The ruling on Khalid al-Qasri’s killing of Ja’d ibn Dirham

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, he says: On one of the satellite channels, someone appeared asking about the matter that led Khalid al-Qasri to kill Ja’d ibn Dirham. Then he said that it was his personal independent legal reasoning (ijtihad), which confused people’s minds and led them to discuss such matters. What is the correct statement regarding this?

Answer:
This is not specific to Khalid al-Qasri (may Allah have mercy on him); rather, all the rulers of the Muslims used to kill the Zindiqs (heretics). The rulers of the Muslims used to kill the Zindiqs so that they would not influence the beliefs of the Muslims. Khalid al-Qasri and others did this. This is a Sunnah (recommended practice) commanded by the Lawgiver: to kill the caller to evil and the caller to misguidance, so that they do not mislead people. They killed the apostates so that they would not mislead people.
For this reason, the Imam Ibn al-Qayyim says: “And for that reason, Khalid al-Qasri sacrificed Ja’d on the day of the sacrificial offerings, when Ibrahim said: ‘He is not my close friend, nor is he Musa, the one spoken to by Allah.’ Indeed, every follower of the Sunnah has thanked the victim. May Allah reward you, O brother of the sacrifice, for thanking the victim. Every follower of the Sunnah does so. The people of the Sunnah praise Khalid al-Qasri and others for this action.”
Because he was faithful to the Shari’ah. As for the people of hypocrisy, like this speaker now, the people of hypocrisy and the people of deviation, they criticize Khalid al-Qasri. Some of them say that the killing was a political matter for the sake of politics. They interpret events by other than their meaning, saying he killed for the sake of politics and the like. These people have deviation in their hearts; they have misguidance in their hearts. May Allah gather them with Ja’d in the lowly place (Hellfire). And that is sufficient for us from his evil.