلامِ» فَقُلْتُ: لا أضْربُ مملُوكًا بعْدَهُ أبدًا. وفي روَايةٍ: فَسَقَطَ السَّوْطُ مِنْ يدِي مِنْ هيْبتِهِ. وفي روايةٍ: فقُلْتُ: يَا رسُول اللَّه هُو حُرٌّ لِوجْهِ اللَّه تعالى فَقَال: «أمَا لوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ، لَلَفَحَتْكَ النَّارُ، أوْ لمَسَّتكَ النَّارُ» رواه مسلم. بهذِهِ الرواياتِ.

Abu Mas'ud al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was beating a slave boy of mine with a whip when I heard a voice behind me: "Know, Abu Mas'ud!" But I did not make out the voice because of (my) anger. When it drew near me, behold, it was the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he was saying: "Know, Abu Mas'ud, that Allah has more power over you than you have over this boy." I said: "I will never beat a slave after this." In another narration: The whip fell from my hand out of awe of him. In another narration: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, he is free for the sake of Allah the Exalted." He said: "Had you not done so, the Fire would have scorched you," or "the Fire would have touched you." Reported by Muslim, with these narrations.