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.' "  

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

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  

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  

"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»