Apostasy Punishment in Islam

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Praise be to Allah and peace and prayer be upon His Messenger and Prophet Mohamed Ibn Abdullah


In order to provide more explanation to this vital issue, apostasy in Islam, Alhamdulelah I found this fatwa on http://www.dar-alifta.org/ which is the official site of The Egyptian Fatwa Agency.


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In response to a question about whether or not Islam is against the freedom of belief, the Fatwa (Legal opinion based on Islamic legislation) came as follows:


1. Islam secures the freedom of belief for the human being as clearly stipulated in:


“no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2: 256)


It is not allowed to force someone to convert from one religion to another as the freedom of an individual to choose the religion is actually the basis of belief. As such, Quran confirmed this concept in a way that does not allow any doubt:


“Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.” (Quran 18:29).


2. The Messenger prayer and peace be upon him, in the first constitution enacted in Medina, acknowledged religious freedom by virtue of approving that the Jews together with Muslims make one nation (Ummah).


Through the concept of religious freedom established in Islam, the second Khalifa Omar Ibnel Khattab, granted AlQuds residences a pledge of security to their lives, churches, and crosses. Under this pledge, they are neither to be harmed nor forced because of their different religion.


3. In the same context, Islam secures the right to religious objective discussions that are not based on ridiculing others.


Based on the Ayahs of Quran:” Invite (humankind, O Muhammad) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better” (Quran 16:152)


Interfaith dialogue between Muslims and non Muslims must build on such tolerant concepts and principles. Matter of fact, Quran actually called for this respectful attitude as per the Ayah:” Say (O Muhammad): "O People of the Scripture: Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims.” (Quran 3: 64)


Through this noble Ayah, we can derive that when the dialogue fails to bear any fruit, each party shall continue to embrace the religion according to their conviction. The same meaning is clearly inherent in the last Ayah of Surat Kafiroon:


“To you be your religion, and to me my religion (Islamic Monotheism)." (Quran 109:6).


4. Conviction is the foundation of belief as strong and genuine belief in based only on full conviction and certainty rather than imitation and force. As such, each individual is free to embrace whatever he/she sees correct, is free to adopt the ideas he desires even if such ideas are atheist. As long as this person retains such ideas only to him/herself without causing any harm to others, no one is entitled to prevent him/her from believing the way he/she does.


However, in case this person decides to promote those ideas that contradict beliefs and values common and established among other people, in this case this person is deemed violating the state public system. <b>He / she is criminal of creating doubt and division among people. In any nation, one who breaches the state public system is subject to punishment that might be put into the offense of major betrayal. Most countries apply death penalty in such crimes.</b>
<b>Therefore, the application of death penalty as speculated in Islamic Shari`a on an apostate is not due to the act of apostasy alone, but rather for creating chaos and confusion which negatively affect the stability of an Islamic state. Nevertheless, if the person kept his/her apostasy status to him/herself, rather than promoting it among people, no one is entitled to harm the person for only Allah Knows what is inside the chests.</b>



A number of modern scholars came to the conclusion that the punishment of an apostate is not enforced in this world but rather in the Hereafter. They added that applying death penalty on apostates by virtue of some hadeeth, was not due to their apostasy alone but rather for it was coupled with the attitude of those apostates who fought Islam and Muslims.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom


Pls review the link below:


http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article....29&did=192


It presentes cases when death penalty is enforced, of them is espionage. However, reading through other offenses that entail enforcement of death penalty, u can simply gather that in many cases it involves crimes that threatens state stablility.


I m trying my best to bring this issue to the mind of a non Muslim taking in conisderation the total different perpective you look through.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Wrong assumptions Johndoe, u know me better :) Alhamdulelah I m satsified with every bit of Islam.

[Deen]

Assalaam Alaikum,


The evidences from the Sunnah are correct which JD has posted.


The murtadd is allowed 3 days and 2 nights to ask for forgiveness, afterwhich the hukm is as Rasool (saw) ordered, kill him.


Every rational/intellectual doctrine has a mechanism to protect/perserve itself and this is one of the ways...I don't see what the problem is!


