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The Azhar University in Egypt
It is well-known that Egypt is the largest Arab/Islamic country in the world. The University of
Azhar has been regarded through the years as the Mineret (light) of Islam for the entire Islamic
world. The Legislative committee at the Azhar issued "The Bill of Legal Punishments. This book
has been sent to all the Mosques in the West accompanied by a descriptive memorandum for
these laws. The legislative committee requested Muslims to implement these penalties and
comply with Islamic law. This bill was written both in Arabic and in English. It deals with the
penalties imposed by Islamic law such as amputation of the thief's hand and the scourging of the
wine drinker. However, we would like to deal here with the penalty for the apostate who
relinquishes the Islamic faith.
Rushdie because this is the opinion of all Muslim scholars as well as the heads of the four
leading schools.
of the Western newspapers and magazines. What is important to us here is that while the eight
Christians were in prison, a Muslim leader wrote to the government demanding that they execute
themnot just keep them under arrest. On the second of July 1986, "The Islamic Light"
newspaper which is published by the Ahrar party (the freemen party), said in an article titled,
"Point of Absurdity":
"Two things we find absurd. The first one is that the Egyptian church is demanding their
immediate release and has contacted the International Amnesty Committee to convey its
indignation for the imprisonment of eight people because of their apostasy from Islam. The
second thing which we call absurdity is that the Egyptian government was content to arrest them
only. It was supposed to execute Islamic law upon them; namely, death if they do not repent. The
government must make this clear to all the world and be proud of this law because it is God's
verdict. "
Maybe such a verdict honors this newspaper, but it does not honor the Egyptian government. It
does not even honor her to hold them in jail; that is why she released them.
This is not God's verdict, my friend. God is love and respects man's decisions. God wants to set
you free from your delusions in order to bring you to the light of the truth. What really amazes us
is the common impression that God is vindictive like the law would imply. What adds to our
amazement is that the name of the newspaper is "The Journal of Light" and the name of your
party is "The Party of the Freemen." What light and what freedom are these? This Islamic law is
a shame!
The United StatesLand of Freedom and Human Rights and the United
Nations
The Muslim Youth in New York publish a weekly Islamic magazine called al-Tahrir
("Liberation"). In its issue of February 5, 1983, the chief editor wrote an article under the title,
"The Symptoms of Apostasy in the Islamic Society". On page 15, he said:
"The apostate is not only the person who relinquishes Islam and embraces another religion, but
the symptoms of apostasy are many, and those who practice them are regarded as infidels and
apostate and deserve to be killed. The symptoms of apostasy are: when the ruler does not govern
by God's law (most of the Muslim rulers do that), or when the ruler derides some aspect of the
religion or one of the Islamic laws as the ex-president of Egypt, al-Sadat, did when he said that
the dress of the Muslim women is like a tent.
"Another symptom of apostasy is that a Muslim believes in the Qur'an only and rejects tradition;
namely, the sayings and deeds of Muhammad (the Sunnahh) and attacks the apostle Muhammad
by any insult or criticism of the Qur'an. Also among the symptoms of apostasy is the promotion
of mottoes which may contradict the Qur'an, such as the mottoes of nationalism, patriotism, and
humanism! Anyone who calls for these mottoes is regarded as an infidel and an apostate and
deserves to be killed if he does not repent. Also, anyone who believes in Masonianism. "
We respond by saying that the writer is right according to the Islamic tenets, but what is the view
of the American police of these claims and of this newspaper, especially since many Iranians and
Arabs in the U.S. have become Christians and American citizens. They are under the threat of
death in accordance with the Islamic law.
Ibn Hazm
In Vol. 4, p. 316 of his volume, "The Sweetened" (Al Muhalla), Ibn Hazm says:
"Any of the infidels who said, There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the apostle of God',
he became a Muslim obligated to Islamic laws. If he rejected that later on, he would be subject to
death. But if he was one of the people of the Book (namely, from the Jews or Christians), in
order to become a Muslim, he must say, I have embraced Islam.' Then he becomes a Muslim
obligated to the Islamic laws. If he rejected them, he would be killed."
