a group of you, We will punish a group of you} (35). He is the one whom Allah pardoned, and he asked Allah the Almighty to be killed in His cause without his location being known, so he was killed on the day of al-Yamamah, and his location was not known. This is also because the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, refrained from killing the hypocrites due to what they manifested of the testimony of faith, despite Allah the Almighty informing him of their inner states, by His saying: {And they swear by Allah that they are indeed among you, while they are not among you; but they are a people who are fearful} (35) and other verses. The hadith of Ibn Mas'ud is evidence for the acceptance of their repentance, despite them harboring their disbelief in secret. As for his killing of Ibn al-Nawwahah, it is possible that he killed him because of the manifest falsity of his repentance, for he had manifested it, yet it became clear that he had not abandoned the disbelief he was previously upon. It is also possible that he killed him because of the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to him when he came as a messenger for Musaylimah: "Were it not that messengers are not to be killed, I would have killed you" (36). So he killed him to fulfill the statement of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for it has been narrated that he killed him for that reason. In sum, the disagreement among the Imams regarding the acceptance of their repentance in the outward sense, as it pertains to the rulings of this world—such as refraining from killing them and the establishment of the rulings of Islam upon them—is a matter of dispute. As for Allah the Almighty's acceptance of it in the inward sense, and His forgiveness for one who repents and desists [inwardly and outwardly] (37), there is no disagreement regarding that, for Allah the Almighty said regarding the hypocrites: {Except for those who repent, correct themselves, hold fast to Allah, and are sincere in their religion for Allah; then those will be with the believers. And Allah is going to give the believers a great reward} (38).

Section: The killing of the apostate is the prerogative of the Imam, whether he is a free man or a slave. This is the opinion of the general body of scholars, except for al-Shafi'i, in one of the two narrations regarding the slave, for his master may kill him, due to the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: "Carry out the prescribed punishments (hudud) on those whom your right hands possess" (39). Also, because Hafsah killed a slave girl who had bewitched her (40). Also, because he is...