When I was beating my servant, I heard a voice behind me (saying): Abu Mas'ud, bear in mind Allah has more dominance over you than you have upon him. I turned and (found him) to be Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I said: Messenger of Allah, I set him free for the sake of Allah. Thereupon he said: Had you not done that, (the gates of) Hell would have opened for you, or the fire would have burnt you.  

فَسَمِعْتُ مِنْ خَلْفِي صَوْتًا اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَيْهِ فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُوَ حُرٌّ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ أَمَا لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ لَلَفَحَتْكَ النَّارُ أَوْ لَمَسَّتْكَ النَّارُ  

[Machine] While I was striking a boy for myself, I heard a voice from behind me saying, "Know, Abu Mas'ud." So I turned around and it was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . The whip fell from my hand out of awe for him, and he said, "By Allah, indeed Allah has more power over you than you have over this."  

بَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَضْرِبُ غُلَامًا لِي إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنْ خَلْفِي «اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ» فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَسَقَطَ السَّوْطُ مِنْ يَدِي مِنْ هَيْبَتِهِ فَقَالَ «أَمَا وَاللهِ لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَى هَذَا»  

when I was beating a servant of mine, I heard a voice behind me saying: know, Abu Mas’ud-Ibn al-Muthanna said: “twice”-that Allah has more power over you than you have over him. I turned round and saw that it was that it was the prophet (May peace be upon him). I said : Messenger of Allah! He is free for Allah’s sake. He said : If you had not done it, fire would have burned you or the fire would have touched you. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 5159)   

فَسَمِعْتُ مِنْ خَلْفِي صَوْتًا اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَيْهِ فَالْتَفَتُ فَإِذَا هُوَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هُوَ حُرٌّ لِوَجْهِ اللهِ قَالَ أَمَا لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ لَلَفَعَتْكَ النَّارُ أَوْ لَمَسَّتْكَ النَّارُ