Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 179
— Part II 174 severe punishments were meted out to the followers of the new religion for their so-called crime of 'apostacy'. Hadrat Abraham’s as enemies not only proposed the death sentence for this 'crime', but also proposed that the sentence be carried out in a most brutal manner: they decided to burn Hadrat Abraham as alive. Allah says: They said, 'Burn him and help your gods, if at all you mean to do anything. (S u rah al-Ambiy a ’; Ch. 21: V. 69) Pharaoh devised various tortuous punishments for the people who turned away from his religion. He threatened those who accepted the religion of Moses as with punishments as follows: Pharaoh said, 'Do you believe in him before I give you leave? He must be your chief who has taught you magic. I will therefore surely cut off your hands and your feet on alternate sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm-trees; and you shall know which of us is severer and more abiding in punishment. ' (S u rah Ta H a ; Ch. 20: V. 72)