Ridda or Irtid Literally means, “turning back”. The act of
apostasy—leaving Islam for another religion or for a secular
lifestyle.
Murtadd: Literally means “one who turns the back.” An
apostate.
Murtad Fitri: Literally means apostate - natural. A person
born of a Muslim parent who later rejects Islam.
Murtad Milli: Literally means apostate - from the
community. A person who converted to Islam and later
rejected the religion.
Due lack of education and critical thinking several myths or
misconceptions have taken root in the Muslim world over
the ages. No efforts have been made to clear them. On the
contrary, there has been a sort of effort to strengthen these
myths and misconceptions. This has resulted in a misplaced
perception that Islam is a symbol of obscurantism, a religion
of intolerance and answers everything with the sword.
One grave misunderstanding of Islamic beliefs over the
years is that Islam doesn’t tolerate apostasy. The Christian
missionaries and the Western world are cashing in on it.
Ulama have tried to strengthen their point of view and
several leading Muslim reformists have failed to tackle the
issue. This misconception has also presented Islam as a
medieval and killer religion. Islam bashers have time and
again tried to paint the picture that Islam orders the killing
of a person if he or she reverts to another religion from
Islam.
The Qur’an is completely silent on any worldly punishment
for apostasy and the sole Tradition that forms the basis of
rulings is open to many interpretations.
Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: “Whosoever
changes his religion, Kill Him (man baddala Dinahu
faqtuluhu)”. It is this quote from the Prophet that forms the
basis of the said ruling.
But this is a weak foundation because this hadith was only
transmitted from Muhammad (pbuh) by one individual. It
was not confirmed by a second person. According to Islamic
law, this is insufficient confirmation to impose the death
penalty. The Shari`ah has not fixed any punishment for
apostasy.
The hadith is so generally worded that it would require the
death penalty for a Christian or Jew who converted to Islam.
This is obviously not the prophet’s intent. The hadith is in
need of further specification, which has not been
documented. Many scholars interpret this passage as
referring only to instances of high treason. (e.g. declaring
war on Islam, Muhammad (pbuh), God, etc.). There is no
historical record, which indicates that Muhammad (pbuh) or
any of his companions ever sentenced anyone to death for
apostasy.
There was a case at the time of the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) where a man came to him in three
consecutive days and told him that he wanted to apostate.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never took
any action against him, and when the man finally left
Madina, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
never sent anyone to arrest him, let alone kill him.
This is why some scholars distinguished between individual
apostasy and apostasy which is accompanied by high
treason. So, it cannot be confused with the freedom of
conscience for every individual, which has been guaranteed
in the Qur’an through hundreds of verses. For example, one
version of a hadith narrated by `A’isha (RA) concerning
apostasy relates to one who left his religion and fought
against Muslims.
Scholars argue that the death sentence is not for “simple
apostasy” (mujarrad al-ridda), but for apostasy
accompanied by treason and sedition, or by the abuse and
slander (sabb) of the Noble Prophet.
Freedom to convert to or from Islam
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,
conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to
change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in
community with others and in public or private, to manifest
his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and
observance.”
The Glorious Qur’an says, “Let there be no compulsion in the
religion: Surely the Right Path is clearly distinct from the
crooked path.” Al Baqarah, 2:256.
“Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe again,
then disbelieve, and then increase in their disbelief - Allah
will never forgive them nor guide them to the path.” Surah
An-Nisa’, 4:137.
For example, the Qur’an says: “Let him who wishes to
believe, do so; and let him who wishes to disbelieve, do
so.” (Al-Kahf: 29)
The quotation from Surah An-Nisa’, 4:137, shown above,
seems to imply that multiple, sequential apostasies are
possible. That would not be possible if the person were
executed after the first apostasy.
From the above verses it can be argued that religious
freedom and the absence of compulsion in religion requires
that individuals be allowed adopt a religion or to convert to
another religion without legal penalty. Hence the death
penalty is not an appropriate response to apostasy.
The former Chief Justice of Pakistan, SA Rahman, has written
that there is no reference to the death penalty in any of the
20 instances of apostasy mentioned in the Qur’an.
QUR’ANIC VIEWS
The Qur’an has referred to the issue of apostasy at more
than one place (for example see Al-Baqarah 2: 217, Al-
Baqarah 2: 108, A?l Imra?n 3: 90, Al-Nisa? 4: 137 and Al-Nahl
16: 106). But at none of these places does the Qur’an
mention the punishment of death for such people who
change their religion. The Qur’an does mention that such
people shall face a terrible punishment in the hereafter but
no worldly punishment is mentioned at any of these
instances in the Qur’an. This situation obviously raises a
question mark in the mind of the reader that if Allah had
wanted to give the punishment of an apostate a permanent
position in the Shari`ah, the punishment should have been
mentioned, at least at one of the above mentioned places.
Furthermore, the Qur’an has strictly disallowed the
imposition of the death penalty except in two specific cases.
One of them is where the person is guilty of murdering
another person and the other is where a person is guilty of
creating unrest in the country (fasa’d fil-ardh) like being
involved in activities that create unrest in a society, for
example activities like terrorism etc. The Qur’an says:
Whoever kills a person without his being guilty of murder or
of creating unrest in the land, is as though he kills the whole
of mankind. (Al-Ma?idah, 5: 32)
Obviously, apostasy can neither be termed as “murder” nor
“creating unrest in the land”. Thus, in view of the above
facts, we are left with one option only. We can only say that
either the hadith has been wrongly ascribed to the Prophet
(pbuh), as it is clearly contradictory to the Qur’an and the
Prophet could not have said anything contradictory to the
Qur?an, or that the saying ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh)
relates not to all apostates but to a particular and specific
people.
Shaykh Subhani
Shaykh Inayatullah Subhani (author of the Book Apostasy
doesn’t carry death penalty in Islam) says that neither Islam
forces any person to embrace Islam nor forces him/her to
remain within its fold. He writes, “Apostasy has been
mentioned several times in Qur’an, but it never talks of
punishment for the crime in this world.” The learned scholar
mentions three Ayaat (verses) from Qur’an on apostasy (Al-
Baqara 217, Muhammad 25-27 and Al-Maida 54) and then
says that none of these Ayaat prescribes any punishment for
that though these Ayaat pass strictures on the people who
commit it. There are several other Ayaat on the same issue
and none of them prescribes either death penalty or any
other punishment for apostasy in this world. Apostasy is
mentioned repeatedly in Qur’an but no punishment is
prescribed.
Misinterpretation of the hadith, Man baddala Dinahu
faqtuluh (kill him who changes his religion) has caused the
problem. This order has been made to look general and
permanent, though it was said in a particular circumstance
for a particular group. Shaykh Subhani writes that this order
was made to counter a plan prepared by Jews of Madinah.
They had premeditated that some of them embrace Islam
for some time and then return to their old religion. Then
some other people do the same. It was aimed to create
restiveness among Muslims against their own leadership so
that the strong Muslim unity should start collapsing. It was
made clear in Qur’an in (Aal Imran, 3: 72-73).
To oppose this scheme the Prophet (SAW) ordered his
companions to act in such a manner. Despite this order
extensive investigations were made to determine that the
case was true and the person concerned was given sufficient
time to make clear before the sentence was carried out.
Shaykh Subhani says lack of clear grasp of Qur’an misguided
even leading Ulama. Otherwise it was not difficult to
understand the hadith. Qur’anic teachings on the issue were
not kept in mind.
Like other scholars the learned Shaykh concludes that
people who were awarded death penalty for reverting to
other religions from Islam during the time of the Prophet
(SAW) or during the reign of his caliphs were not given the
punishment for the crime of apostasy but for the fact that
they were at war with Muslims and the Islamic government.
A number of Islamic scholars from past centuries, Ibrahim
al-Naka’I, Sufyan al-Thawri, Shams al-Din al-Sarakhsi, Abul
Walid al-Baji and Ibn Taymiyyah, have all held that apostasy
is a serious sin, but not one that requires the death penalty.
In modern times, Mahmud Shaltut, Sheikh of al-Azhar, and
Dr Mohammed Sayed Tantawi have concurred.
Dr. Syed is President of The Islamic Research Foundation
International This article originally published in TAM in April
of 2005 and republished now because of the current
controversy in Afghanistan.

