Prescribed Punishment for Apostasy
5 hadiths
ألا اشهدوا أن دمها هدر
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ أَعْمَى كَانَتْ لَهُ أُمُّ وَلَدٍ تَشْتُمُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَتَقَعُ فِيهِ، فَيَنْهَاهَا فَلَا تَنْتَهِي، وَيَزْجُرُهَا فَلَا تَنْزَجِرُ، قَالَ: فَلَمَّا كَانَتْ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، جَعَلَتْ تَقَعُ فِي النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتَشْتُمُهُ، فَأَخَذَ الْمِغْوَلَ فَوَضَعَهُ فِي بَطْنِهَا، وَاتَّكَأَ عَلَيْهَا فَقَتَلَهَا، فَوَقَعَ بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهَا طِفْلٌ، فَلَطَّخَتْ مَا هُنَاكَ بِالدَّمِ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ ذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَجَمَعَ النَّاسَ، فَقَالَ: «أَنْشُدُ اللَّهَ رَجُلًا فَعَلَ مَا فَعَلَ لِي عَلَيْهِ حَقٌّ إِلَّا قَامَ»، فَقَامَ الْأَعْمَى يَتَخَطَّى النَّاسَ وَهُوَ يَتَزَلْزَلُ، حَتَّى قَعَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَنَا صَاحِبُهَا، كَانَتْ تَشْتُمُكَ، وَتَقَعُ فِيكَ، فَأَنْهَاهَا فَلَا تَنْتَهِي، وَأَزْجُرُهَا فَلَا تَنْزَجِرُ، وَلِي مِنْهَا ابْنَانِ مِثْلُ اللُّؤْلُؤَتَيْنِ، وَكَانَتْ بِي رَفِيقَةً، فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْبَارِحَةَ جَعَلَتْ تَشْتُمُكَ، وَتَقَعُ فِيكَ، فَأَخَذْتُ الْمِغْوَلَ فَوَضَعْتُهُ فِي بَطْنِهَا، وَاتَّكَأْتُ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى قَتَلْتُهَا، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَلَا اشْهَدُوا أَنَّ دَمَهَا هَدَرٌ».
Do not punish (anybody) with Allah's punishment
‘Ikrimah reported: ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) burned some people, and this news reached Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: Had I been in his place, I would not have burned them, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Do not punish (anybody) with Allah's punishment." No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever changes his religion, kill him."
يَسِّرا ولا تُعسِّرا، وبَشِّرا ولا تُنفِّرا
عن أبي بُرْدةَ قال: بعث رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أبا موسى ومعاذ بن جبل إلى اليمن، قال: وبعث كل واحد منهما على مِخْلافٍ، قال: واليمنُ مخلافان، ثم قال: «يَسِّرا ولا تُعسِّرا، وبَشِّرا ولا تُنفِّرا»، -وفي رواية مسندة عن أبي موسى: «وتطاوعا ولا تختلفا»- فانطلق كل واحد منهما إلى عمله، وكان كلُّ واحدٍ منهما إذا سار في أرضه كان قريبًا من صاحبه أحدث به عهدًا، فسلم عليه، فسار معاذ في أرضه قريبًا من صاحبه أبي موسى، فجاء يسير على بغلته حتى انتهى إليه، وإذا هو جالسٌ وقد اجتمع إليه الناس، وإذا رجلٌ عنده قد جمعت يداه إلى عنقه، فقال له معاذ: يا عبد الله بن قيس، أَيْمَ هذا؟ قال: هذا رجلٌ كَفَرَ بعد إسلامه، قال: لا أنزل حتى يقتل، قال: إنما جيء به لذلك فانزل، قال: ما أنزل حتى يقتل، فأمر به فقتل، ثم نزل فقال: يا عبد الله، كيف تقرأ القرآن؟ قال: أَتَفَوَّقُه تفوُّقًا، قال: فكيف تقرأ أنت يا معاذ؟ قال: أنام أول الليل، فأقوم وقد قضيت جزئي من النوم، فأقرأ ما كتب الله لي، فأحتسب نومتي كما أحتسب قومتي.
Some people from ‘Ukl or ‘Uraynah came, and the climate of Madīnah did not suit them, so they became ill
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Some people from ‘Ukl or ‘Uraynah came, and the climate of Madīnah did not suit them, so they became ill. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them with the milch camels and drink from their urine and milk. They left, and when they recovered, they killed the herdsman of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and drove off the camels. The news came early in the day, so he sent people in pursuit of them. When the sun had risen, they were brought back. He ordered that their hands and feet be cut off and their eyes be branded, and they were thrown into Al-Harrah, where they begged for water but were not given any. Abu Qilābah said: They stole, killed, disbelieved after embracing faith, and waged war against Allah and his Messenger.
We will not appoint for our affairs anyone who seeks that position. But O Abu Mūsa! You go to Yemen
Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) along with two men (from the tribe) of Ash‘ariyyīn, one on my right and the other on my left, while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was brushing his teeth (with a tooth-stick), and both men asked him for employment (as governors). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu Mūsa (or O ‘Abdullāh ibn Qays)!" I said: "By Him Who sent you with the truth, they did not tell me what was on their minds and I did not feel that they were seeking employment." As if I were looking now at his tooth-stick being drawn to a corner under his lips, and he said: "We will not (or, we do not) appoint for our affairs anyone who seeks that position. But O Abu Mūsa! (or O ‘Abdullāh ibn Qays!) You go to Yemen." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then sent Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal after him, and when Mu‘ādh reached him, he spread out a cushion for him and asked him to sit. There was a fettered man beside Abu Mūsa. Mu‘ādh asked: "Who is this (man)?" Abu Mūsa said: "He was a Jew and became a Muslim and then reverted back to Judaism." Then Abu Mūsa asked Mu‘ādh to sit down but Mu‘ādh said: "I will not sit down till he is killed. This is the judgment of Allah and His Messenger (for such cases)," and he repeated it thrice. Abu Mūsa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed. Then they discussed the voluntary night prayers and one of them said: "I pray and sleep, and I hope that Allah will reward me for my sleep as He rewards me for my prayers."