[Machine] Our leader, for a group of them are you? They said, "We are a people who were Christians, so we embraced Islam and remained steadfast in our Islam." He said, "Then he said to the second, who are you?" They said, "We are a people who were Christians, meaning we remained steadfast in our Christianity." He said to the third, who are you? They said, "We are a people who were Christians, so we embraced Islam, then we returned and did not see a religion better than our religion, so we embraced Christianity. He said to them, "Embrace Islam." They refused. He said to his companions, "When I wipe my head three times, tighten on them." So they did, and they killed the fighters and captured the prisoners. Masqala bin Hubairah came and bought them for two hundred thousand (dirhams), then he brought them to Ali, but he refused to accept them. Masqala went with his money and intended to kill them, but then he freed them and joined Muawiyah. Ali was asked, "Won't you take the offspring?" He said, "No." He did not accept them. Ash-Shafie said, "Whoever remains a Christian is allowed to be killed, and whoever apostates, it is permissible for Ali to capture from Banu Najiyah whoever did not apostate. Apostasy was during the time of Abu Bakr, and it has not reached us that Abu Bakr gave back anything, meaning the captives. And Allah knows best.  

أَمِيرُنَا لِفِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا أَنْتُمْ؟ قَالُوا نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ كُنَّا نَصَارَى فَأَسْلَمْنَا فَثَبَتْنَا عَلَى إِسْلَامِنَا قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلثَّانِيَةِ مَنْ أَنْتُمْ؟ قَالُوا نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ كُنَّا نَصَارَى يَعْنِي فَثَبَتْنَا عَلَى نَصْرَانِيَّتِنَا قَالَ لِلثَّالِثَةِ مَنْ أَنْتُمْ؟ قَالُوا نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ كُنَّا نَصَارَى فَأَسْلَمْنَا فَرَجَعْنَا فَلَمْ نَرَ دِينًا أَفْضَلَ مِنْ دِينِنَا فَتَنَصَّرْنَا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَسْلِمُوا فَأَبَوْا فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ إِذَا مَسَحْتُ عَلَى رَأْسِي ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَشُدُّوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَفَعَلُوا فَقَتَلُوا الْمُقَاتِلَةَ وَسَبَوَا الذَّرَارِيَّ فَجِيءَ بِالذَّرَارِيِّ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ وَجَاءَ مَسْقَلَةُ بْنُ هُبَيْرَةَ فَاشْتَرَاهُمْ بِمِائَتَيْ أَلْفٍ فَجَاءَ بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ فَأَبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَ فَانْطَلَقَ مَسْقَلَةُ بِدَرَاهِمِهِ وَعَمَدَ مَسْقَلَةُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَأَعْتَقَهُمْ وَلَحِقَ بِمُعَاوِيَةَ ؓ فَقِيلَ لِعَلِيٍّ ؓ أَلَا تَأْخُذُ الذُّرِّيَّةَ؟ قَالَ لَا فَلَمْ يَعْرِضْ لَهُمْ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ قَدْ قَاتَلَ مَنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَلَى النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَمَنِ ارْتَدَّ فَقَدْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ سَبَى مِنْ بَنِي نَاجِيَةَ مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ ارْتَدَّ وَقَدْ كَانَتِ الرِّدَّةُ فِي عَهْدِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ فَلَمْ يَبْلُغْنَا أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ؓ خَمَّسَ شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَعْنِي الذَّرَارِيَّ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