07-18-2007, 04:30 AM
Bismillah: Assalamo ALikum.
Brother, you have to understand that the same Qur'an tells us to follow the Prophet Muhammad pbuh if you we are in doubt concerning any matter:
<b>If ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if ye are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day</b>] Qur’an 4:59
So what does the Prophet say about this matter?
The Prophet pbuh made it clear that the blood of a Muslim is not lawful to shed unless he is one of the following three: "A married adulterer, someone killed in retaliation for killing another, <b>or someone who abandons his religion and the Muslim community.''</b>
[Would ye question your Messenger as Moses was questioned of old?.... Qur’an 2:108
Ibn Taymiyah supported this view by quoting another version of the same hadith in which the Prophet pbuh said the following:
The blood of <b>a Muslim </b> who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah is not lawful to shed unless he be one of three: a married person who commits adultery, in which case he is to be stoned to death; <b>or someone who goes out waging war against Allah and His Messenger, in which case he is to be killed, crucified, or expelled from the land</b>; or someone who killed another, in which case he is to be killed in retaliation. (Abu Dawud and `A'ishah)
In other words, <b>there is no harm in ignoring the apostasy of an individual as long as he or she does not harm the Muslim nation by waging war against Allah and His messenger in anyway</b> (<i>peaceful apostate</i>). On the other hand, if a group of apostates endangers the security and interests of the Muslim community, then the Muslim ruler should consider them to be a danger and threat to society and so he or she should be killed, crucified or expelled from the land.
And Allah knows best.
Salam
Wael.