Compiled by Imam Abu Isa at-Tirmidhi
حَدَّثَنَا مُجَاهِدُ بْنُ مُوسَى، - بَغْدَادِيٌّ - وَالْفَضْلُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ الأَعْرَجُ بَغْدَادِيٌّ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ غَزْوَانَ أَبُو نُوحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَعَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي مَمْلُوكَيْنِ يُكْذِبُونَنِي وَيَخُونُونَنِي وَيَعْصُونَنِي وَأَشْتُمُهُمْ وَأَضْرِبُهُمْ فَكَيْفَ أَنَا مِنْهُمْ قَالَ " يُحْسَبُ مَا خَانُوكَ وَعَصَوْكَ وَكَذَبُوكَ وَعِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ فَإِنْ كَانَ عِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ بِقَدْرِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ كَانَ كَفَافًا لاَ لَكَ وَلاَ عَلَيْكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ عِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ دُونَ ذُنُوبِهِمْ كَانَ فَضْلاً لَكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ عِقَابُكَ إِيَّاهُمْ فَوْقَ ذُنُوبِهِمُ اقْتُصَّ لَهُمْ مِنْكَ الْفَضْلُ " . قَالَ فَتَنَحَّى الرَّجُلُ فَجَعَلَ يَبْكِي وَيَهْتِفُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَمَا تَقْرَأُ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ : ( ونَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلاَ تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ ) الآيَةَ . فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَجِدُ لِي وَلِهَؤُلاَءِ شَيْئًا خَيْرًا مِنْ مُفَارَقَتِهِمْ أُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَارٌ كُلَّهُمْ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ وَقَدْ رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ .
that a man came and sat in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I have two slaves who lie to me, deceive me, and disobey me, and I scold them and hit them. So what is my case because of them?" He said: "The extent to which they betrayed you, disobeyed you and lied to you will be measured against how much you punish them. If your punishing them is equal to their sins, then the two will be the same, nothing for you and nothing against you. If your punishing them is above their sin, some of your rewards will be taken from you and given to them." So the man left, and began weeping and crying aloud. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "You should read what Allah said in His Book: 'And We shall set up the Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything...' to the rest of the Ayah (21:47). So the man said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I see nothing better for myself, than me parting with them. Bear witness that they are all free."