if it is said are their children and women to be killed? we say as for the children no because the child is not to be held accountable and their ruling will come. as for the women we kill them no matter how much they openly express the belief that is disbelief according to what we have established. the apostate woman is to be killed according to us based on the generality of his statement may god bless him and grant him peace whoever changes his religion kill him. yes the imam may follow in this matter what his ijtihad requires. if he sees that he should follow the path of abu hanifa regarding them and refrain from killing the women then the issue is in the place of ijtihad and no matter how old their children are we will present it.
فان قيل هل يقتل صبيانهم ونساؤهم قلنا أما الصبيان فلا فإنه لا يؤاخذ الصبي وسيأتي حكمهم وأما النسوان فإنا نقتلهم مهما صرحن بالاعتقاد الذي هو كفر على مقتضى ما قررناه فإن المرتدة مقتولة عندنا بعموم قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم من بدل دينه فاقتلوه نعم للإمام أن يتبع فيه موجب اجتهاده فإن رأى أن يسلك فيهم مسلك أبي حنيفة ويكف عن قتل النساء فالمسألة في محل الاجتهاد ومهما بلغ صبيانهم عرضنا