حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا أَخَذَ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ فَحَرَّقَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَحَدًا وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دَيْنَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ فَبَلَغَ عَلِيًّا مَا قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ وَيْحَ ابْنِ أُمِّ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2552
It was narrated from Tkrimah that 'Ali caught some people who had apostatised from Islam, and he burned them with fire. News of that reached Ibn 'Abbas (PBUH) and he said: If it were me, i would not have burned them. The Messenger of Allah fe) said: "Do not punish anyone with the punishment of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted." And the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whoever changes his religion, execute him." News of what Ibn 'Abbas said reached ' Ali and he said: Woe to the son of the mother of Ibn 'Abbas!
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020