The Truth about the Alleged Punishment for Apostasy in Islam — Page 135
135 ‘Uthman ra in hiding to seek protection, and the Holy Prophet sa forgave him 126. This again is an absolutely clear proof that the Holy Prophet sa did not have any thoughts to kill an apostate. Forth Hadith: Hadrat Anas ra narrates that once Ab u M u s a sent him to Hadrat ‘Umar ra to deliver good news of a victory. The incident was that six members of Bakr bin W a ’il clan had left Islam and gone to join the band of mushrik i n *. On Hadrat Umar’s inquiring about them, he told him that they had renounced Islam and had joined the mushrik i n. On hearing this, Hadrat ‘Umar said, "Had I caught them without fighting and killing, I would have been the happiest man; I would have preferred it over having all the gold and the silver of the world! Hadrat Anas asked: "O, Commander of the believers! If you had caught them, then what would you have done to them?" He replied: "I would have asked them to come back through the same door from which they had made their exit! If they had done so, I would have excused them. Had they refused, I would have put them in prison!" 127 126 Sunan Ab u D a’u d, Awwalu Kit a bil H ud u d, B a bul H ukmi fi man Irtadda, Hadith No. 4358. [Publisher] * Idolators. [Publisher] 127 Kanzul ‘Umm a l, Kit a bul I m a ni Wal Isl a m, Al-Fa s lul Kh a mis, F i H ukmil Isl a mi, Al-Irtid a du Wa A h k a muh u , Hadith No. 1464. [Publisher]