Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to ʿAli and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn ʿAbbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire).' I would have killed them according to the statement of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'"  

لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحْرِقْهُمْ لِنَهْىِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَقَتَلْتُهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ  

"Some people apostatized after accepting Islam, and 'Ali burned them with fire. Ibn 'Abbas said: 'If it had been me, I would not have burned them; the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'No one should be punished with the punishment of Allah.' If it had been me, I would have killed them; the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَقَتَلْتُهُمْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ  

‘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 burned them, 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 Apostle said: Kill those who change their religion. When ‘Ali was informed about it he said: How truly Ibn ‘Abbas said!  

أَنَّ عَلِيًّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ أَحْرَقَ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ لَمْ أَكُنْ لأَحْرِقَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ وَكُنْتُ قَاتِلَهُمْ بِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ وَيْحَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ  

That 'Ali burnt some people who apostasized from Islam. This news reached Ibn 'Abbas, so he said: "If it were me I would have killed them according to the statement of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Whoever changes his religion then kill him.' And I would not have burned them because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Do not punish with the punishment of Allah.' So this reached 'Ali, and he said: "Ibn 'Abbas has told the truth."  

لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَقَتَلْتُهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ وَلَمْ أَكُنْ لأُحَرِّقَهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا فَقَالَ صَدَقَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ  

That 'Ali burnt some people who apostasized from Islam. This news reached Ibn 'Abbas, so he said: "If it were me I would have killed them according to the statement of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Whoever changes his religion then kill him.' And I would not have burned them because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Do not punish with the punishment of Allah.' So this reached 'Ali, and he said: "Ibn 'Abbas has told the truth." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 1458)   

لَمْ أَكُنْ لِأُحَرِّقَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَاتُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللهِ وَكُنْتُ قَاتِلَهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا كَرَّمَ اللهُ وَجْهَهُ فَقَالَ وَيْحَ ابْنِ أُمِّ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ  

[Machine] "A narration from Ikrimah that Ali was brought a group of these heretics with books, so he ordered for a fire to be lit and they were burned along with their books. Ikrimah said: Ibn Abbas was informed of this and he said, 'If I were in his place, I would not have burned them, in accordance with the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And I would have killed them, in accordance with the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Whoever changes his religion, kill him.' And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Do not punish with the punishment of Allah Almighty and Exalted.'"  

عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَأَنَّ عَلِيًّا أُتِيَ بِقَوْمٍ مِنْ هَؤُلاءِ الزَّنَادِقَةِ وَمَعَهُمْ كُتُبٌ فَأَمَرَ بِنَارٍ فَأُجِّجَتْ ثُمَّ أَحْرَقَهُمْ وَكُتُبَهُمْ قَالَ عِكْرِمَةُ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحْرِقْهُمْ لِنَهْيِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَلَقَتَلْتُهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللهِ ﷻ  

[Machine] "If I were him, I would not burn them, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Do not punish anyone with the punishment of Allah.' And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.' Ali heard what Ibn Abbas said, so he said: 'Woe to the son of the mother of Ibn Abbas!'"  

لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللهِ ﷻ أَحَدًا وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دَيْنَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ فَبَلَغَ عَلِيًّا مَا قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ وَيْحَ ابْنِ أُمِّ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ  

"Some people apostatized after accepting Islam, and 'Ali burned them with fire. Ibn 'Abbas said: 'If it had been me, I would not have burned them; the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'No one should be punished with the punishment of Allah.' If it had been me, I would have killed them; the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4060)   

أَمَّا أَنَا لَوْ كُنْتُ لَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ لِنَهْيِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَقَتَلْتُهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ» وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ»  

[Machine] "If I were, I would not have burned them and I would have killed them for the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.' And I would not have burned them for the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: 'It is not fitting for anyone to punish with the punishment of Allah.'"  

لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ وَلَقَتَلْتُهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ وَلَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يُعَذِّبَ بِعَذَابِ اللهِ