Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Muhammad bin Abdur Rahman’s father narrates that when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) received the news of the conquest of Tustar, he asked, “Did anything strange happen there?” He was informed that a Muslim had become an apostate and joined the polytheists, and that they had captured him. Hazrat Umar asked, “Then what did you do with him?” The people replied, “We killed him.” He said, “Why did you not imprison him? You should have kept him in prison for three days, given him a loaf of bread each day, and invited him to return to Islam. If he repented, well and good; otherwise, you could have killed him.” Then Hazrat Umar prayed, “O Allah! Bear witness, I neither gave this order nor am I pleased with it.”