The Truth about the Alleged Punishment for Apostasy in Islam — Page 87
87 A H Ā D I TH ADOPTED BY THE SUPPORTERS OF DEATH PENALTY FOR APOSTASY. THE FIRST HADITH: A Hadith concerning ‘Abdullah bin Ab i Sar h is presented that he had once been a scribe of the Holy Prophet sa , however the Satan led him astray. At the time of the fall of Mecca, the Holy Prophet sa gave orders for his killing. Later, Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra sought refuge for him which the Holy Prophet sa granted 87. So according to some, this is the Hadith that substantiates killing of the apostate! Those representing the testimony, in addition to their crooked arguments, have committed unfairness by concealing the background of the event from us. They have tried to give the impression that as soon as the man apostatized, the Holy Prophet sa gave orders for his killing, and then awaited his capture for this purpose. Most certainly nothing of this sort took place. The actual fact is that this man was one of those criminals who had exceeded all limits and who were thus exempted from the general pardon after the fall of Mecca. Just as, despite the exemption from the general pardon, many were mercifully forgiven by the Holy 87 Maud u d i , ' Irtid a d k i Saz a Islam i Q a n u n mei ń ' page 15. The A ha d i th are given on page 88. [Publisher]