Islam and Apostasy

From WikiIslam

Apostasy (ارتداد, irtidād and ridda) i.e. the rejection of faith has been, and still is, a serious offence in Islam. The punishment for apostasy as prescribed by Muhammad is death.

[edit] An Introduction to Apostasy

In Islam, the rejection in part, (of any of the pillars, or individual principles of Islam) or discarding the faith as a whole, amounts to apostasy. It is not a quick or easy affair for an apostate of Islam, as the punishment for apostasy in the Islamic faith is ‘death’. Though this is not clear through the Qur'an alone, scholars have found justification for the penalty within its pages (e.g. Qur'an 4:89), and there are also numerous Sahih (authentic) hadiths confirming this punishment as attested by Muhammad. In Sahih Bukhari, we see it as “Allah's Apostle said, Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him”.^[1]

An evaluation on the punishment for apostasy in Islam, would not be complete without expounding on the political make up of Islam. Islam is essentially a tribal system that once was the social composition of Arabia in the north. A society, in its absolute sense, had never been in existence in the north prior to Islam. All that existed there were certain assemblages that never flourished or converted into a fully fledged society for several reasons; one being, that most at that time were nomads wandering throughout the desert. Religion was not a personal but communal affair in pre-Islamic Arabia. Deserting religion thus amounted to treason and treason was punishable by death. The death penalty being incorporated into Islam for apostasy is better understood when viewed through this prism. Muhammad who once belonged to this way of life, reshuffled society and he did so by organizing certain tribes under one roof without sacrificing much of the already existing norms. Muhammad did the job and, in doing so, did not venture to get rid of the pre-existed tribal prescripts; instead, he assimilated them into his new religion. The prescribed punishment for apostasy was one such backward practice which Muhammad annexed conveniently to his ‘frame of reference’.

We do not know of any apostates being killed during the lifetime of Muhammad. This is largely due to the lack of individuals apostatizing while Muhammad lived. One Sahih Bukhari hadith is an exception to this inference though, as stated in this hadith, Muhammad is seen deporting a Bedouin who desired to discard his religion. This incident alone does not indicate Muhammad viewing apostasy as anything less than treason or a 'crime' worthy of death. This alleged incident occurred during the early stages of Islam in Medina where Muhammad’s Islam and its 'revelations' were incomplete and a far cry from the all encompassing way of life it was to become by the time of his death. After the death of Muhammad and under the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, many apostates had been killed during the lengthy “Riddah (apostasy) wars”. This attests to the fact apostasy had already become a serious crime within Islam and was not some later innovation. In fact, it was one Qur’anic verse (the verse of the sword - Qur'an 9:5) which prompted Abu Bakr to fight against the people who rejected to pay tithe. These people were not rejecting Islam as a whole but only refusing to abide by one of its five pillars (Zakat). As historians will testify, Abu Bakr took up arms against them in a bloody war which lasted for over a year (632 - 633 AD). The Caliph did not put down his arms until all rejecters were either killed or had reverted back into the fold of Islam.

Islamic jurisdiction on “Apostasy” is derived from the words of Muhammad and the above said actions of Caliph Abu Bakr. If rejecting one of the pillars of Islam is considered to be a crime warranting war against such rejecters, it is only logical for the prescribed punishment for apostasy in Islam to be death. Imam Abu Hanifa’s prescript as seen in Al-Shybani's Kitab al-Siyar grants the apostate a stipulated period (no more than a couple of days) to revert back to Islam or face the death penalty. All four schools of Islamic jurisprudence are in agreement here, with only slight variations on whether to allow the grace period.^[2] So, we can rightly conclude that the tradition of Islam is to put apostates to death if they refuse to revert to Islam.

[edit] Primary Articles Exploring Islam and Apostasy

The following are summaries of pages discussing Islam, in relation to Apostasy:

[edit] Islamic Writing and Apostasy

Main Article: Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Apostasy

Islamic scriptures and scholars have much to say in regards to apostasy.

[edit] Apostasy Laws and Their Impact on the Real World

Main Article: Persecution of Ex-Muslims

Ex-Muslims are often persecuted, abused and killed by Muslims. This treatment of apostates is not simply down to the issue of state-enforced religion as some may suggest. The violence or threats of violence against apostates in the Muslim world usually derives, not from government authorities but, from family members and individuals from the Islamic communities themselves, who operate very often with impunity from the government. This point is further emphasised by the persecution and murder of ex-Muslims which has now become evident in many Western non-Muslim societies. For example; in 2007 the daughter of a 'British' Imam was taken under police protection after receiving death threats from her father (a leader of a mosque in Lancashire) for converting to Christianity.^[3] While the plight of the ex-Muslim is largely ignored by the mainstream media, thanks to the internet we can often catch a glimpse of their untold suffering.

