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The Quran, hadiths, sira and Islamic history from the days of Muhammad to the present agree to this.


In Islam, “Apostasy” (Arabic: irtidad or ridda or Murtadd) means the rejection of Islam in word or deed by a person who has been a Muslim. An apostate in any pure Islamic country is deserved to be killed, period. Muslims, who deny this fact, are stealthily engaged in Taqiyya (lie and deceptions), or utterly ignorant about real Islam. Islam is the most intolerant religion on Earth. There are plenty of glaring examples or records of extreme intolerance and intimidations from the past and present history of Islam. And this intolerance is rooted in the Quran and Sunnah (Ahadiths – traditions of Prophet Muhammad), and also by the deeds and practices of the early disciples of Prophet Muhammad. In all Sharia-ruled pure Islamic countries, such as in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Sudan etc., all apostates are punished by death penalty.

All five major schools of Islamic jurisprudence agree that a sane male apostate must be executed. A female apostate may be put to death, according to some schools, or imprisoned, according to others.

Apostate punishing verses from Quran

Regarding punishing apostates, 4:89, 3:85 and 3.90-91 are the main verses, but many other verses like 16:106-107, 2:217, 9:73-74, 5:54, and 9:66 are considered supporting verses.

It also could be asserted here that, during the time of final compilation of the Quran, many important verses were lost in the process for various reasons, such as the demise of many disciples (who memorized Quranic verses) in the Battle of Apostasy (Ridda War) and invasion of Yamama. Verses of stoning-death for adultery were amongst the lost verses, but Prophet Muhammad and the rightly guided Caliphs routinely practiced stoning-death. Even in the modern world, in most Sharia-ruled Muslim nations, both apostates and adulterators are punished by death penalty and stoning deaths, respectively.

Support from Quranic verses for punishing apostates

  1. Quran 4.89: They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades (change to other religion), seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks; (trs. YUSUFALI; Saudi King approved translation).
  2. Quran 3.85: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good). (trs. YUSUFALI)Quran 3.90-91: "But those who reject Faith [kafaroo] after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of Faith, - never will their repentance be accepted; for they are those, who have (of set purpose) gone astray. As to those who reject Faith [kafaroo], and die rejecting [kuffaroo], - never would be accepted from any such as much gold as the earth contains, though they should offer it for ransom. For such is (in store) a penalty grievous, and they will find no helpers."
  3. Quran 2.217: …Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein. (trs. YUSUFALI)
  4. Quran 9.73: O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, - an evil refuge indeed. (trs. YUSUFALI)
  5. Quran 9.074: They swear by Allah that they said nothing (evil), but indeed they uttered blasphemy, and they did it after accepting Islam; and they meditated a plot which they were unable to carry out: this revenge of theirs was (their) only return for the bounty with which Allah and His Messenger had enriched them! If they repent, it will be best for them; but if they turn back (to their evil ways), Allah will punish them with a grievous penalty in this life and in the Hereafter: They shall have none on earth to protect or help them. (trs. YUSUFALI)
  6. Quran 5.054: O ye who believe! if any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him,- lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fault. That is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things. (trs. YUSUFALI)
  7. Quran 9.66: Make ye no excuses: ye have rejected Faith after ye had accepted it. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you, for that they are in sin. (trs. YUSUFALI)


Now some Sahih Hadiths (most of the hadiths are from Sahih al-Bukhari and also by many others)

Commandment to Execute the Apostate after the Qur'anic (Allah’s) orders (above), here are some glaring Commands (Hadiths)—from the Prophet of Islam.

The reason why executing apostates has always been well-ensconced in Islamic law is that there are indisputable and shining records of Muhammad and his companions doing exactly that according to the reliable Hadiths. According to the verse 4:80 (Yusuf Ali): "He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah: But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds)."

Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 84, Number 58:

Narrated Abu Burda: (Bukhari (84:58)Abu Musa said, "I came to the Prophet along with two men (from the tribe) of Ash'ariyin, one on my right and the other on my left, while Allah's Apostle was brushing his teeth (with a Siwak), and both men asked him for some employment. The Prophet said, 'O Abu Musa (O 'Abdullah bin Qais!).' I said, 'By Him Who sent you with the Truth, these two men did not tell me what was in their hearts and I did not feel (realize) that they were seeking employment.' As if I were looking now at his Siwak being drawn to a corner under his lips, and he said, 'We never (or, we do not) appoint for our affairs anyone who seeks to be employed. But O Abu Musa! (or 'Abdullah bin Qais!) Go to Yemen.'" The Prophet then sent Mu'adh bin Jabal after him and when Mu'adh reached him, he spread out a cushion for him and requested him to get down (and sit on the cushion). Behold: There was a fettered man beside Abu Muisa. Mu'adh asked, "Who is this (man)?" Abu Muisa said, "He was a Jew and became a Muslim and then reverted back to Judaism." Then Abu Muisa requested Mu'adh to sit down but Mu'adh said, "I will not sit down till he has been killed. This is the judgment of Allah and His Apostle (for such cases) and repeated it thrice. Then Abu Musa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed. Abu Musa added, "Then we discussed the night prayers and one of us said, 'I pray and sleep, and I hope that Allah will reward me for my sleep as well as for my prayers.'"

[It should be noted that this incident took place during the life of the Prophet. At that time Abu Musa represented the Prophet as governor and Muadh as vice-governor. If their action had not been based on the decision of God and His Messenger, surely the Prophet would have objected.]


Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 84, Number 59:

Narrated Abu Huraira: When the Prophet died and Abu Bakr became his successor and some of the Arabs reverted to disbelief, 'Umar said, "O Abu Bakr! How can you fight these people although Allah's Apostle said, 'I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, 'and whoever said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah', Allah will save his property and his life from me, unless (he does something for which he receives legal punishment) justly, and his account will be with Allah?' "Abu Bakr said, "By Allah! I will fight whoever differentiates between prayers and Zakat as Zakat is the right to be taken from property (according to Allah's Orders). By Allah! If they refused to pay me even a kid they used to pay to Allah's Apostle, I would fight with them for withholding it." 'Umar said, "By Allah: It was nothing, but I noticed that Allah opened Abu Bakr's chest towards the decision to fight, therefore I realized that his decision was right."

Bukhari (83:37)

"Allah's Apostle never killed anyone except in one of the following three situations: (1) A person who killed somebody unjustly, was killed (in Qisas), (2) a married person who committed illegal sexual intercourse, and (3) a man who fought against Allah and His Apostle and deserted Islam and became an apostate."

Bukhari (52:260):

"...The Prophet said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.'" Note that there is no distinction as to how that Muslim came to be a Muslim.

Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 84, Number 57:

Narrated 'Ikrima: Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to 'Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn 'Abbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Apostle forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire).' I would have killed them according to the [words of] Allah's Apostle, “Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him”.

Bukhari (89:271): A man who embraces Islam, then reverts to Judaism is to be killed according to "the verdict of Allah and his apostle."

Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 84, Number 64:

Narrated 'Ali: Whenever I tell you a narration from Allah's Apostle, by Allah, I would rather fall down from the sky than ascribe a false statement to him, but if I tell you something between me and you (not a Hadith) then it was indeed a trick (i.e., I may say things just to cheat my enemy). No doubt I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "During the last days there will appear some young foolish people who will say the best words but their faith will not go beyond their throats (i.e. they will have no faith) and will go out from (leave) their religion as an arrow goes out of the game. So, where-ever you find them, kill them, for whoever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection."

Abu Dawud (4346):

"Was not there a wise man among you who would stand up to him when he saw that I had withheld my hand from accepting his allegiance, and kill him?" Muhammad is chastising his companions for allowing an apostate to "repent" under duress. (The person in question was Muhammad's former scribe who left him after doubting the authenticity of divine "revelations" upon finding out that he could suggest grammatical changes. He was brought back to Muhammad after having been captured in Medina).

Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 632:

Narrated Abu Burda: That the Prophet sent his (i.e. Abu Burda's) grandfather, Abu Musa and Mu'adh to Yemen and said to both of them "Facilitate things for the people (Be kind and lenient) and do not make things difficult (for people), and give them good tidings, and do not repulse them and both of you should obey each other." Abu Musa said, "O Allah's Prophet! In our land there is an alcoholic drink (prepared) from barley called Al-Mizr, and another (prepared) from honey, called Al-Bit"' The Prophet said, "All intoxicants are prohibited." Then both of them proceeded and Mu'adh asked Abu Musa, "How do you recite the Quran?" Abu Musa replied, "I recite it while I am standing, sitting or riding my riding animals, at intervals and piecemeal." Muadh said, "But I sleep and then get up. I sleep and hope for Allah's Reward for my sleep as I seek His Reward for my night prayer." Then he (i.e. Muadh) pitched a tent and they started visiting each other. Once Muadh paid a visit to Abu Musa and saw a chained man. Muadh asked, "What is this?" Abu Musa said, "(He was) a Jew who embraced Islam and has now turned apostate." Muadh said, "I will surely chop off his neck!"

Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 83, Number 37:

Narrated Abu Qilaba: Once 'Umar bin 'Abdul 'Aziz sat on his throne in the courtyard of his house so that the people might gather before him. Then he admitted them and (when they came in), he said, "What do you think of Al-Qasama?" They said, "We say that it is lawful to depend on Al-Qasama in Qisas, as the previous Muslim Caliphs carried out Qisas depending on it." Then he said to me, "O Abu Qilaba! What do you say about it?" He let me appear before the people and I said, "O Chief of the Believers! You have the chiefs of the army staff and the nobles of the Arabs. If fifty of them testified that a married man had committed illegal sexual intercourse in Damascus but they had not seen him (doing so), would you stone him?" He said, "No." I said, "If fifty of them testified that a man had committed theft in Hums, would you cut off his hand though they did not see him?" He replied, "No." I said, "By Allah, Allah's Apostle never killed anyone except in one of the following three situations: (1) A person who killed somebody unjustly, was killed (in Qisas), (2) a married person who committed illegal sexual intercourse, and (3) a man who fought against Allah and His Apostle and deserted Islam and became an apostate." Then the people said, "Didn't Anas bin Malik narrate that Allah's Apostle cut off the hands of the thieves, branded their eyes and then, threw them in the sun?" I said, "I shall tell you the narration of Anas. Anas said: "Eight persons from the tribe of 'Ukl came to Allah's Apostle and gave the Pledge of allegiance for Islam (became Muslim). The climate of the place (Medina) did not suit them, so they became sick and complained about that to Allah's Apostle. He said (to them ), "Won't you go out with the shepherd of our camels and drink of the camels' milk and urine (as medicine)?" They said, "Yes." So they went out and drank the camels' milk and urine, and after they became healthy, they killed the shepherd of Allah's Apostle and took away all the camels. This news reached Allah's Apostle, so he sent (men) to follow their traces and they were captured and brought (to the Prophet). He then ordered to cut their hands and feet, and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron, and then he threw them in the sun till they died." I said, "What can be worse than what those people did? They deserted Islam, committed murder and theft."

More Hadiths from various sources for Punishing Apostates


Sahih Bukhari hadith

Sahih Muslim hadiths

Sunaan Abu Dawud hadiths

Sunaan ibn Majah hadiths

Tirmidhi hadiths


Islamic Law

There is also a consensus by all four schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence (i.e., Maliki, Hanbali, Hanafi, and Shafii), as well as classical Shiite jurists, that apostates from Islam must be put to death. The process of declaring a person to be an apostate is known as takfir and the apostate is called a murtadd.

Reliance of the Traveller (Islamic Law) o8.1 - "When a person who has reached puberty and is sane voluntarily apostatizes from Islam, he deserves to be killed." (o8.4 affirms that there is no penalty for killing an apostate).

Averroes (d. 1198), the renowned philosopher and scholar of the natural sciences, who was also an important Maliki jurist, provided this typical Muslim legal opinion on the punishment for apostasy: "An apostate...is to be executed by agreement in the case of a man, because of the words of the Prophet, 'Slay those who change their din [religion]'...Asking the apostate to repent was stipulated as a condition... prior to his execution."

The contemporary (i.e., 1991) Al-Azhar (Cairo) Islamic Research Academy endorsed manual of Islamic Law, Umdat al-Salik (pp. 595-96) states: "Leaving Islam is the ugliest form of unbelief (kufr) and the worst.... When a person who has reached puberty and is sane voluntarily apostasizes from Islam, he deserves to be killed. In such a case, it is obligatory... to ask him to repent and return to Islam. If he does it is accepted from him, but if he refuses, he is immediately killed."

