Thread title says it all really.

were there any apostates during the actual life of Prophet and also during the period of the rightly guided Caliphas?

Any text available to see how they were argued with,if at all?

Any written material available on reasons why they apostated?

What about material from the scholars of the past on how they argued against the views of the apotates?

Anything written by say the likes of Imam Ghazali?