حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ عِکْرِمَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام أَحْرَقَ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِکَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ لَمْ أَکُنْ لِأُحْرِقَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ وَکُنْتُ قَاتِلَهُمْ بِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِکَ عَلِيًّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام فَقَالَ وَيْحَ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 4351
Ikrimah said: Ali burned some people who retreated from islam. When Ibn Abbas was informed of it, he said: If it had been I, I would not have then burned, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Do not inflict Allah’s punishment on anyone, but would have had killed them on account of the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger said: Kill those who change their religion. When ‘All was informed about it he said: How truly Ibn Abbas said!
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020