As Abu Bakr, Muhammad's closest companion, explained in a letter at the time, his prophet "struck whoever turned his back to Him until he came to Islam, willingly or grudgingly." Thus did Abu Bakr promise to "burn them with fire, slaughter them by any means, and take women and children captive" any, who left Islam. (al-Tabari v10, p. 55-57)

Ali, the fourth "Rightly Guided Caliph" was Muhammad's son-in-law and one of the first converts to Islam. He also had people burned alive for wanting to follow their conscience. An old man named Rumahis b. Mansur, who regretted leaving Christianity and vowed not to remain a Muslim, was beheaded by Ali. (al-Tabari v.17, p. 191).


Supports from historical facts

A. The First Caliph's Jihad (Holy War) against Apostates

After the death Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr became the first Caliph. Most of the Bedouin Arabs who had converted to Islam out of fear of their lives, changed their mind and reverted back to their parental religions. Caliph Abu Bakr immediately declared Jihad (Holy war) against those apostates. It took almost two years of bloody battles by the first Khalifa, Abu Bakr and under the generalship of Khalid Ibn al Walid (The Sword of Allah) to subdue, subjugate and force those secessionists and  apostates to return them once more - to the fold of PEACEFUL 'Islam'; at the point and edge of SWORDS. Tens of thousands of Arab apostates were slaughtered in this war. This event therefore clearly proves that those persons who received religious instruction directly from the Prophet were united in deciding that an Islamic government should wage war against any group that renounces Islam. Within months, a great many people were dead, including Muslims who had memorized the Qur'an by heart.

The Sahih Hadiths below is the testament of this ancient historical battle against apostates:

Volume 9, Book 84, Number 59:

Narrated Abu Huraira:When the Prophet died and Abu Bakr became his successor and some of the Arabs reverted to disbelief, 'Umar said, "O Abu Bakr! How can you fight these people although Allah's Apostle said, 'I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, 'and whoever said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah', Allah will save his property and his life from me, unless (he does something for which he receives legal punishment) justly, and his account will be with Allah?' "Abu Bakr said, "By Allah! I will fight whoever differentiates between prayers and Zakat as Zakat is the right to be taken from property (according to Allah's Orders). By Allah! If they refused to pay me even a kid they used to pay to Allah's Apostle, I would fight with them for withholding it." 'Umar said, "By Allah: It was nothing, but I noticed that Allah opened Abu Bakr's chest towards the decision to fight, therefore I realized that his decision was right."

At the time when Abu Bakr sent Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl to wage a jihad against the people in South Arabia who had confessed the prophethood of Laqit ibn Malik al-Azdi, he advised him: “Wherever you find apostates from Oman to Hadramaut and Yemen, crush them.”

First Caliph Abu Bakr’s historical Proclamation

It is worth noting that had there been no sanction or divine approval (from Allah and Prophet) of punishing apostates with deadly force—there could be no urgency or need of declaring such a bloody war by the first caliph against those apostates, immediately after ascending to the throne of infant state of Islamic Caliphate in the ancient Arabia. Caliph Abu Bakr's had issued in writing such proclamation to each of the commanders of the eleven armies at the time he sent the armies to the various parts of Arabia to wage jihad against the apostates. Hafiz ibn Kathir has copied the full proclamation in his book al-Badayah w'al-Nahayah (Vol. 6, p. 316). The following sentences especially merit consideration:

“I have come to know about the movement of those among you who have accepted following Satan and who, having no fear of God, have turned from Islam to kufr. Now I have sent you someone with an army of faithful followers [24], and have advised him to accept nothing from anyone except faith and to execute no one without first inviting him to God, the Mighty and Glorious One. Then whoever accepts his invitation to God and, after confession, maintains good conduct, he will accept his confession and assist him in walking in the right path. And he will fight whoever refuses until he returns to the commandment of God. And he has been ordered to leave no one alive whom he has seized among those who have refused, to set fire to their villages, to destroy them, to enslave their women and children and to accept nothing from anyone except Islam. Thus whoever accepts his word does it for his own good and whoever does not will not be able to impoverish God. I have also directed the commander whom I have sent to announce my plan in all your assemblies and that the sign of accepting Islam is the call to prayer. Do not oppose the village where the call to prayer is heard. Where there is no call to prayer, ask the people why. If they refuse, attack them. If they confess, treat them as they deserve.”

