Are Muslims allowed to change religion?

Answer 1

Answer 1

Yes, you, as Muslim, can change your religion but you hold responsible in front of your Creator on your choice to abandon Islam religion or to convert to another religion rather than Islam. You should be aware not to change religion for some merit that you may get in our world on behalf of losing your credit in eternal life which is more important to you.

Some of these false merits are:

• getting better working position or post,
• getting education fellowship,
• marrying whom you love,
• believing in the truthfulness of the claims against Islam, etc.

Islam religion honors human free will. It is mentioned in Qur'an that no compulsion in religion and it is mentioned that God could have made all human believing in him and believing in the his oneness. However, God wants you to make your choice by yourself and to hold responsible of this choice in front of God on the Day of Judgment.

God says in Qur'an:

• "There is no compulsion in religion..." (Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 256), and

• "... To each among you, We (God) prescribed a religion (law) and a clear way. If God had willed, He would have made you all in one nation and one religion), but that He (God) left you in different religions to compete in good deeds and society benefits. The return of all of you is to God; then He (God) will inform you about that in which you differ"(Qur'an, Chapter 5, Verse 48)

Only in the early years of Islam, it was not allowed for who enters into Islam to abandon it again because some people made it just to cause confusions among Muslims. They made as maneuvering just to show Muslims that they tried to be Muslims but they got unconvinced after practicing it.

refer to related question below for more information.

Answer 2

Yes, of course. Religion is a set of beliefs. Anyone, anytime may change their beliefs.

Answer 3

No. 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 comes from Mohammed's orders in Sahih Al-Bukhari 2794: "Whoever changes his religion, execute him." It is clear from context that the term "religion" here refers exclusively to Islam (and that Mohammed was not interested in executing Jews converting to Christianity, etc.).

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."

As a practical matter, in several Islamic countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, apostasy (from Islam) is a criminal offense which can have long jail sentences and even executions. In others, thugs patrol the streets and hunt down apostates with relative legal impunity. It is not safe in many Muslim-majority countries to openly leave Islam.