then we give him water only after two or three days. Thus, if we place him under pressure for three days and he does not embrace Islam, he is executed. However, regarding these two issues, there are three narrations from Ahmad:

The first is that he is executed without any delay and without being asked to repent: once he disbelieves, we execute him immediately unless he embraces Islam.

The second is that he is called to Islam, but without any delay.

The third is that he is asked to repent with a period of delay. This is the well-known position of the school, but he is placed under pressure.

The textual evidence indicates that he is to be executed, based on the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him” (1), and his statement: “The blood of a Muslim man is not lawful except in one of three cases,” one of which is “the one who abandons his religion and separates from the community” (2). This is because he has committed disbelief and apostatized. However, if the imam considers it beneficial to delay him and ask him to repent, he may do so, for he may see a benefit in this. The man may be a chief among his people, and his execution could provoke grave civil strife; or the Muslims may need him because he is skilled in some craft, or because he is an experienced commander of military aircraft, or the like. The imam may therefore deem it proper to ask him to repent.

Thus, the soundest of these three narrations is that he is executed immediately, unless the imam considers it beneficial to delay him for three days, in which case he is asked to repent. As for the reports from Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, and others concerning asking the apostate to repent (3), they are understood to mean that they saw a benefit in doing so.