Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi T6lib 513
the women and children of Banu Haneefah and gave one of these
women to 'Ali (&), who bore him Muhammad ibn al-
Hanafiyyah. That was done in the presence of the Companions,
and there was no objection, which means that there was
consensus on that.ZZ6 The story about 'Ali sending word to Bani
N2jiyah, which we will discuss below, also provides evidence to
support this view. In that case, 'Ali (&) executed the men of
fighting age and took the women and children captive.zz7
Amir al-Mu'mineen executed apostates in different ways
according to the circumstances in each case. One way was to strike
the neck with the sword meheading), as in the response of 'Ali ibn
Abi Taib (&) to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr when he asked him
about two Muslims who had become hypocritical heretics. He said:
"As for the two who have become hypocritical heretics, if they repent
(all is well and good); otherwise strike their necks."228
One of the aims of Sharia is to protect the religion, and
executing the apostate offers protection to people of religious
commitment. We have noted the keenness of the Rightly Guided
Caliphs (may AUah be pleased with them) to implement the rulings
of Allah (g) with regard to those who follow whims and desires and
those who oppose or rebel against religion, and to carry out
appropriate punishments on them. One of the most important of these
rulings is fighting against and executing the apostates. The Rightly
Guided Caliphs did this, implementing the words of the Messenger of
Allah (g): "...it is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who
bears witness that there is no god except Allah, except in three cases:
the married adulterer, a life for a life and the one who gives up his
religion and forsakes the main body of the ~uslirns."~~~
Ibn Taymiyah said: "If the apostate is not executed, then you
will find those who entered religion exiting from it. So executing him
offers prntection to people of religious commitment, and that protects