Annunaki:
http://sheikyermami.com/apostasy-whoever-changes-his-islamic-religion-kill-him/

Naijacitizen:


Sorry Mr. Annunaki, the verses were quoted in thelink you provide doesn't say or support the killing apostasy and the Hadith there were weak. Try harder before I quote your nemesis to come and annihilated you.

true2god:
You only claim an hadith is weak when\if it exposes the evil and dangers in islam, however this hadiths are what the saudi govt referenced when beheading islamic apostates. Are you more islamic than the saudis who brought islam to you?

How can you muslims criminally classify hadith as strong and weak and at the same time refuse to burn\discard\destroy the supposedly weak hadith? Who are you muslims deceiving in this information age?

Naijacitizen:



Forget Muslim and concentrated on Islam.

Naijacitizen:


Sorry Mr. Annunaki, the verses were quoted in thelink you provide doesn't say or support the killing apostasy and the Hadith there were weak. Try harder before I quote your nemesis to come and annihilated you.

Annunaki:
http://sheikyermami.com/apostasy-whoever-changes-his-islamic-religion-kill-him/

tartar9:
no need quoting any hadith it has already been established in Shariah,the punishment for apostasy is death!

tartar9:
no need quoting any hadith it has already been established in Shariah,the punishment for apostasy is death!

Naijacitizen:


Sorry Mr. Annunaki, the verses were quoted in thelink you provide doesn't say or support the killing apostasy and the Hadith there were weak. Try harder before I quote your nemesis to come and annihilated you.

tartar9:
no need quoting any hadith it has already been established in Shariah,the punishment for apostasy is death!

Annunaki:




@naijacitizen I hope you see what your more sincere muslim brother wrote here. There is no point in lying here to make islam look good. The evidence is overwhelming that death is punishment for apotasy in islam except you want to prove to us that you know islam than the top muslim arabic scholars in saudi arabia who included it as part of the sharia law.

tartar9:
however wrong he was,he was sincere unlike you.

tartar9:
however wrong he was,he was sincere unlike you.

Naijacitizen:


Sorry Mr. Annunaki, the verses were quoted in thelink you provide doesn't say or support the killing apostasy and the Hadith there were weak. Try harder before I quote your nemesis to come and annihilated you.

business4all:


Who is an INFIDEL?
This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well-known leader in prison ministry.
"The man who walks with God always gets to his destination".
If you still have a pulse, you have a divine purpose to accomplish.
As it stands today, the Islamic religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States, especially amongst the minority races!!
Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session, there was presentations by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim who each explained their beliefs.
I was particularly interested in what the Islamic had to say. So, the Muslim gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Muslim and asked:
'Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the
infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?'
There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, 'Non-believers!'
I then responded. So, let me make sure I have this straight ie. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?'
The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 'He sheepishly replied, 'Yes.'
I then stated, 'Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine the Pope can command all Catholics to kill those of your faith or in addition, Dr Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!'
The Muslim was speechless!
I continued, 'I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me!
Let me ask you a question:
Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me too?'
You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame.
Needless to say, the organizers or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were not happy with my way of dealing with the Islamic Imam, and exposing the naked truth about the evil in Muslims' beliefs.