Apostasy in Islam

and controversies Apostasy in Islam ( ) is commonly defined as the rejection in word or deed of their former religion ( apostasy ) by a person who was previously a follower of Islam. The traditional schools of Islamic jurisprudence are unanimous in holding that apostasy by a male Muslim is punishable by death. They differ on whether to execute the apostate immediately or grant the apostate a temporary reprieve in order to allow him to repent and avoid the penalty. The schools also differ on whether a female apostate is to be killed, or only imprisoned until she re-embraces the faith. The four major Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence ( Madh'hab ) differentiate between harmful apostasy and harmless apostasy (also known as major and minor apostasy). According to Wael Hallaq apostasy laws are not derived from the Qur'an. Some Islamic jurists, such as Hanafi jurist Sarakhsi , Maliki jurist Abu al-Walid al-Baji , and Hanbali jurist Ibn Taymiyyah , and some contemporary Islamic jurists, such as Shafi`i Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa and Shi'a Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri , argued or issued fatwas that the changing of religion is not punishable or is only punishable under restricted circumstances. Some prominent contemporary examples of death sentences threatened or issued for apostasy include Abdul Rahman , an Afghan convert to Christianity who was arrested and jailed on the charge of rejecting Islam in 2006 but later released as mentally incompetent or the Egyptian Mohammed Hegazy . In McAuliffe, Jane Dammen (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an . Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam . "آيت الله منتظری: هر تغيير مذهبی ارتداد نيست" (in Persian). Punishment of Apostasy in Islam .

Apostasy in Islam ( riddah or ارتداد irtidād ) is commonly defined as the conscious abandonment of Islam by a Muslim in word or through deed. It includes the act of converting to another religion by a person who was born in a Muslim family or who had previously accepted Islam. Apostasy in Islam includes in its scope not only former Muslims who have renounced Islam to join another religion or become non-religious, but Muslims who have questioned or denied any "fundamental tenet or creed" of Islam such as Sharia law , or who have mocked Allah , worshipped one or more idols , or knowingly believed in an interpretation of Sharia that is contrary to the consensus of ummah (Islamic community). The term has also been used for people of religions that trace their origins to Islam, such as Bahá'ís in Iran, and Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan and Indonesia. The definition of apostasy from Islam and its appropriate punishment are controversial, and they vary among Islamic scholars. In Islam’s history, the vast majority of scholars have held that apostasy in Islam is a crime punishable with the death penalty , typically after a waiting period to allow the apostate time to repent and return to Islam. Some contemporary Muslim scholars also hold the traditional view that the death penalty for apostasy is required by the two primary sources of Sharia - the Quran and the Hadiths - while others argue that the death penalty is an inappropriate punishment. A majority considers apostasy in Islam to be some form of religious crime, although a minority does not. Under current laws in Islamic countries , the actual punishment for the apostate (or murtadd مرتد) ranges from execution to prison term to no punishment. Islamic nations with sharia courts use civil code to void the Muslim apostate’s marriage and deny child custody rights, as well as his or her inheritance rights for apostasy. Twenty-three Muslim-majority countries, as of 2013, additionally covered apostasy in Islam through their criminal laws . According to critics, punishment for apostasy in Islam is a violation of universal human rights , and an issue of freedom of faith and conscience. St Francis Magazine . 7 (2): 228– 260 . Naddem Ahmad Siddiq (1995), Enforced Apostasy: Zaheeruddin v. Islam: the key concepts . The Oxford dictionary of Islam . Sudan woman faces death for apostasy BBC News (May 15, 2014); Quote "There is a long-running debate in Islam over whether apostasy is a crime. Some liberal scholars hold the view that it is not (...), Others say apostasy is (...).

Apostasy in Islam ( , riddah or ارتداد , irtidād ) is commonly defined as the conscious abandonment of Islam by a Muslim in word or through deed. It includes the act of converting to another religion or non-acceptance of faith to be irreligious , by a person who was born in a Muslim family or who had previously accepted Islam. The definition of apostasy from Islam and whether and how it should be punished, are matters of controversy and Islamic scholars differ in their opinions on these questions. According to the classical legal doctrine, apostasy in Islam includes not only an explicit renunciation of the Islamic faith (whether for another religion or irreligiosity ), but also any deed or utterance implying unbelief, such as one denying a "fundamental tenet or creed " of Islam. Islamic jurists did not formulate general rules for establishing unbelief, instead compiling sometimes lengthy lists of statements and actions which in their view implied apostasy. Apostasy does not include individuals who were forced to embrace Islam under conditions of duress or acts against Islam or conversion to another religion that is involuntary, forced or done as concealment out of fear of persecution or during war ( Taqiyya or Kitman ). Until the late 19th century, the vast majority of Sunni and Shia jurists held that for adult men, apostasy from Islam was a crime as well as a sin, an act of treason punishable with the death penalty , typically after a waiting period to allow the apostate time to repent and to return to Islam. The kind of apostasy which the jurists generally deemed punishable was of the political kind, although there were considerable legal differences of opinion on this matter. Wael Hallaq states that "[in] a culture whose lynchpin is religion, religious principles and religious morality, apostasy is in some way equivalent to high treason in the modern nation-state". Early Islamic jurists developed legal institutions to circumvent this harsh punishment and the standard for apostasy from Islam was set so high that practically no apostasy verdict could be passed before the 11th century. However, later jurists lowered the bar for applying the death penalty, allowing judges to interpret the apostasy law in different ways, which they did sometimes leniently and sometimes strictly. In the late 19th century, the use of criminal penalties for apostasy fell into disuse, although civil penalties were still applied. According to Abdul Rashied Omar, the majority of modern Islamic jurists continue to regard apostasy as a crime deserving the death penalty . Some regard apostasy in Islam as a form of religious crime, although others do not. Others argue that the death penalty is an inappropriate punishment, inconsistent with the Qur'anic injunctions such as Quran 88 :21–22 or "no compulsion in religion" ; and/or that it was a man-made rule enacted in the early Islamic community to prevent and punish the equivalent of desertion or treason, and should be enforced only if apostasy becomes a mechanism of public disobedience and disorder ( fitna ). According to Khaled Abou El Fadl , moderate Muslims do not believe that apostasy requires punishment. Critics argue that the death penalty or other punishment for apostasy in Islam is a violation of universal human rights and an issue of freedom of faith and conscience . As of 2019 , there are 12 Muslim-majority countries that have the death sentence for apostasy, whereas in 13 other countries apostasy is illegal and the government prescribes some form of punishment for apostasy including: torture, imprisonment, annulment of marriage, loss of inheritance rights or custody rights, amongst others. From 1985 to 2006, three governments executed four individuals for apostasy from Islam: "one in Sudan in 1985; two in Iran, in 1989 and 1998; and one in Saudi Arabia in 1992." The Tunisian Constitution of 2014 stipulates protection from attacks based on accusations of apostasy. In a Pew Research Center poll, public support for capital punishment for apostasy among Muslims ranged from 78% in Afghanistan to less than 1% in Kazakhstan. "Rights of Muslim Converts to Christianity" (Ph.D. Whereas apostate (murtad) is the person who commits apostasy ('rtidad) , that is the conscious abandonment of allegiance or ... renunciation of a religious faith or abandonment of a previous loyalty. By the murtadd or apostate is understood as the Moslem by birth or by conversion, who renounces his religion, irrespective of whether or not he subsequently embraces another faith Abdelhadi, Magdi (27 March 2006). Debating the War of Ideas . Muslims who were forced to choose between recanting Islam or suffering persecution were, and still are, permitted to lie by feigning apostasy J.T. In Mohammed Abu-Nimer; David Augsburger (eds.). Peace-Building by, between, and beyond Muslims and Evangelical Christians . Islam: the key concepts . The Oxford dictionary of Islam . Sharī'a: Theory, Practice and Transformations . The Princeton encyclopedia of Islamic political thought . associate editors Patricia Crone, Wadid Kadi, Devin J. Stewart and Muhammad Qasim Zaman; assistant editor Mahan Mirza. There is a long-running debate in Islam over whether apostasy is a crime. Some liberal scholars hold the view that it is not (...), Others say apostasy is (...). The latter is the dominant view in conservative Muslim states such as Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (...). The Blackwell Companion to Contemporary Islamic Thought . The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists . Set My People Free . : CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) "Laws Criminalizing Apostasy" .