B. Punishment for apostate as per Fatwa by Alazher University Cairo Document

This document was received from Oda Dridi-Dörffel, Parliament (Bundestag), Ministry of the Interior, the Army (Bundeswehr), Ministry of Integration and the Police organizations. Oda Dridi-Dörffel is an esteemed figure in international circles.

Here Oda Dridi-Dörffel presents the actual fatwa issued at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the most important institution of islamic law in the sunni world, and where Obama made his speech to the Muslim world. (More on Obama's speech here and here.)

Obama describes Al-Azhar University this way: "For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt’s advancement". The following translation is a rough guide: 
In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficient the Most Merciful. Al-Azhr Council of Fatawa.

This question was presented by Mr. Ahmed Darwish and brought forward by [name obscured] who is of German nationality.

al-azhar-university-fatwa-leaving-islam-apostas

A man whose religion was Islam and his nationality is Egyptian married a German Christian and the couple agreed that the husband would join the Christian faith and doctrine.

1) What is the Islamic ruling in relation to this man? What are the punishments prescribed for this act?

2) Are his children considered Muslim or Christian?

The Answer:

All praise is to Allah, the Lord of the Universe and salutations on the leader of the righteous, our master Muhammed, his family and all of his companions.

Thereafter, this man has committed apostasy; he must be given a chance to repent and if he does not then he must be killed according to Shariah. 

As far as his children are concerned, as long as they are children they are considered Muslim, but after they reach the age of puberty, then if they remain with Islam they are Muslim, but if they leave Islam and they do not repent they must be killed and Allah knows best. 

Seal of Al-Azhr 
Head of the Fatawa Council of Al-Azhr. 
Abdullah al-Mishadd (عبد الله المشد‎) 
23rd September 1978.

C. Some Examples of modern day incidence of punishing an Apostate

Throughout the history of 1,400 years of Islam, millions of human beings lost their precious lives at the hands of Islamic jihadi butchers every where in the whole world. And even today—tens of thousands of innocent humans are losing their lives every year, simply because they have changed their belief, or left Islam (apostate) for another faith. Below are some examples of such tragedy caused by the religion of peace (see links to following news-reports at http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/012-apostasy.htm):

Conclusion

Islam survived for 1400 years by Taqiyya (Deceptions and lies) and also by coercion, intolerance, and intimidations. Islam is one way traffic; one can get in, but can not get out with his life. The only freedom of belief in Islam is the freedom to become Muslim. Those who turn their back on Islam are to be executed. This is confirmed by the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad and his early disciples.

For hundreds of years, there has never been a system of Islamic law that did not prescribe the death penalty for any Muslim choosing to leave Islam. Even in modern, ostensibly secular Muslim majority countries with constitutions "guaranteeing" freedom of religion, there is de facto enforcement of this law with intimidation and the occasional murder of apostates.

Contrary to all the platitudes, Taqiyya, disinformation, misinformation, lies and falsifications of the historical records conducted by the followers of Muhammad, his 'Islam' was born by the shedding of a SEA of blood in the Arabian Peninsula, followed by the shedding of an OCEAN of blood throughout the Asia, Africa and Europe, and elsewhere.

--

References:

1. The Holy Qur'an, Translated by A. Yousuf Ali, Published by Amana Corporation, Brentwood, Maryland, 1983.
2. Hadiths from various sources (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslims, Sunaan Abu Dawud, Sunaan ibn Majah, Tirmidhi, Sunaan Nasai) and ancient Islamic history.
3. Guide to Understanding Islam: TheReligionofPeace.com:http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/012-apostasy.htm
4. The punishment of the Apostate according to Islamic law: Abdul Ala Mawdudi, Translated and annotated by Syed Silas Husain and Ernest Hahn. URL: http://www.answering-islam.de/Main/Hahn/Mawdudi/index.htm#publisher]
5. Fatwa by Alazher University, Cairo, Egypt on Punishment for apostate.
6. Some Examples of modern day incidences of punishing an Apostate in the 21st Century world.