Ibn Taymiyya
This famous scholar, who is called Sheikh al-Islam, says under the title of the law pertaining to
the apostate,
"The Muslim who does not pray must be ordered to pray; if he refuses to pray, he must be put to
death, because he would be an infidel and apostate, according to the scholars and Imams, even if
he said that Muhammad is the apostle of God, and even if he was convinced of the purposes of
prayers" (Vol. 35, pp. 105-106).
In Vol. 32, pp. 276 and 279, he addresses this matter, namely, the killing of one who abandoned
prayers. Then he speaks to husbands:
"If a wife abstain from praying, she would be asked to repent. The husband may scourge her to
repent, otherwise she must be killed."
It is well-known that the majority of Muslims do not pray the daily five prayers, especially the
wives who do not have enough time to do so. Thus, in this case, if the husband is a true Muslim,
he would beat his wife to force her to pray, and if she declined to obey he must condemn her to
death! God, have mercy upon us!
This judgment is not the verdict of Ibn Taymiyya only, but (as he frequently claimed), it is a
verdict which all the scholars and Imams recognize. Actually our research has led us to believe
Ibn Taymiyya's claim. In part 11, Vol. 8, Ibn Hazm in his book, "al-Muhalla" ("The Sweetened",
p. 378), repeats the same words and declares to us that this is also the opinion of the Shafi'i and
Malik, both of whom emphasize that the one who abandons prayers and does not repent must be
killed. Sahih of Muslim (Vol. 1, p. 267 ) indicates that this is also the view of 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib.
Yet Abu Hanifa has a slightly different opinion. He says that the one who ignores prayer will not
be killed but must be scourged until he repents. If he does not repent, he must be continuously,
beaten even if he dies under the punishment.
What is important to us here is his phrase "Infidelity after faith." If you ask me who claimed that
Muhammad said this, I will respond: All former and contemporary scholars, without exception,
attest to that.
When 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan, the third caliph and the husband of Ruqayya the daughter of
Muhammad, was besieged by some famous Muslim companions of the apostle, he reminded
them of Muhammad's sayings and asked them: "For which of these three reasons do you intend
to kill me?" and "Am I not the prince of believers?" Yet they killed him. Among those who were
involved in his assassination were Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr El Seddik and 'Ammar Ibn Yasir.
(Refer to the Chronicle of al-Tabari Vol. 2, p. 669, and all the books of the Islamic history such
as the "Chronicle of the Caliphs" by the as-Suyuti and Ibn Kathir).
This statement is also recorded in the following:
Sahih of Muslim Vol. I, p. 267 (the interpretation of Nawawi).
Shafi'i, "The Ordinances of the Qur'an", part 2, p. 46.
Ibn Hazm, part 11, Vol. 8, p. 377 and restated also on p. 400.
The Sheikh Shaltute in his famous book, "Islam: a Dogma and a Law", p. 322.
Dr. Afifi 'Abdul-Fattah, in his widespread book, "The Spirit of the Islamic Religion", p. 408.
It is obvious then, that this statement is well documented and unquestionably ascribed to
Muhammad. It is also well-known that the Sahih of al-Bukhari has recorded in part 9, p. 18 that:
"The apostate has to be killed based on God's saying in the Qur'an: And whosoever of you turns
from his religion and dies disbelieving..."' (the Chapter of Cow: 217).
the Bukhari, part 6). The following terrifying incident is recorded in the Sahih of al-Bukhari (part
9, p. 19):
"Mu'adh Ibn Jabal went to visit Abu Musa the governor of Yemen. He offered him a cushion to
sit on. A man tied with ropes was there. Mu'adh asked Abu Musa: What is this?' He answered,
This man was a Jew, then he was converted to Islam, later he apostatized and turned a Jew
again.' Mu'adh said to him: I will never even sit down on a cushion until this man is put to
death. (This is) the verdict of God and His apostle.' (The governor) ordered him to be killed.