[edit] Notable Former Muslims

Main Article: Notable Former Muslims

Whilst apostatising from the Islamic faith is a dangerous thing to do, many outspoken Muslim preachers, mullahs, imams, scholars, missionaries and even terrorists have apostatized and become atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindu's etc. In doing so, many (including Ibn Warraq and Mark Gabriel) have taken it upon themselves to oppose the Islamic ideology and have become celebrities in their own right.

[edit] Muslims leaving Islam by the millions

Main Article: People Who Left Islam

Muslims often (sometimes falsely) advertise news of non-Muslims converting to Islam, but they don't tell the other side of the story, where Muslims are also leaving Islam. There are more Muslims leaving Islam today than there are new converts joining it.^[4] In Africa alone, 6 million Muslims are leaving Islam each and every year. Once the majority faith of the continent, they are now the minority with Christianity being the majority. The sheer volume of recent apostates is unprecedented in the history of Islam. Here at WikiIslam, we document this news and host hundreds of written testimonies. Add your testimony.

[edit] Other Important Articles

[edit] Helpful Hints for ex-Muslims

Main Article: Helpful Hints for ex-Muslims

Even in the free West, life for the Islamic apostate is often a difficult and dangerous one, as a recent poll in the UK found out (1 out of 3 British Muslims aged 16 to 24 believe that Muslim apostates should be executed^[5]). This article offers Practical advice for new apostates.

[edit] Help Others to Leave Islam

Main Article: Enlightening Others to Leave Islam

An article that focuses on convincing others to leave Islam. By examining important issues and questions, it can serve as a starting point for further research and discussion. We should always remember to respect the individual Muslim, but be critical of Islam. After-all, they're in need of our help.

[edit] Comments from Former Muslims

Main Article: Comments from Former Muslims

This page lists brief comments from apostates, which were too short to have their own pages.

[edit] Websites and Blogs created by Former Muslims

Main Article: List Islam: Ex-Muslim

There are a number of websites and blogs created by former Muslims. We offer links and a brief summary to many of them. Add your site

[edit] Videos Documenting Persecution of Ex-Muslims

Main Article: Videos on Islam: Islamic Persecution

• UK - Persecution of 3000 Muslim Converts to Christianity
• Turkey - Muslim converts to Christianity face upto 3 year jail
• Germany - Persecution of Muslim Converts to Christianity
• Egypt - Persecution of Muslim Converts to Christianity
• Malaysia - Persecution of Muslim Converts to Christianity

[edit] An Apostate in the West - Rifqa Bary

Main Article: Rifqa Bary

While the persecution of people who decide to apostatise from Islam in the West has been acknowledged by some, no case has been more publicised than that of teenager Fathima Rifqa Bary. As a Sri Lankan immigrant to the U.S. Rifqa secretly converted to Christianity aged thirteen. In June 2009, Rifqa's religious beliefs were discovered by a member of the Noor Islamic Cultural Center. This article tells her story.

[edit] Something to Ponder

For almost 1,400 years, the punishment for apostasy has been death. Only recently has this been challenged, mainly by Islamic apologists in the West. Even today, the vast majority of Muslims in the world still believe the death sentence is warranted. For example; a Pew poll carried-out in August, 2009^[6] found that 78% of Pakistanis agree apostates are to be killed. In a country with a population of 172,800,000 (95% of whom are Muslim) that would be 128,044,800 individuals in a single country. If we are to assume the politically-correct position that, Muslims who espouse such views are extremists who misunderstand the 'peaceful' teachings of Islam, then we must also concede the fact that the majority of Muslims in the world are extremists. They are not simply a 'fringe group'.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Converts to Islam
• Fake Conversions
• Free Speech: There's no such thing in Islam
• Videos on Islam: Former Muslims Speak about Islam
• Videos on Islam: Muslim Converts to Christianity

[edit] Satire

• Farsideology: Lesson 7 - Apostates

[edit] External links

• Answering-Islam - Articles on Apostasy
• Two Statements on the Punishment of the Apostate According to Islamic Law
• Accusing Muslim Intellectuals of Apostasy - Aluma Dankowitz - MEMRI: Inquiry and Analysis No. 208, February, 18,2005
• Ibn Kammuna - Apostasy in Islam