Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī

ذِكْرُ الزَّجْرِ عَنْ تَعْذِيبِ شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَوَاتِ الْأَرْوَاحِ بِحَرْقِ النَّارِ

ibnhibban:5606 – al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Muḥammad b. ʿUbayd b. Ḥisāb > Ḥammād b. Zayd > Ayyūb > ʿIkrimah > ʿAlī Utī Biqawm Qad Ārtaddūā > al-Islām or > Zanādiqah Maʿahum Kutub Faʾamar Binār Faʾujjijat Faʾalqāhum Fīhā Bikutubihim Fabalagh Dhalik Ibn ʿAbbās > Ammā

"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)   

ابن حبّان:٥٦٠٦ – أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ حِسَابٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا أُتِيَ بِقَوْمٍ قَدِ ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ أَوْ قَالَ زَنَادِقَةٍ مَعَهُمْ كُتُبٌ فَأَمَرَ بِنَارٍ فَأُجِّجَتْ فَأَلْقَاهُمْ فِيهَا بِكُتُبِهِمْ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ

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»  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
bukhari:3017 – ʿAlī b. ʿAbdullāh > Sufyān > Ayyūb > ʿIkrimah > ʿAlī Ḥarraq Qawm Fabalagh Ibn ʿAbbās

ʿAli burnt some people and this news reached Ibn ʿAbbas, who said, "Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet ﷺ said, 'Don't punish (anybody) with Allah's Punishment.' No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet ﷺ said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.' "  

البخاري:٣٠١٧ – حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا ؓ حَرَّقَ قَوْمًا فَبَلَغَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ

لأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَقَتَلْتُهُمْ كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ  

bukhari:6922 – Abū al-Nuʿmān Muḥammad b. al-Faḍl > Ḥammād b. Zayd > Ayyūb > ʿIkrimah > Utī ʿAlī Bizanādiqah Faʾaḥraqahum Fabalagh Dhalik Ibn ʿAbbās

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.'"  

البخاري:٦٩٢٢ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ قَالَ أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ بِزَنَادِقَةٍ فَأَحْرَقَهُمْ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ

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

nasai:4060 – Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak > Abū Hishām > Wuhayb > Ayyūb > ʿIkrimah > Nās Ārtaddūā > al-Islām Faḥarraqahum ʿAlī Bi-al-Nnār

"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.'"  

النسائي:٤٠٦٠ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هِشَامٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَحَرَّقَهُمْ عَلِيٌّ بِالنَّارِ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ

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

tirmidhi:1458 – Aḥmad b. ʿAbdah al-Ḍabbī al-Baṣrī

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."  

الترمذي:١٤٥٨ – حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ الضَّبِّيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ الثَّقَفِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا حَرَّقَ قَوْمًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ

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  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ حَسَنٌ وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي الْمُرْتَدِّ وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْمَرْأَةِ إِذَا ارْتَدَّتْ عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ تُقْتَلُ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ وَأَحْمَدَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ تُحْبَسُ وَلاَ تُقْتَلُ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ
ahmad:1871 – Ismāʿīl > Ayyūb > ʿIkrimah > ʿAlī Ḥarraq Nās Ārtaddūā > al-Islām Fabalagh Dhalik Ibn ʿAbbās

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)   

أحمد:١٨٧١ – حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا حَرَّقَ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الْإِسْلامِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ

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  

ahmad:2552 – ʿAffān > Wuhayb > Ayyūb > ʿIkrimah > ʿAlī Akhadh Nās Ārtaddūā > al-Islām Faḥarraqahum Bi-al-Nnār Fabalagh Dhalik Ibn ʿAbbās

[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!'"  

أحمد:٢٥٥٢ – حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا أَخَذَ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الْإِسْلامِ فَحَرَّقَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ

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  

hakim:6295 – Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ṣaffār > Ismāʿīl b. Isḥāq al-Qāḍī > Ibrāhīm b. al-Ḥajjāj > ʿAbd al-Wārith b. Saʿīd > Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī > ʿIkrimah > Nās Ārtaddūā > ʿAhd ʿAlī Faʾaḥraqahum Bi-al-Nnār Fabalagh Dhalik Ibn ʿAbbās

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)   

الحاكم:٦٢٩٥ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الصَّفَّارُ ثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْقَاضِي ثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ ثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ثَنَا أَيُّوبُ السَّخْتِيَانِيُّ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَلَى عَهْدِ عَلِيٍّ فَأَحْرَقَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ

لَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا كُنْتُ قَتَلْتُهُمْ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ «مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ» وَلَمْ أَكُنْ أُحَرِّقُهُمْ لِأَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ» فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا فَقَالَ وَيْحَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ  

«هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الْبُخَارِيِّ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ» على شرط البخاري
nasai-kubra:3509 – Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak > Abū Hishām > Wuhayb > Ayyūb > ʿIkrimah > Nās Ārtaddūā > al-Islām Faḥarraqahum ʿAlī Bi-al-Nnār

"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)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٣٥٠٩ – وَأَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هِشَامٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ نَاسًا ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ فَحَرَّقَهُمْ عَلِيٌّ بِالنَّارِ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَو كُنْتُ أَنَا لَمْ أُحَرِّقْهُمْ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «لَا تُعَذِّبُوا بِعَذَابِ اللهِ أَحَدًا» وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَنَا لَقَتَلْتُهُمْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ»  

bayhaqi:16820 – Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > al-Rabīʿ b. Sulaymān > al-Shāfiʿī > Ibn ʿUyaynah > Ayyūb b. Abū Tamīmah > ʿIkrimah > Lammā Balagh Ibn ʿAbbās > ʿAlī Ḥarraq al-Murtaddīn or al-Zanādiqah

[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.'"  

البيهقي:١٦٨٢٠ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ أنبأ الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ أنبأ الشَّافِعِيُّ أنبأ ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ أَبِي تَمِيمَةَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ قَالَ لَمَّا بَلَغَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا ؓ حَرَّقَ الْمُرْتَدِّينَ أَوِ الزَّنَادِقَةِ قَالَ

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  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