(Only after that) Abu Mu'adh sat."
Here we see a Jewish man who was converted to Islam and later was convinced that he made a
mistake. Thus, he returned to his old faith and was tied with ropes like an animal. Then Mu'adh
came in and refused to sit down on a cushion unless this man was put to death immediately; so
they executed him. Then, and only then, Mu'az sat, ate and drank with Abu Musa who felt at
peace with himself because he believed that he had implemented the command of God and His
apostle, Muhammad. His apostle and the lord of the messengers, the prophet of mercy and
freedom, said, "Whosoever relinquishes his faith, kill him."
Islam.' The old man said: No, not before I meet Christ.' 'Ali ordered him (to be killed). They
beheaded him.
"Another Muslim apostatized and became a Christian. 'Ali ordered him to repent but he refused.
'Ali killed him and did not deliver his corpse to his family. They offered him a lot of money (to
do so), but 'Ali refused and burned the corpse.
"Another man from the tribe of bany 'Ijl became a Christian. They brought him to 'Ali chained in
irons. 'Ali talked to him for a long time. The man said to him: I know that Isa (Jesus) is the son
of God.' Ali stood up and stepped on him. When the people saw that, they, too, stood up and
stepped on him. Then 'Ali told them: Kill him.' They killed him. Then 'Ali ordered them to burn
him."
For God's sake, 'Ali! Is it because the minds of those men (young and old) have been convinced
by Christianity that you ordered them to change their convictions? When they refused to do so
you tortured them ... or killed them ... or burned them.
The wars of apostasy are taught in all the schools of Arab and Islamic countries for all famous
Islamic chroniclers such as the Tabari, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Kathir and Suyuti recorded them in
detail. In the Chronicles of the Tabari (part 2, pp. 258, 272), we read that Abu Bakr used to tell
those whom he sent to fight the apostatized tribes:
"Call them to re-embrace Islam; if they refuse, do not spare any one of them. Burn them with fire
and kill them with force and take the women and children as prisoners of war."
Abu Bakr frequently re-iterated these famous words to Muslim warriors 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab
used to tell him that some of the tribes had returned to Islam, but they refused to pay him alms.
They said that alms should be paid only to Muhammad, though they were ready to return to
Islam. Abu Bakr would respond: "By God, if they refrain from giving me a rope which they used
to pay to the apostle of God, I will fight them for refusing" (refer to p. 175 of Vol. I of Sahih of
Muslim, interpretation of the Nawawi. Also refer to any book about the wars of the apostasy).
There is a most important contemporary book which was published by the Azhar University,
entitled, "The khulafa' al-Rashidun" ("The Rightly Guided Caliphs") by Dr. Abu Zayd Shalabi,
professor of Islamic civilization at the College of Arabic language . The book was published in
1967. The author presented detailed information about the Wars of Apostasy which covered 20
pages (pp. 41-60). We would like to quote the following here:
"Abu Bakr sent eleven Muslim generals against eleven cities to fight the apostates. Many were
forced to re-embrace Islam. Among those countries were Bahrin which was invaded by al-'Ala'
Ibn al-Hadrami, and Yemen which was attacked by Suwayd Ibn Maqrin. Kalid Ibn al-Walid
went to fight against Tulayha, the tribe of Bany Asad and its neighboring Arab tribes."
Then, Abu Zayd comments on these wars on page 60:
"The victories gained by Muslims in the wars of apostasy had one very significant result: These
victories deterred anyone who intended to apostatize from Islam."
