Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never struck any of his wives, nor his servants, nor did he strike anything with his right hand, except in jihad in the path of Allah. Nor was there ever anything for which he (peace and blessings be upon him) took revenge for his own sake, except when the sacred limits of Allah were violated; then he (peace and blessings be upon him) would take revenge for them. And whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) was given a choice between two things, he (peace and blessings be upon him) always preferred the easier, as long as there was no wrong in it. If there was wrong in it, he (peace and blessings be upon him) was the farthest of people from it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13302