Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Abu Hurairah Dosi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent us with an army and said: If you gain victory over such and such persons, then burn those two men. When the next day came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a messenger to us saying: I had ordered you to burn those two men, but now I think that punishing with fire is not appropriate for anyone except Allah. So if you gain victory over them, then kill them both.

Hazrat Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) mentioned those people whom Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had burnt, then said: If I had been there, I would never have burnt those people, because of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Do not punish with the punishment of Allah." And if I had been there, I would have killed them, because of the noble saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Whoever changes his religion, kill him."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not punish with fire, for no one punishes with fire except the Lord of the servants.

Hazrat Qasim bin Abdur Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) dispatched an army: so they searched for a man and he climbed up a tree, then they burned that tree with fire. When these people returned to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of this, the face of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) changed, and he said: Surely, I have not been sent to punish in the manner of Allah’s punishment. Indeed, I have been sent to strike necks and to bind firmly.

Hazrat Usman bin Hayan (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Umm Darda (may Allah be pleased with her) saw a person who caught a louse or a flea and threw it into the fire. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Surely, it is not appropriate for anyone to punish with Allah's punishment.

Hazrat Mansur (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) considered it disliked to burn a scorpion in fire and used to say that it is a punishment of warning.

Hazrat Harith (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Yahya bin Abbad Abu Hubaira considered it disliked to burn a scorpion in fire.