Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Ubaid bin Ta’li (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we went to the land of Rome for jihad, and the companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari, was also with us. During the time of Hazrat Muawiyah, Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Khalid bin Walid was the commander over the people. We were with him when a man came to him and said: Just now, four wild cows have been brought to the commander. So he ordered, and they were tied up without being fed. They were shot with arrows until they were killed. The narrator says that Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari became alarmed and got up until he came to Hazrat Abdur Rahman and said: Did you keep these animals tied up without feeding them? Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that he forbade keeping an animal hungry and thirsty in captivity. And I do not like that I should keep even a hen hungry and thirsty in captivity, even if I were to receive so much and so much wealth in exchange for it—so this is a very serious matter. Upon this, Hazrat Abdur Rahman called his four slaves and freed all four of them in compensation for his action.