"مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا، فَإِذَا كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ، وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ فِي شَيءٍ قَطُّ إِلا أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللهِ فَيَنْتَقِم لله بِهَا".
See similar narrations below:
Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Mālik, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, SuyūṭīWhenever Messenger of Allah ﷺ was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so, but if it was sinful to do so, he would not approach it. Messenger of Allah ﷺ never took revenge (over anybody) for his own sake but (he did) only when Allah's Legal Bindings were outraged in which case he would take revenge for Allah's Sake.
أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلاَّ أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ فَيَنْتَقِمَ لِلَّهِ بِهَا
Whenever Messenger of Allah ﷺ was given the choice of one of two matters he would choose the easier of the two as long as it was not sinful to do so, but if it was sinful, he would not approach it. Allah's Apostle never took revenge over anybody for his own sake but (he did) only when Allah's legal bindings were outraged, in which case he would take revenge for Allah's sake." (See Hadith No. 760. Vol. 4)
أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلاَّ أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ فِي شَىْءٍ قَطُّ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ فَيَنْتَقِمَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ
Whenever the Prophet ﷺ was given an option between two things, he used to select the easier of the tow as long as it was not sinful; but if it was sinful, he would remain far from it. By Allah, he never took revenge for himself concerning any matter that was presented to him, but when Allah's Limits were transgressed, he would take revenge for Allah's Sake.
مَا خُيِّرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلاَّ اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَأْثَمْ فَإِذَا كَانَ الإِثْمُ كَانَ أَبْعَدَهُمَا مِنْهُ وَاللَّهِ مَا انْتَقَمَ لِنَفْسِهِ فِي شَىْءٍ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْهِ قَطُّ حَتَّى تُنْتَهَكَ حُرُمَاتُ اللَّهِ فَيَنْتَقِمُ لِلَّهِ
'A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle ﷺ, said that whenever he had to choose between two things he adopted the easier one, provided it was nor sin, but if it was any sin he was the one wio was the farthest from it of the people; and Messenger of Allah ﷺ never took revenge from anyone because of his personal grievance, unless what Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, had made inviolable had been violated.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلاَّ أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ ﷻ
Never did Messenger of Allah ﷺ make a choice between two things but adopting the easier one as compared to the difficult one, but his choice for the easier one was only in case it did not involve any sin, but if it involved sin he was the one who was the farthest from it amongst the people.
مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَيْسَرُ مِنَ الآخَرِ إِلاَّ اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was never given his choice between two things without taking the easier(or lesser) of them provided it involved no sin, for if it did, no one kept farther away from it than he. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never took revenge on his own behalf for anything unless something Allah had forbidden has been transgressed, in which event he took revenge for it for Allah’s sake.
أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي أَمْرَيْنِ إِلاَّ اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَيَنْتَقِمَ لِلَّهِ بِهَا
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az- Zubayr that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not have to choose between two matters, but that he chose the easier of them as long as it was not a wrong action. If it was a wrong action, he was the furthest of people from it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not take revenge for himself unless the limits of Allah were violated. Then he took revenge for it for Allah."
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلاَّ أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ فَيَنْتَقِمُ لِلَّهِ بِهَا
[Machine] Aisha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ , said: "I swear by Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was never given a choice between two matters except that he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful. When it was a sinful matter, he would distance himself from it the most. And I swear by Allah, he never took revenge for himself in any matter that concerned him until the limits of Allah’s prohibitions were violated, then he would take revenge for the sake of Allah."
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ وَاللهِ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلَّا أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَأْثَمْ فَإِذَا كَانَ الْإِثْمُ كَانَ أَبْعَدَهُمْ مِنْهُ وَاللهِ مَا انْتَقَمَ لِنَفْسِهِ فِي شَيْءٍ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْهِقَطُّ حَتَّى تُنْتَهَكَ حُرُمَاتُ اللهِ ﷻ فَيَنْتَقِمَ لِلَّهِ ﷻ
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was never given his choice between two things without taking the easier(or lesser) of them provided it involved no sin, for if it did, no one kept farther away from it than he. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never took revenge on his own behalf for anything unless something Allah had forbidden has been transgressed, in which event he took revenge for it for Allah’s sake. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4785)
مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا حَتَّى يَكُونَ إِثْمًا فَإِذَا كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ انْتُهِكَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةٌ هِيَ لِلَّهِ ﷻ فَيَنْتَقِمُ لِلَّهِ ﷻ بِهَا
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was never given his choice between two things without taking the easier(or lesser) of them provided it involved no sin, for if it did, no one kept farther away from it than he. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never took revenge on his own behalf for anything unless something Allah had forbidden has been transgressed, in which event he took revenge for it for Allah’s sake. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4785)
مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ فِي أَمْرٍ يُنْتَهَكُ مِنْهُ إِلَّا أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ لِلَّهِ ﷻ حُرْمَةٌ فَيَنْتَقِمُ لِلَّهِ ﷻ
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was never given his choice between two things without taking the easier(or lesser) of them provided it involved no sin, for if it did, no one kept farther away from it than he. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never took revenge on his own behalf for anything unless something Allah had forbidden has been transgressed, in which event he took revenge for it for Allah’s sake. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4785)
مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ إِثْمٌ فَإِذَا كَانَ فِيهِ إِثْمٌ كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِمِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْهِ إِلَّا أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللهِ فَيَنْتَقِمَ لِلَّهِ ﷻ
Never did Messenger of Allah ﷺ make a choice between two things but adopting the easier one as compared to the difficult one, but his choice for the easier one was only in case it did not involve any sin, but if it involved sin he was the one who was the farthest from it amongst the people. (Using translation from Muslim 2327d)
مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَيْسَرُ مِنَ الْآخَرِ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِذَا كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ
Whenever Messenger of Allah ﷺ was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so, but if it was sinful to do so, he would not approach it. Messenger of Allah ﷺ never took revenge (over anybody) for his own sake but (he did) only when Allah's Legal Bindings were outraged in which case he would take revenge for Allah's Sake. (Using translation from Bukhārī 3560)
مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلَّا أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِذَا كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِنَفْسِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ تُنْتَهَكُ حُرْمَةُ اللهِ فَيَنْتَقِمُ لِلَّهِ ﷻ
[Machine] "By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never struck a woman or a servant of his, nor did he ever strike anything with his hand, except when he was striving in the cause of Allah. He never had to choose between two matters except that he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful. If it was sinful, he would stay far away from it. And by Allah, he never avenged himself from anything that was done to him, until the sanctities of Allah were violated, then he would take revenge for the sake of Allah."
«وَاللهِ مَا ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِيَدِهِ امْرَأَةً لَهُ قَطُّ وَلَا خَادِمًا لَهُ قَطُّ وَلَا ضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ شَيْئًا قَطُّ إِلَّا أَنْ يُجَاهِدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَا خُيِّرَ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَأْثَمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبَعْدَ النَّاسِ وَوَاللهِ مَا انْتَقَمَ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قَطُّ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى يُنْتَهَكَ مِنْ حُرُمَاتِ اللهِ فَيَنْتَقِمُ لِلَّهِ»
"مَا ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِيَدِهِ خَادِمًا وَلَا امْرَأَةً قَطُّ، وَلَا شَيْئًا إِلا أَنْ يُجَاهِدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، وَلَا انْتَقَمَ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى تنتهك مَحَارِمُ اللهِ فَيَكُونَ هُوَ يَنْتَقِمُ للهِ ﷻ، وَلَا خُيَّرَ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا، حَتَّى يَكُونَ إِثْمًا، فَإِذَا كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ".