The Truth about the Alleged Punishment for Apostasy in Islam — Page 137
137 subject, then it was not possible for Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra not to kill the apostates. Not a single Companion ra of the Prophet sa objected and told Hadrat Ab u Bakr ra that the commandment of the Holy Qur’an was to kill the apostate, it was an established law, and it was obligatory for him to put it into practice; that he did not have permission to inflict any punishment to the apostates other than their death; that he did not have a right to make them slaves. This was the Taqr i r i * Ijm a ‘ of the Companions. Not a single voice was raised against the decision (of Hadrat Ab u Bakr) and it proves that if there was any consensus of opinion it was on the point that Islam does not permit death as punishment for an apostate. SECOND ARGUMENT: In the Sunnan D a r Qu t n i , a statement is attributed to Hadrat Ibni ‘Abb a s as follows: "It is reported that Ibni ‘Abb a s Said: 'The female apostate should be imprisoned and * A technical term used when someone gives his tacit approval to someone else's statement or action by not raising an objection against it. [Publisher]