What is the penalty for apostasy in Islam?

Answer 1

Answer 1

While certain people may be quick to say that it is death, one must look closer to what Islam actually says.

Per Quran, Muslims holy book that revealed by God to prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril), it is explicitly mentioned that no compulsion in religion. Every one, man or girl, has the full free will to have the faith that he/she is convinced in or to alter from one faith to another if he/she finds the new faith is more trustful or more truthful. However, he/she holds responsible of his/her choice when judged by Allah (God in English) on the Resurrection Day.

However, in the very early days of Islam per prophet Muhammad (PBUH) God mission, some people pretended to be Muslims and then converted to non Muslims again just to raise doubts in Islam religion and to persuade Muslims to convert out of Islam or to persuade non Muslims not to convert to Islam. This explains why at that time there was other rules as comes down:

Looking at Imam Malik's book Al-Muwatta, he says: From Zayd ibn Aslam, Malik has reported that the Apostle of God declared: Whoever changes his religion should be executed. Malik said about this tradition: As far as we can understand this command of the prophet means that the person who leaves Islam to follow another way, but conceals his kufr and continues to manifest Islamic belief, as is the pattern of the Zindiqs and others like them, should be executed after his guilt has been established. He should not be asked to repent because the repentance of such persons cannot be trusted. But the person who has left Islam and publicly chooses to follow another way should be requested to repent. If he repents, good. Otherwise, he should be executed.

The above view shows that cases differ between people. It depends on whether he publicly chooses to leave, repents, or not.

However, according to the Holy Qur'an, as Mahmud Shaltut, the late Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University says, a worldly punishment for apostasy was not mentioned in the Qur'an and whenever it mentions apostasy it speaks about a punishment in the hereafter. The verses in which he is referencing are 2:256, 3:72, 3:90, 4:48, 4:137, and 5:54. Many scholars now are adopting this view, stating that it is up to Allah to give the man punishment in the afterlife, rather than executing an apostate.

However, the argument will be brought up after stating that the Qur'an mentions this that the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, the most authentic book after the Qur'an, has many hadith about the death penalty for male apostates and life imprisonment for female apostates. Many modern Sunni scholars say that this penalty was used mainly for combating political apostasy and does not reference an individual person. Shi'a scholars have also shared the same belief. Ayatollah Montazeri, a prominent Shi'a scholar, holds that it is probable that the punishment was prescribed by Muhammad during early Islam to combat political conspiracies against Islam and Muslims, and is not intended for those who simply change their belief or express a change in belief.

To prove this point, there is a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari which shows that the Prophet Muhammad (S) did not sentence a man who left Islam to death.

Jabir ibn `Abdullah narrated that a Bedouin pledged allegiance to Muhammad for Islam (i.e. accepted Islam) and then the Bedouin got fever whereupon he said to Muhammad "cancel my pledge." But Muhammad refused. He (the Bedouin) came to him (again) saying, "Cancel my pledge." But Muhammad refused. Then he (the Bedouin) left (Medina). Muhammad said, "Madinah is like a pair of bellows (furnace): it expels its impurities and brightens and clear its good."

While enemies of Islam and radicals will be quick to say that all apostates must be killed, the majority view among scholars is that the punishment of apostates is not in the hands of humans, but that Allah will punish the man or woman with what is fit for their case in the hereafter, and it is unnecessary to kill apostates.

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Answer 2

In brief:

Quran says, in Surat al-Bakarah (Surah 2), Verse 256:

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّـهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

English Meaning Translation:

" There is no compulsion in matter of faith. Distinct is the way of guidance now from error. He who turns away from the forces of evil and believes in God, will surely hold fast to a handle that is strong and unbreakable, for God hears all and knows everything."

Answer 3

While the Qur'an is very vague on the notion of apostasy (mainly claiming that there is freedom to choose religion in this life, but unbelievers will be tormented in the next), the question is not what the Qur'an says, but what Islam says. Islamic Law, coming out of the Hadith (in both Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Al-Muslim) is quite clear on the question of apostasy and proscribes capital punishment as the desirable way to deal with apostates. There is no branch of conservative or radical Islam that says that it is not the duty of an Islamic Government to execute or strongly chastise an Apostate.

If a Muslim is of sound mind, an adult and commits apostasy that of his own free will, knowing what he does, then his blood may be shed with impunity. He is to be executed by the Muslim ruler or by his deputy such as the Qadi or judge, and he is not to not be washed (after death, in preparation for burial), the funeral prayer is not to be offered for him and he is not to be buried with other Muslims.

The evidence that the apostate must be killed comes from Mohammed's orders in Sahih Al-Bukhari 2794 and Sahih Al-Bukhari 6524 which both say: "Whoever changes his religion, execute him." It is clear from context that the term "religion" here refers exclusively to Islam. It would be nonsensical if this were applied to converts to Islam and is not taken in that context. It is also not taken in context to non-Muslims converting between Non-Muslim religions (i.e. a Jew who converts to Christianity). It is only understood to apply in cases of apostasy from Islam.

Mohammed also said in Sahih Al-Bukhari 6878 and Sahih Al-Muslim 1676 that there are three conditions for which it is permissible to kill someone who was/is a Muslim. The third condition is the apostate: "It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allah and that I am His Messenger, except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder); a married man who commits adultery; and one who leaves his religion and splits from the Islamic Community."

Answer 4: Comment on Answer 3In the early days of Islam, some people converted to Islam for short periods and then reverted back shortly in order to spread doubts about the new religion of Islam. Those was explained in Quran as the one who converts into Islam then reverts back then convert into Islam then reverts back then remains as polytheist, this one will never be accepted in God Paradise. That is why in the early days of Islam ir was instructed that no one converts into Islam until he/she is sure that he/she converts into Islam based on true belief in the religion and to avoid to be killed. Lateron, when Islam spread and got clear to people, Quran says explicitly that no compulsion in religion and that every one has the free will to have the faith that he/she is convinced with at neither killing nor any punishment. Quran is the first and primary source of the Islamic law (or Sharia).