Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Abu Firas (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon and said: Beware! By Allah, I have not sent governors to you so that they may beat you or seize your wealth. Rather, I have sent them to you so that they may teach you your religion and the Sunnah of your Prophet ﷺ. If anyone is treated in any other way, let him present this matter before me. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I will surely take retribution on his behalf.

At this, Hazrat Amr bin Al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: O Commander of the Faithful! What is your opinion if a man from among the Muslims is appointed as a leader over a group and he disciplines someone from his subjects—will you also take retribution on his behalf? He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Yes! By the One in Whose hand is Umar’s soul, I will surely take retribution on his behalf as well. And I said, can I take retribution on his behalf when I have seen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taking retribution on his own behalf? Beware! Do not beat the Muslims in such a way that you humiliate them. And do not withhold their rights from them so that you force them to bow before you. And do not send them to the frontiers and then prevent them from returning home, lest you put them into trial. And do not settle them in places with dense gardens so that they become scattered and thus you cause them to be lost.