Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that some people from the tribe of ‘Uraina came to Madinah Munawwarah, but the climate of Madinah did not suit them. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: If you wish, go to the camels given in charity and drink some of their milk and urine. So they did this and became healthy. The narrator says: Then those people turned towards the shepherds, killed them, and drove away some of the livestock of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and after accepting Islam, they reverted to disbelief. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a group after them, and they were captured and brought back. Their hands and feet were cut off, their eyes were branded, and they were left at the place of Harrah until they died.

This statement of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is also narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) through this chain of transmission.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever changes his religion, kill him.

Hazrat Humaid bin Hilal (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah have mercy on him) came to Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) while there was a Jewish man with him. So he (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: What is the matter with him? He replied: This Jew had accepted Islam and then became an apostate, and indeed Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) gave him a respite of two months for repentance. Upon this, Hazrat Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I will never sit down until I have struck off his neck. This is the decision of Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ).

Hazrat Asim bin Qura (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Alqamah bin Alathah became an apostate from his religion after the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So the Muslims fought against him. The narrator says: He refused to incline towards reconciliation. So Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: Nothing will be accepted from you except a humiliating reconciliation or a severe battle. He asked: What is meant by a humiliating reconciliation? He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: It is that you testify regarding our dead that surely they are in Paradise, and indeed your dead are in Hell. And you will pay the blood money for our slain, and we will not pay the blood money for your slain. So those people chose the humiliating reconciliation.

Hazrat Tariq bin Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that a delegation of the chiefs of the tribes of Asad and Ghatafan came to Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and they requested a truce from him. So Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) gave them the choice between a humiliating truce or a severe battle. They said, “We have understood what this severe and annihilating battle is. What is this humiliating truce?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “You will hand over all weapons and horses, and you will leave the people free to follow the tail of the camel, meaning to follow whomever they wish, until Allah shows to the Caliph of His Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims something because of which they consider you excused. And you will pay the blood money for our slain, and we will not pay the blood money for your slain. Our slain are in Paradise and your slain are in Hell. And whatever you have taken from us, you will return it, and whatever we have taken from you will be considered war booty.”

Upon this, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: “Indeed, this is your opinion. And soon we will give you some advice. In any case, if they hand over the weapons and horses, then this is a very good opinion. And that they leave the people free to follow the tail of the camel until Allah shows to the Caliph of His Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims something because of which they consider them excused, this too is a very good opinion. And that whatever wealth of theirs we have taken will be war booty, and whatever of ours they have taken, they will return to us, this too is a very good opinion. And that their slain are in Hell and our slain are in Paradise, this too is a very good opinion. And that we will not pay the blood money for their slain, this too is a very good opinion. And that they will pay the blood money for our slain, this is not correct, because our slain were killed in the cause of Allah, so there will be no blood money for them.” So the people agreed with this statement.

Hazrat Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Alqamah bin Alathah became an apostate. So Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a messenger to his wife and son. His wife said: Although Alqamah has disbelieved, I have not disbelieved, nor has my son. He (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned this matter before Imam Shabi (may Allah have mercy on him). So he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is how the matter will be dealt with regarding apostates.

This statement of Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) is also narrated with this chain. There is this addition in it: Then Alqamah bin Alathah inclined towards reconciliation during the time of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and accepted Islam. Then he returned to his wife as he was before.

Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If these people withhold from me even the rope of a camel which they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I will surely fight against them." Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) recited this verse: "And Muhammad (ﷺ) is nothing but a Messenger. Many Messengers have passed before him." He (may Allah be pleased with him) recited up to the end of the verse.

Hazrat Ibn Abi Mulaykah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had obeyed us, we would have fallen into disbelief in a single morning. Because when people asked him to reduce the zakat, he refused to accept their request and said: If they withhold from me even a rope of a camel, I will surely fight against them.

Hazrat Tawus (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Jews and Christians will not let you settle in their cities. So, whoever among them accepts Islam and then becomes an apostate, you should strike his neck.

Hazrat Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Some people from the tribe of Bakr bin Wa'il apostatized from Islam and joined the polytheists. Then they were killed in battle. When I brought the news of the conquest of Tustar to Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), he asked: What happened to the people of the tribe of Bakr bin Wa'il? The narrator says that I started another topic in front of him so that I could divert him from mentioning them, but he asked again: What happened to the group of Bakr bin Wa'il? I replied, O Commander of the Faithful! They were killed. He said: If I had made a peace agreement with them, that would have been more beloved to me than the gold and silver upon which the sun rises. The narrator says: I said, O Commander of the Faithful! If you had captured those people who apostatized from Islam and joined the polytheists, what other way could there have been except to kill them? He replied: I would have presented to them that they enter through the same door from which they exited; if they did so, I would have accepted these things from them, and if they refused to do so, I would have imprisoned them in jails.

Hazrat Ammar al-Dahni (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Abu al-Tufail (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I was present in the army which Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent towards Banu Najiyah. When we reached them, we found those people divided into three groups. So our commander asked one group: What is your situation? They said: We were Christians and we accepted Islam and remained steadfast on Islam. The commander said: You separate yourselves. Then the commander asked the second group: What is your situation? They said: We were Christians. We did not consider any religion better than our own, so we remained steadfast on our religion. The commander said: You also separate yourselves. Then the commander asked the last group: What is your situation? They said: We were Christians, then we accepted Islam, then we turned back from Islam because we did not consider any religion better than our own, and we became Christians again. The commander said to them: Accept Islam. They refused. So the commander said to his companions: When I pass my hand over my head three times, then attack them. So the people did so, and killed their fighting men and took their children captive. Then I brought the captives to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). And Ma’qalah bin Hubayrah came and bought those captives for two hundred thousand. Then he brought one hundred thousand to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), but he (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to accept it. Ma’qalah took his dirhams back and went to the slaves and freed all of them, and joined Hazrat Mu’awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Then Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: Why did you not take those children? He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: No. Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not take any action against them.

