Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 171
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَضْرِبُ غُلاَمًا لِي، فَسَمِعْتُ مِنْ خَلْفِي صَوْتًا: اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ، لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَيْهِ، فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَهُوَ حُرٌّ لِوَجْهِ اللهِ، فَقَالَ: أَمَا لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ لَمَسَّتْكَ النَّارُ أَوْ لَلَفَحَتْكَ النَّارُ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Salam narrated to us. He said: Abu Muawiya informed us, from al-Amash, from Ibrahim al-Taymi, from his father, from Abu Masud, who said: I was beating a servant of mine when I heard a voice behind me: 'Know, Abu Masud, Allah has greater power over you than you have over him.' I turned and saw that it was the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, he is free for Allah's sake.' He said, 'Had you not done so, the Fire would have touched you—or scorched you.'
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
لَمَسَّتْكَ النَّارُ أَوْ لَلَفَحَتْكَ النَّارُ.
The source preserves two alternative verbs for the Fire's effect, one 'touch' and one 'scorch/blast'.
Should both alternatives be retained in the English text or handled as a reported wording variant?