Islam and Apostasy: Difference between revisions

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 '''Apostasy''' (ارتداد, irtidād and ridda) i.e. the rejection of faith has been, and still is, a serious offense in [[Islam]]. The punishment for apostasy as prescribed by Prophet [[Muhammad]] is death. An '''apostate''' (مرتد murtad) who hides his apostasy is referred to as a '''munāfiq''' (منافق hypocrite).
 {{Core}}
-==An Introduction to Apostasy==
+==Introduction to Apostasy==
+===Definitions===
 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.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.alsunna.org/Questions-about-Apostasy-Blasphemy.html|2=2011-02-25}} Questions about Apostasy (Blasphemy)] - Al Sunna.org</ref> It is not a quick or easy affair for an apostate or heterodox believer of Islam, as the punishment for apostasy in the Islamic faith is death. Though it may be argued that this is not clear through the [[Qur'an]] alone, scholars have found justification for the penalty from [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Apostasy|within its pages]], and there are also numerous [[Sahih]] (authentic) [[hadith]]s confirming this punishment as attested by Prophet Muhammad. In Sahih Bukhari, we see it as “Allah's Apostle said, 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him'”,<ref name="apostasy">M. Muhsin Khan (Translator) - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/084-sbt.php#009.084.057|2=2011-10-30}} Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 84 - Dealing with Apostates, Number 57] - USC-MSA, [[Compendium of Muslim Texts]]</ref> and it was also one of only three reasons given by him where killing a Muslim is permitted.<ref>M. Muhsin Khan (Translator) - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/083-sbt.php#009.083.017|2=2011-10-30}} Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 83 - Blood Money (Ad-Diyat), Number 17] - USC-MSA, [[Compendium of Muslim Texts]]</ref>
-An evaluation of Islam's attitude to apostasy would not be complete without expounding on the political make up of the religion. Islam is essentially a tribal system that once was the social composition of Arabia in the north. 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 evolved 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 so was punishable by death. The death penalty being incorporated into Islam for apostasy is better understood when viewed through this tribal prism. Muhammad once belonged to this way of life, but reshuffled society and he did so by organizing certain tribes under one roof without sacrificing much of the already existing norms. Muhammad was successful and, thus, did not venture to get rid of the pre-existing 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’.
+===Historical Context===
+An evaluation of Islam's attitude to apostasy would not be complete without expounding on the political make up of the religion. Islam is essentially a tribal system that once was the social composition of Arabia in the north. 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 evolved 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 so was punishable by death. The death penalty being incorporated into Islam for apostasy is better understood when viewed through this tribal prism. Muhammad once belonged to this way of life, but reshuffled society and he did so by organizing certain tribes under one roof without sacrificing much of the already existing norms. Muhammad was successful and, thus, did not venture to get rid of the pre-existing tribal prescripts. Instead, he assimilated them into his new religion. The prescribed punishment for apostasy was one such practice which Muhammad annexed.
+===Early Islam===
+We do not know of any apostates being killed during the lifetime of Muhammad for the specific crime of apostasy. This is largely due to the lack of individuals apostatizing during Muhammad's life. However in one Sahih Bukhari 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 [[Circumstances Surrounding Muhammad's Death|death of Muhammad]] and under the [[Caliph|Caliphate]] of Abu Bakr, many apostates had been killed during the lengthy “Riddah (apostasy) wars”. This attests to the fact that apostasy had already become a serious crime within Islam and was not some later innovation. In fact, it was a Qur’anic verse<ref>"''But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.''" - {{Quran|9|5}}</ref> which prompted Abu Bakr to fight against the people who refused 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 CE). The Caliph did not put down his arms until all rejectors were either killed or had reverted back into the fold of Islam. There are also many narrations which record Muhammad's command being followed by his [[Sahabah|companions]], with atheists,<ref name="apostasy"></ref> Christians,<ref>Abul Ala Maududi - [http://www.answering-islam.org/Hahn/Mawdudi/index.htm The Punishment of the Apostate According to Islamic Law] - Islamic Publications Ltd., Lahore, 1963</ref> and Jews<ref>M. Muhsin Khan (Translator) - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/084-sbt.php#009.084.058|2=2011-10-30}} Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 84 - Dealing with Apostates, Number 58] - USC-MSA, [[Compendium of Muslim Texts]]</ref> being put to death for leaving Islam.
-We do not know of any apostates being killed during the lifetime of Muhammad for the specific crime of apostasy. This is largely due to the lack of individuals apostatizing during Muhammad's life. However in one Sahih Bukhari 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 [[Circumstances Surrounding Muhammad's Death|death of Muhammad]] and under the [[Caliph|Caliphate]] of Abu Bakr, many apostates had been killed during the lengthy “Riddah (apostasy) wars”. This attests to the fact that apostasy had already become a serious crime within Islam and was not some later innovation. In fact, it was a Qur’anic verse<ref>"''But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.''" - {{Quran|9|5}}</ref> which prompted Abu Bakr to fight against the people who refused 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 CE). The Caliph did not put down his arms until all rejectors were either killed or had reverted back into the fold of Islam. There are also many narrations which record Muhammad's command being followed by his [[Sahabah|companions]], with atheists,<ref name="apostasy"></ref> Christians,<ref>Abul Ala Maududi - [http://www.answering-islam.org/Hahn/Mawdudi/index.htm The Punishment of the Apostate According to Islamic Law] - Islamic Publications Ltd., Lahore, 1963</ref> and Jews<ref>M. Muhsin Khan (Translator) - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/084-sbt.php#009.084.058|2=2011-10-30}} Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 84 - Dealing with Apostates, Number 58] - USC-MSA, [[Compendium of Muslim Texts]]</ref> being put to death for leaving Islam.
+===Shari'ah===
 Islamic jurisdiction on Apostasy is derived from the words of Muhammad and the aforementioned actions of the Caliph and other companions. If rejecting one of the [[Five Pillars of Islam|pillars of Islam]] is considered to be a crime warranting war against such people, 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 [[Madh'hab|four schools]] of Islamic [[Fiqh|jurisprudence]] are in agreement with this ruling, with only slight variations on whether to allow the grace period.<ref>Silas - [http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/apostasy.htm The Punishment for Apostasy from Islam/ Jurisprudence - E. Agreement of the Leading Mujtahids (Jurists)] - Answering Islam</ref> The Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence believe female apostates are an exception to the rule and are not to be killed, but beaten and put under confinement until death or repentance, while the remaining Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools all agree the verdict for the female apostate is the same as for the male.<ref>'Abdurrahmani'l-Djaziri - [http://www.light-of-life.com/eng/ilaw/l5721et1.htm#p19 The Penalties for Apostasy in Islam According to the Four Schools of Islamic Law] - "The Case of the Female Apostate" (Pg. 19)</ref>

Islam and Apostasy: Difference between revisions

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