English narration
Narrated by عبد الله بن العباس القرشي
Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to `Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn `Abbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire).' I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'"
النص العربي
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ ، قَالَ : أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بِزَنَادِقَةٍ ، فَأَحْرَقَهُمْ ، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ، فَقَالَ : لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحْرِقْهُمْ ، لِنَهْيِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "
لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ ، وَلَقَتَلْتُهُمْ ، لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ
" .