We shouldn't be appologetic or shy away about such issues as we can prove the aqeedah to be correct by using enlightened thought and conclusive proofs.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom and welcome back Deen


long time no see, it is nice to see u back


I dont think that what we posted above;


"He / she is criminal of creating doubt and division among people. In any nation, one who breaches the state public system is subject to punishment that might be put into the offense of major betrayal. Most countries apply death penalty in such crimes. Therefore, the application of death penalty as speculated in Islamic Shari`a on an apostate is not due to the act of apostasy alone, but rather for creating chaos and confusion which negatively affect the stability of an Islamic state. Nevertheless, if the person kept his/her apostasy status to him/herself, rather than promoting it among people, no one is entitled to harm the person for only Allah Knows what is inside the chests.



Implies any apology


If we explain and give example, it does never mean we are apologizing, we dont and cant and dont dare to apologize for what Allah Decreed.

[Deen]

Thanks for the welcome ukhti, hope you have been well.


I appologise if you have taken my post the wrong way as it was a general remark and not directed to yourself. It was in response to those "moderate muslims" who follow the new religion called "moderate Islam" who appologise on issues such as these. You will find that these people will appologise on every hukm of Allah SWT which they cannot justify be the correct means.


I have read your posts and they are "tops", keep it up Inshallah.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom akhi Deen


Alhamdulelah who Guided us for this and if it wasnt for Him we would have never been guided.


If I type something correct, all praise be to Allah i dont dare to claim credit for it.


Deen this time we are going to ask u to stay. Your contribution is really needed here. :)

[Deen]

Deen this time we are going to ask u to stay. Your contribution is really needed here. :)

Wa Alalikum Assalaam my dear sister,


I didn't know if anyone told me to leave in the first instance. But if you insist I will stay... :)

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


O Deen, i m sure u know what I meant, of course no one asked u to leave la hawla wala qowata ila billah

[Deen]

Ha ! You make me laugh. You wouldn't know enlightenment if it tapped you on the shoulder.

So says the person who cannot seem to write more than one sentence in a discussion forum. I think Arnie in his movies speaks more fluent than some people on this forum.


Let's not get personal as that is a sign of one who has lost the argument.


Follow this carefully as this may get heavy on the brain...


Thought can either be superficial, or profound or enlightened. The superficial thought is the thought of the


common people, while the profound thought is that of the savants. As for the enlightened thought, it is


mostly the thought of the leaders and the enlightened from among the savants and the common people. The


superficial thought is merely the transference of reality to the brain, without researching anything else and


without attempting to sense what is related to it and link this sensation to the relevant knowledge; also,


without attempting to search for other knowledge related to it, thus producing a superficial judgement. This


is often the case with the groups, the declined in thought, the uneducated and the uncultured from among


the intelligent persons.


As for the profound thought, it is the process of thinking deeply, i.e. to delve into the sensation of reality


and the knowledge linked to this sensation in order to perceive the reality. Hence, the profound thought is


not to content oneself with the mere sensation and the mere primary knowledge to link the sensation, as is


the case in the superficial thought. One would rather repeat the sensation of reality and attempt to sense out


of it more than he has the first time, either by way of experiment or by way of repeating the sensation; he


would then attempt to search for more knowledge in addition to the primary knowledge and then he would


once again link the knowledge to reality in a thorough manner either through repetitive experimentation or


through yet another linkage. Hence, one would acquire from this type of sensation and this type of linkage,


or this type of knowledge, a host of profound thoughts, regardless of whether these were facts or not. By


repeating this process and getting used to it, the profound thought would be generated. Hence, the profound


thought is the non-contentment with the first sensation, the primary knowledge and the initial linkage. It is


the second step after the superficial thought. This is the thought of the savants and the intellectuals, though


it is not necessarily the thought of the educated, for the profound thought is to delve into the sensation, the


knowledge and the linkage.


