رِيَاضُ الصَّالِحِينَ
Riyad as-Salihin 640
The Book of Miscellany
Clemency, Tolerance and Gentleness
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّه عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلاَّ أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا، مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا، فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا، كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ، وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِنَفْسِهِ فِي شئ قَطُّ، إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ، فَيَنْتَقِمَ لله تَعَالَى. ((مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ))
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) was given a choice between two matters, he would (always) choose the easier as long as it was not sinful to do so; but if it was sinful he was most strict in avoiding it. He never took revenge upon anybody for his own sake; but when Allah's Legal Bindings were outraged, he would take revenge for Allah's sake. [Al- Bukhari and Muslim].
Riyad as-Salihin, 640