Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34931 — What they said on a man who accepts

Ammar al-Duhni (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abu al-Tufayl (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I was in the army that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent to Banu Najiyah. When we reached them, we found them divided into three groups. Our commander asked one group of them: "What is your case?" They said: "We were Christians. We accepted Islam and have remained firm upon Islam." The commander said: "Stand apart." Then the commander asked the second group: "What is your case?" They said: "We are Christian people. We have not considered any religion better than our own, so we have remained firm upon our religion." The commander said: "You too stand apart." Then the commander asked the last group: "What is your case?" They said: "We were Christians. We accepted Islam and then turned back from Islam, because we did not consider any religion better than our own, and we became Christians." The commander said to them: "Accept Islam." They refused. The commander said to his men: "When I pass my hand over my head three times, attack them." The men did so. They killed their fighters and took their children captive. I brought the captives to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Masqalah bin Hubayrah came and bought those captives for two hundred thousand. Then he came to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with one hundred thousand, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to accept it. Masqalah went back with his dirhams, came to those slaves, set them all free, and joined Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was then asked: "Why do you (may Allah be pleased with him) not take those children?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No." And he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not interfere with them after that.