Once, a companion of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) began hitting his slave. The slave kept pleading: “By Allah! Do not beat me. For Allah’s sake forgive me.” The master, however, refused to pardon him and continued to shower beatings upon him.
Some people informed the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) of the slave’s predicament whereupon he (s.a.w) got up and started out towards the scene of this incident. As soon as the companion’s eyes fell upon the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) he stopped his beatings whereupon the Noble Prophet (s.a.w) said to him: “He placed you under the oath of Allah, but you refused to pardon him and now that you have set your eyes upon me, you have restrained yourself?”
The man, in order to make amends for his deplorable behaviour, said: “I now free him for the sake (and pleasure) of Allah!”
The Noble Prophet (s.a.w) said: “Had you not freed him, you would have dropped face-down into the fire of Hell.” ( Shanidani-ha-e-Tarikh, pg. 98; Mahajjah al-Baidha, vol. 3, pg. 445 )