Abu Dawud

Benefits and Issues:
➊
A person, while expressing his anger and power, should always remember that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, possesses greater power than him; therefore, he should always refrain from oppression, otherwise its consequence is the Fire.

➋
This hadith expresses the virtue of Abu Mas'ud (radi Allahu anhu) in that he immediately rectified his mistake, and did so with a most virtuous deed.

Hadith Commentary:

Benefits and Issues:
A slave is a human being who can commit mistakes, and a human is also a slave and creation of Allah, whose Master has far greater rights over His slave, in which humans fall short. Despite this, Allah Ta’ala, being All-Powerful, overlooks the faults and shortcomings of humans, and grants them the opportunity to repent. Therefore, a person should also, if his slave or subordinate commits any mistake or fault, act with forgiveness and forbearance, so that at the time of reckoning, he may become deserving of Allah Ta’ala’s pardon and forgiveness.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Abu Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu’s slave kept seeking refuge by invoking Allah, and finally sought refuge in the name of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Due to this excess, Abu Mas’ud became deserving of punishment. Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “If you had not set him free, you would have had to bear the consequences of your oppression and excess.”

Explanation:
1:
It is not appropriate to be harsh with slaves and servants. In fact, in some narrations, there is a warning against undue harshness towards them or punishing them more than their crime warrants. In this hadith, one can also observe a glimpse of the rank of majesty and awe that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) held by Allah’s decree. Thus, upon the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) warning, Abu Mas’ud not only refrained from beating that slave, but also pledged never to beat any slave again, and he remained steadfast upon this for the rest of his life.