Respected scholar of learn-islam.org
Salam Alaikum

Is it allowed in Islam that a person be burnt alive? If yes, then what kind of people can be burnt and in what kind of circumstances? I have read in one of the Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad (S) that a human being cannot give the punishment of burning to another human being. But on the other hand I have read that Great Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA) gave punishment of burning to apostates in his Khilafah? Please help me understand this.

MANSOOR TIRMIZI

Answer:

What I know that, once, Ali R, (and not Abu Bakr Siddiq R), burned some one, and he realized that one hadith says it is only Allah's authority to burn some one (Ibn Abbas, Bukhari).
So we can say that Ali burned some one when he was not aware of it, Fuqaha are agreed not to use burning as a way of punishment.
Wassalam

Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Nadvi