Abu Mas'ud reported that he had been beating his slave and he had been saying:I seek refuge with Allah, but he continued beating him, whereupon he said: I seek refuge with Allah's Messenger, and he spared him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: By Allah, God has more dominance over you than you have over him (the slave). He said that he set him free.
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ، أَبِي عَدِيٍّ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَضْرِبُ غُلاَمَهُ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ - قَالَ - فَجَعَلَ يَضْرِبُهُ فَقَالَ أَعُوذُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ . فَتَرَكَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَاللَّهِ لَلَّهُ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَيْهِ " . قَالَ فَأَعْتَقَهُ .
Muslim
The Book of Oaths • Hadith 56