The Truth about the Alleged Punishment for Apostasy in Islam — Page 15
15 Allah. ' 7 —but I still killed him. This pricked my conscience, and when I returned to Medina I related the incident to the Holy Prophet sa. He replied, "O Us a ma! Did you kill him despite his reciting L a il a ha illAll a h ?" I submitted, "O Messenger of Allah! but he recited L a il a ha illAll a h due to his fear of the weapons and for fear of getting killed. " The Holy Prophet sa exclaimed, "Why did you not cut open his [chest to look at his] heart so that you could ascertain whether he had recited it due to fear or whether it was a heartfelt recital?" Thereafter he said, "On the day of Judgement, what would be your response to L a il a ha illAll a h ?" I submitted, "O Messenger of Allah! Please say istighf a r * for me. " But he continued to repeat his remark time and again—so much so that I wished that I had not become a Muslim prior to that day, [so as to escape this occasion of being the recipient of such displeasure of the Holy Prophet sa ]. 8 Today, the definition being given runs counter even 7 This Hadith only mentions his recital of the part L a il a ha illAll a h , i. e. , ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah’—he had not even uttered the remainder , Mu h ammadur Ras u lull a h , i. e. , ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. ’ [Author] * Prayer beseeching God to cover up a sin. [Publisher] 8 S a hih Muslim, Kit a bul I m a ni, B a bu Ta h r i mi Qatlil K a firi Ba‘da Qaulih i : L a il a ha illAll a h , Hadith No. 277, 278, 279. [Publisher]