As for the enlightened thought, it is the very profound thought but coupled with the thought about what


surrounds reality and what is related to with the aim of reaching the true results. In other words, the


profound thought is to delve into the thought itself, whereas the enlightened thought is to have beside the


process of delving into the thought, a thinking around the profound thought and what is related to it for a


deliberate aim, that is to attain the true results. Hence, every enlightened thought is in fact a profound


thought. The enlightened thought cannot be generated from the superficial thought. However, not every


profound thought is an enlightened thought. For instance, when the nuclear physicist conducts a research


into the splitting of the atom, or when the chemistry scientist conducts a research in the composition of


substances, or when the scholar studies the deduction of rules and the enacting of laws, they, and other


persons like them, tend to research these matters in a profound manner, and were it not for the profound


research, they would not be able to attain these remarkable results. However, they are not thinkers in an


enlightened manner, nor is their thought deemed to be an enlightened thought. Hence, it comes as no


surprise to see the nuclear physicist praying to a piece of wood, i.e. to the cross, despite the fact that the


simplest of enlightenment demonstrates that this piece of wood does nether harm nor good, and that it is not


part of what is worshipped. It also comes as no surprise to find a learned jurist believing in saints and


submitting himself to a man like him so that he forgives him his sins. This is because the nuclear physicist,


the jurist and their like think in a profound manner but not in an enlightened manner. Were their thought


enlightened, they would not pray to the piece of wood, nor would they believe in the existence of saints, nor


would they seek forgiveness from men like them. It is true that the profound thinker is profound in what he


thinks about and not in other than that, for he could be profound when thinking about splitting the atom, or


drafting a law, but he could be trivial when it comes to thinking about other matters. This is true, but if the


thinker were to get used to being profound in his thought, this could make him profound in most of what he


thinks, especially with regard to matters related to the greatest problem or the viewpoint about life.


However, the lack of enlightenment in his thought would make him get used to profound thought and


superficial thought, or even trivial thought. Therefore, the profound thought alone would not be sufficient


to revive man and elevate his intellectual level; it would be rather imperative, for this to occur, that he be


enlightened in thought so that the elevation in thought could be generated.


Although enlightenment is not essential when it comes to reaching sound results in thought, as is the case in


the empirical science, law, medicine and the like, it is however essential in raising the standard of thought


and in making the process of thinking produce thinkers. Hence, the nation cannot achieve revival through


the mere presence of savants in empirical science, nor through the presence of scholars and jurists, nor


through the presence of doctors and engineers. The nation does not achieve revival through the presence of


these and their like; she will rather achieve it through having enlightenment in the thought, i.e. if she had


enlightened thinkers.


Enlightenment in thought does not necessitate the presence of education; in other words, it is not necessary


for the enlightened thinkers to be educated, for the Bedouin who said: “The droppings indicate the presence


of camels and the footsteps indicate the presence of walking”, is an enlightened thinker and the orator who


said: “Caution does not save one from fate, and patience is a cause of victory”, is also an enlightened


thinker.


The wise man who said: “The pinnacle of wisdom is the fear of Allah” is not an enlightened thinker, for the


pinnacle of wisdom is perceiving the existence of Allah and not the fear of Allah. Hence, enlightened thought requires neither


knowledge nor wisdom, but rather to think profoundly and to roam around the matter and what is related to


it with the aim of reaching the truthful results. Hence, the enlightened thinker could be an illiterate person


who can neither read nor write and he could also be educated and a savant. The enlightened thinker cannot


formulate enlightened thought unless he has enlightenment when thinking. The politician is an enlightened


thinker and the leader is an enlightened thinker, but both of them require enlightenment when thinking


about everything, so that the thought is enlightened. Hence, it is no wonder to see the great leaders and the


great politicians praying to a piece of wood and seeking forgiveness from men who are below them in terms


of enlightenment, for this particular thought of theirs does not have any depth nor any enlightenment; it


rather stems from habit and imitation or from imposture and hypocrisy. All this is neither depth nor


enlightenment, because the enlightened thinker does not relate to imposture and hypocrisy, nor does he


allow habits and traditions control him.


Subhanallah - All praise is to Allah SWT for guiding man from the darkness and into the light.


PS - What's tapping you on the shoulder right now??!