Hazrat Abu Alaqa (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) sent an army, and they found among the Muslims a man who had become a Christian after accepting Islam. So they killed that person. Then Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was informed of this. He asked: Did you invite him to Islam? They replied: No! He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Surely, then I am absolved before Allah of his blood.

Hazrat Ibn Ubaid bin Abras, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, bin Abi Talib said: Indeed, a man was brought who was a Christian, then he accepted Islam, then he became a Christian again. Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked him about this matter, so he informed him. Then Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up towards him and kicked him on his chest. Then the people also stood up and began to beat him until they killed him.

Hazrat Makharraq (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Muhammad bin Abi Bakr as the governor over the people of Egypt. So he wrote a letter to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked about the Zindiqs, some of whom worshipped the sun and the moon, and some of whom worshipped other things, and some claimed to be Muslims. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to him and ordered regarding the Zindiqs that whoever claims to be a Muslim among them, kill him, and leave all the rest; let them worship whatever they wish.

Hazrat Haritha bin Mudarrib, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that a man set out and mounted his horse, then he passed by the mosque of the Banu Hanifa tribe and performed prayer there. The imam of those people recited the words of Musaylimah the Liar! This man came to Hazrat Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, and informed him of this matter. He, may Allah be pleased with him, sent a messenger and summoned those people. All of them were brought. Then he, may Allah be pleased with him, made all of them repent. All of them repented except Abdullah bin Nuwahah. He, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: O Abdullah! If I had not heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “If you were not a messenger, I would have struck your neck.” But today you are not a messenger. O Kharashah! Get up and strike his neck. So Kharashah got up and struck his neck.

Hazrat Qais (may Allah have mercy on him) says that a man came to Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "Indeed, I passed by the mosque of the people of the Banu Hanifa tribe. I heard their imam reciting in that Qur'an which Allah Almighty revealed to Hazrat Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Then I heard him reciting these words: 'Al-Tahinatu Tahnan, Fal-Aajinatu Ajnan, Fal-Khabizatu Khabzan, Fath-Tharidatu Thardan, Fallaaqimatu Laqman!'"

The narrator says: Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) sent someone to them. Then those people were brought. One hundred and seventy men were upon the religion of Musaylimah, and their imam was Abdullah bin Nawahah. He (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered regarding him, and he was killed. Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at the rest of the people and said, "We will not please Satan by killing them. Take all these people to Syria. Perhaps Allah Almighty will destroy them through the plague."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Hazrat Amr bin Al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stating that indeed a man, after accepting faith, has chosen disbelief. So Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote back in reply: Ask him to repent; if he repents from it, then accept his repentance on his behalf, otherwise strike his neck.

Hazrat Ubaid Al-Amiri, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that there were some people who used to receive stipends and gifts. They would pray with the people, but in secret, they would worship idols. These people were brought before Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. He, may Allah be pleased with him, had them confined in the mosque or prison. Then he said: O people! What is your opinion about this group who receive stipends and gifts with you and worship these idols? The people said: They should be killed. He, may Allah be pleased with him, said: No! But I will deal with them as our forefather Hazrat Ibrahim, peace be upon him, dealt with them. Then he, may Allah be pleased with him, had them burned in the fire.

Hazrat Ubaidullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote a letter regarding those people who were Christians and then became apostates. So he (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote: Ask them to repent. If they repent, then fine; otherwise, kill them.

Hazrat Mughira, may Allah have mercy on him, says that Ibrahim, may Allah have mercy on him, stated regarding the apostate: He will be asked to repent. If he repents, he will be released. And if he refuses, then he will be killed.

Hazrat Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Hazrat Amr bin Dinar narrated before me the statement of Hazrat Ubaid bin Umair (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding the person who adopts disbelief after faith: that such a person will be killed.

Hazrat Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Ata (may Allah have mercy on him) said regarding the person who adopts disbelief after faith: He will be invited to Islam, and if he refuses, then that person will be killed.

Hazrat Abu Burdah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me and Mu’adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) towards Yemen. He (may Allah be pleased with him) says that one day Hazrat Mu’adh (may Allah be pleased with him) came to me while I had with me a Jew who had become Muslim and then reverted from Islam to Judaism. Upon this, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I will never dismount at your place until you kill him. Hajjaj narrates that Hazrat Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed me that Hazrat Abu Musa had invited that Jew for forty days.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Abdur Rahman bin Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered his last sermon, in which he said: Surely, in this city, that is, Madinah Munawwarah, two religions cannot coexist. So, whoever among the Christians accepts Islam and then returns to Christianity, you should strike his neck.

Hazrat Amr bin Qais (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from the person who heard Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) saying: Repentance will be sought from the apostate whenever he commits apostasy.

Hazrat Mutarrif (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Hakam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Repentance will be sought from the apostate whenever he commits apostasy.

Hazrat Ubaidullah bin Utbah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that some people from the tribe of Banu Hanifa, who were with Musaylimah the Liar, used to openly express his words and recite them. Hazrat Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) apprehended them and wrote a letter to Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) informing him about them. Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote back in reply, instructing him to invite these people to Islam. So, whoever among them bears witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that indeed Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah, and abandons disbelief to embrace faith, then accept their faith and let them go their way. But if they refuse, then execute them. Thus, Hazrat Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) called them to repentance. Some of them repented, while others refused. So he (may Allah be pleased with him) executed those who refused.