Zayd bin Aslam reported,

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever changes his religion, strike off his neck."As for the meaning of the Prophet's ﷺ words, "Whoever changes his religion, strike off his neck," in our view, and Allah knows best, it refers to anyone who leaves Islam for something else, such as the heretics and their like. When such people are exposed, they are killed and are not asked to repent, because their repentance cannot be verified, and because they used to conceal disbelief while professing Islam openly. So I do not hold that these people should be asked to repent, nor should their profession be accepted from them.But as for one who leaves Islam for another religion and declares it openly, he is asked to repent. If he repents, well and good, otherwise he is killed. Likewise, if a group of people were in that condition, I hold that they should be invited to Islam and asked to repent. If they repent, that is accepted from them, and if they do not repent, they are killed.What is meant by this, in our view, and Allah knows best, is not someone who moves from Judaism to Christianity, nor from Christianity to Judaism, nor anyone who changes his religion among the adherents of any of the religions other than Islam. It is the one who leaves Islam for something else and declares it openly who is intended by this hadith, and Allah knows best.

حدثنا يحيى عن مالك

عن زيد بن أسلم

أن رسول الله ﷺ قال من غير دينه فاضربوا عنقه ومعنى قول النبي ﷺ فيما نرى والله أعلم من غير دينه فاضربوا عنقه أنه من خرج من الإسلام إلى غيره مثل الزنادقة وأشباههم فإن أولئك إذا ظهر عليهم قتلوا ولم يستتابوا لأنه لا تعرف توبتهم وأنهم كانوا يسرون الكفر ويعلنون الإسلام فلا أرى أن يستتاب هؤلاء ولا يقبل منهم قولهم وأما من خرج من الإسلام إلى غيره وأظهر ذلك فإنه يستتاب فإن تاب وإلا قتل وذلك لو أن قوما كانوا على ذلك رأيت أن يدعوا إلى الإسلام ويستتابوا فإن تابوا قبل ذلك منهم وإن لم يتوبوا قتلوا ولم يعن بذلك فيما نرى والله أعلم من خرج من اليهودية إلى النصرانية ولا من النصرانية إلى اليهودية ولا من يغير دينه من أهل الأديان كلها إلا الإسلام فمن خرج من الإسلام إلى غيره وأظهر ذلك فذلك الذي عني به والله أعلم