Muwatta Malik #1759
Good Character
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلاَّ أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِنَفْسِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ فَيَنْتَقِمُ لِلَّهِ بِهَا .
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-
Zubayr that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, 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, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not
take revenge for himself unless the limits of Allah were violated.
Then he took revenge for it for Allah."
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About Muwatta Malik
This hadith is #1759 from Muwatta Malik, in the Book of Good Character.