Musnad Ahmad 1153:1905

Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us, he said: Hisham ibn 'Urwah narrated to us, from his father, from 'Aishah, she said: I never saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, strike a servant of his ever, nor a wife of his ever, nor did he strike anything with his hand ever, except that he was striving in the way of Allah. And nothing was ever done to him that he would take revenge for from its perpetrator, unless it was for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; if it was for Allah, he would take revenge for Him. And no two matters were ever presented to him except that he would take the easier of the two, unless it was a sin; if it was a sin, he was the furthest of people from it.