Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Abdur Rahman, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that when the news of the conquest of Tustar reached Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him... Tustar is a region of Basra... he, may Allah be pleased with him, asked those people: What news is there from distant places? The people replied: There was a Muslim man who joined the polytheists. We captured him. He, may Allah be pleased with him, asked: What did you do with him? They said: We killed him. He, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Why did you not put him in a house and then lock the door on him, that is, imprison him, and give him a little food daily, then ask him to repent three times, and if he repented, then fine, otherwise you would have killed him?! Then he, may Allah be pleased with him, said: O Allah! I am neither a witness over them nor did I order them, and when this matter reached me, I was not pleased with it.

Hazrat Sulaiman bin Musa (may Allah have mercy on him) states that Hazrat Usman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The apostate will be asked to repent three times.

Hazrat Hayan (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Imam Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The apostate will be called towards Islam three times; if he refuses, then his neck will be struck.

Hazrat Aamir (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The apostate will be asked to repent three times.

Imam Shabi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The apostate will be asked to repent three times. If he does it again, he will be killed.

Hazrat Abdul Kareem (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from the person who heard Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) saying that repentance will be sought from the apostate three times.

Hazrat Waleed ibn Jamee’ (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that a governor of Hazrat Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote to him from Yemen that a man was a Jew, then he accepted Islam, then he reverted to Judaism and left Islam. Hazrat Umar (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote back to him: Invite him to Islam. If he accepts Islam, then leave him. If he refuses, then strike him with a stick. If he still refuses, then lay him on a wooden plank and again invite him to Islam. If he still refuses, then tie him up and place the tip of a spear on his chest, then once more invite him to Islam. If he returns (to Islam), then leave him, and if he refuses, then kill him. When the letter arrived, they acted accordingly until the tip of the spear was placed on his chest, then he was invited to Islam, and he accepted Islam, so they left him.

Hazrat Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The apostate will be asked to repent three times. If he returns, then fine; otherwise, he will be killed.