The Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed him commander over a detachment. He said: I went out along with it. He (the Prophet) said: If you find so-and-so, burn him with the fire. I then turned away, and he called me. So I returned to him, and he said: If you find so-and-so, kill him, and do not burn him, for no one punishes with fire except the Lord of the fire.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَّرَهُ عَلَى سَرِيَّةٍ قَالَ فَخَرَجْتُ فِيهَا وَقَالَ إِنْ وَجَدْتُمْ فُلاَنًا فَاحْرِقُوهُ بِالنَّارِ فَوَلَّيْتُ فَنَادَانِي فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ إِنْ وَجَدْتُمْ فُلاَنًا فَاقْتُلُوهُ وَلاَ تُحْرِقُوهُ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يُعَذِّبُ بِالنَّارِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ النَّارِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent us along with a contingent, and said: If you find so-and-so. He then narrated the rest of the tradition to the same effect.  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَعْثٍ فَقَالَ إِنْ وَجَدْتُمْ فُلاَنًا وَفُلاَنًا فَذَكَرَ مَعْنَاهُ  

We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during a journey. He went to ease himself. We saw a bird with her two young ones and we captured her young ones. The bird came and began to spread its wings. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and said: Who grieved this for its young ones? Return its young ones to it. He also saw an ant village that we had burnt. He asked: Who has burnt this? We replied: We. He said: It is not proper to punish with fire except the Lord of fire.  

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي سَفَرٍ فَانْطَلَقَ لِحَاجَتِهِ فَرَأَيْنَا حُمَّرَةً مَعَهَا فَرْخَانِ فَأَخَذْنَا فَرْخَيْهَا فَجَاءَتِ الْحُمَّرَةُ فَجَعَلَتْ تَفْرُشُ فَجَاءَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَنْ فَجَعَ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا رُدُّوا وَلَدَهَا إِلَيْهَا وَرَأَى قَرْيَةَ نَمْلٍ قَدْ حَرَّقْنَاهَا فَقَالَ مَنْ حَرَّقَ هَذِهِ قُلْنَا نَحْنُ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُعَذِّبَ بِالنَّارِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ النَّارِ