The Truth about the Alleged Punishment for Apostasy in Islam — Page 125
125 "Ab u Qil a bata narrates: 'One day ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Az i z held an open court, and called the people to see him. They started coming to him… He asked my opinion regarding one case. I swore to God and said that the Holy Prophet sa did not allow killing of any one with the exception of the following three criminals: One who kills another human being out of his personal passions. Second, one who is married and yet commits adultery. Third, the one who becomes an apostate and engages in a war against Allah and His Messenger sa. On hearing that the people said: Is it not narrated by Hadrat Anas ra that the Holy Prophet sa punished the thieves by cutting their hands, putting red-hot needles in their eyes, and then throwing their bodies in the sun to rot? On hearing that, I said to them, "Let me tell you Hadrat Anas' narration as Anas ra had told me himself: 'Eight men of ‘Ukl tribe came to see the Messenger of Allah sa and accepted Islam by making bai‘at at his hand. But the climate of Medina did not suite them and they got ill and became very