The point, then, Dr. Shalabi, is that by threat of death, Islam attempted to keep people against
their will, in the realm of Islam. Aren't you also ashamed to record in your book, that by means
of offensive wars, Islam spread all over the Middle East! Does not that motivate you to reexamine your religion? Your logic is very strange. These wars deterred anyone who intended to
relinquish Islam because he would face the same fate which other Arab tribes had faced. Yet the
people of Indonesia will not be deterred or intimidated; their civilized government protects them.
They come to Christ by the millions and we pray that you, too, will come.
Ibn Hisham
Ibn Hisham, in "Muhammad's Biography "(Al-Sirat El Nabawia, part 4, p. 180 ), says:
"When Muhammad died, most Meccans were about to turn away from Islam and wanted to do
so. Suhayl Ibn 'Amru stood up and said: 'Anyone who relinquishes Islam, we will cut his head
off.' People changed their minds and were afraid."
This was in regard to Meccans, but the majority of the Arab tribes actually turned away from
Islam. Abu Bakr fought them. The ruthlessness of Khalid Ibn al-Walid was very apparent. Dr.
Abu Zayd said about Khalid Ibn al-Walid that he was the one who gouged out the eyes of
apostates.
Still, there are important questions in this regard which beg our attention and they are: Why did
the Arabs become apostate after the death of Muhammad? Why did the Meccans intend to turn
away from Islam? The familiar answer is that they had embraced Islam under the threat of the
sword because Muhammad forced them to choose between Islam or death.
There are two important questions to which a large number of people would like to have
answers.
"Item 18 of the International Declaration of Human Rights states that each individual has the full
right to change his faith or to relinquish it as he wishes in order to protect the freedom of thought
and the freedom of belief. We wonder if this freedom of changing one's faith would be
conducive to harm him along with others? Or even if the purpose of changing the faith is to sow
the seeds of riots and spread viciousness in the land or to waver the faith from the hearts of
others?"
What did you mean, Dr. Ahmad, when you said: "Even if changing one's faith would be
conducive to harm one's self?" Is this your personal point of view or is it the point of view of the
person himself? Why do you impose your personal point of view on all peoplebecause you
think that it is a sound view? You believe that relinquishing Islam causes harm to the person who
does it, but this is your own conviction. What if somebody else believes differently and is
convinced that to continue as a Muslim will bring him harm? If for his own welfare, he wants to
be converted to Christianity and to believe in the One who died for him so that he may live a life
of peace, joy, love and holiness, why do you come to that person and tell him, "We forbid you!
We do not grant you the freedom to change your faith. If you do that, we will kill you lest you
harm yourself!"
Maybe it was for this reason that Muhammad, Ali and 'Uthman killed the apostates and Abu
Bakr fought those who turned away from Islam, killing tens of thousands ... "lest they harm
themselves" !
In regard to your statement that the one who relinquishes his faith will shake faith in the hearts of
others: this has nothing to do with his conviction. It is their problem with their own creed and not
with him. He is seeking his own spiritual welfare and is persuaded to embrace another religion.
Maybe it is better for those people to doubt their faith or even to have it uprooted from their
hearts, because it may be a mere fruitless illusion which would lead to destruction.
There is something called human rights, Dr. Ahmad. That is, a man has the right to be freely and
intellectually convinced to embrace the creeds he wants and to worship God according to his
own persuasion. The civilized countries as well as the United Nations have acknowledged that,
ignoring of course, the command of your prophet: "Whoever changes his faith, kill him!"
You said that the apostate spreads viciousness in the land. Does the one who is converted to the
Christianity with its noble spiritual principles included in the Gospel spread corruption on earth,
or is it the one who holds to Islam that kills those who change their faith? Christianity is clearly
manifest in the Gospel. It calls us to worship the one God and it emphasizes loveeven for our
enemies. It calls for a life of holiness and peace.
claim. Those people do not know its meaning as it was interpreted by the Muslim scholars. We
have already seen that Islam states that the apostate must be killed, but in order to understand the
meaning of "There is no compulsion in faith," refer to the answers of the contemporary and
former scholars of Islam.