Islamic views on the renunciation of Islam by a Muslim This article is about a general description and examination of apostasy from Islam. Apostasy in Islam ( , riddah or ارتداد , irtidād ) is commonly defined as the abandonment of Islam by a Muslim , in thought, word, or through deed. It includes not only explicit renunciations of the Islamic faith by converting to another religion or abandoning religion , but also blasphemy or heresy by those who consider themselves Muslims, through any action or utterance which implies unbelief, including those who deny a "fundamental tenet or creed " of Islam, (such as suggesting jinn are not real). An apostate from Islam is known as a murtadd ( مرتدّ ). While classical Islamic jurisprudence calls for the death penalty of those who refuse to repent of apostasy from Islam, what statements or acts qualify as apostasy and whether and how they should be punished, are disputed among Islamic scholars, while punishment is strongly opposed by Muslim, Non-Muslim and secular supporters of the universal human right to freedom of faith . Until the late 19th century, the majority of Sunni and Shia jurists held the view that for adult men, apostasy from Islam was a crime as well as a sin, punishable by the death penalty , but with a number of options for leniency (such as a waiting period to allow time for repentance; enforcement only in cases involving politics), depending on the era, the legal standards and the school of law. In the late 19th century, the use of legal criminal penalties for apostasy fell into disuse, although civil penalties were still applied. As of 2021, there were ten Muslim-majority countries where apostasy from Islam was punishable by death, but legal executions are rare. Most punishment is extra-judicial/vigilante, and most executions are perpetrated by jihadist and " takfiri " insurgents ( al-Qaeda , ISIL/ISIS/IS/Daesh , the GIA , and the Taliban ). Another thirteen countries have penal or civil penalties for apostates – such as imprisonment, the annulment of their marriages, the loss of their rights of inheritance and the loss of custody of their children. In the contemporary Muslim world, public support for capital punishment varies from 78% in Afghanistan to less than 1% in Kazakhstan ; among Islamic jurists, the majority of them continue to regard apostasy as a crime which should be punishable by death . Those who disagree argue that its punishment should be less than death, should occur in the afterlife, (human punishment being inconsistent with Quranic injunctions against compulsion in belief), or should apply only in cases of public disobedience and disorder ( fitna ). Handbook of Leaving Religion . By the murtadd or apostate is understood as the Moslem by birth or by conversion, who renounces his religion, irrespective of whether or not he subsequently embraces another faith Hashemi, Kamran (2008). The Koran, a Very Short Introduction . Human Rights : Universality and Diversity . In McAuliffe, Jane Dammen (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān . "Rights of Muslim Converts to Christianity" (PhD Thesis) . Whereas an apostate (murtad) is the person who commits apostasy ('rtidad) , that is the conscious abandonment of allegiance or ... renunciation of a religious faith or abandonment of a previous loyalty. "Theology of Violence-oriented Takfirism as a Political Theory: The Case of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)". In Cusack, Carole M. ; Upal, M. Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements . The Blackwell Companion to Contemporary Islamic Thought . In Paul Babie; Neville Rochow (eds.). Freedom of Religion under Bills of Rights . In Mohammed Abu-Nimer; David Augsburger (eds.). Peace-Building by, between, and beyond Muslims and Evangelical Christians . Islam: the key concepts . The Oxford dictionary of Islam . The Princeton encyclopedia of Islamic political thought . associate editors Patricia Crone, Wadid Kadi, Devin J. Stewart and Muhammad Qasim Zaman; assistant editor Mahan Mirza. Sharī'a: Theory, Practice and Transformations . National Secular Society . 16 November 2021 . The New York Times . Religions . 10 (8: The Return of Religious Antisemitism? ). There is a long-running debate in Islam over whether apostasy is a crime. Some liberal scholars hold the view that it is not (...), Others say that apostasy is (...). The latter is the dominant view in conservative Muslim states such as Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (...). (1994), Apostasy and Blasphemy in Pakistan, Conn. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists . There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).

Islamic views on renunciation of Islam This article is about a general description and examination of apostasy from Islam. Apostasy in Islam ( Arabic : ردة , romanized : ridda or ارتداد , irtidād ) is commonly defined as the abandonment of Islam by a Muslim , in thought, word, or through deed. It includes not only explicit renunciations of the Islamic faith by converting to another religion or abandoning religion altogether , but also blasphemy or heresy by those who consider themselves Muslims, through any action or utterance which implies unbelief, including those who deny a "fundamental tenet or creed " of Islam. An apostate from Islam is known as a murtadd ( مرتدّ ). While Islamic jurisprudence calls for the death penalty of those who refuse to repent of apostasy from Islam, what statements or acts qualify as apostasy , and whether and how they should be punished, are disputed among Muslim scholars , with liberal Islamic movements rejecting physical punishment for apostasy. The penalty of killing of apostates is in conflict with international human rights norms which provide for the freedom of religions , as demonstrated in human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights , and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provide for the freedom of religion. Until the late 19th century, the majority of Sunni and Shia jurists held the view that for adult men, apostasy from Islam was a crime as well as a sin , punishable by the death penalty , but with a number of options for leniency (such as a waiting period to allow time for repentance or enforcement only in cases involving politics), depending on the era, the legal standards and the school of law. In the late 19th century, the use of legal criminal penalties for apostasy fell into disuse, although civil penalties were still applied. As of 2021, there were ten Muslim-majority countries where apostasy from Islam was punishable by death, but legal executions are rare. Most punishment is extrajudicial/vigilante, and most executions are perpetrated by jihadist and " takfiri " insurgents ( al-Qaeda , the Islamic State , the GIA , and the Taliban ). Another thirteen countries have penal or civil penalties for apostates – such as imprisonment, the annulment of their marriages, the loss of their rights of inheritance and the loss of custody of their children. In the contemporary Muslim world, public support for capital punishment varies from 78% in Afghanistan to less than 1% in Kazakhstan ; among Islamic jurists, the majority of them continue to regard apostasy as a crime which should be punishable by death . Those who disagree argue that its punishment should be less than death and should occur in the afterlife , as human punishment is considered to be inconsistent with Quranic injunctions against compulsion in belief , or should apply only in cases of public disobedience and disorder ( fitna ). Despite potentially grave and life-threatening consequences, several Muslims do leave the Islamic religion , either by becoming irreligious ( atheism , agnosticism , etc.) or converting to other religions, mostly to Christianity . "The phenomenon of "leaving Islam": Theoretical perspectives" . Handbook of Leaving Religion . By the murtadd or apostate is understood as the Moslem by birth or by conversion, who renounces his religion, irrespective of whether or not he subsequently embraces another faith "No God, not even Allah" . In McAuliffe, Jane Dammen (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān . "Rights of Muslim Converts to Christianity" (PhD Thesis) . Whereas an apostate (murtad) is the person who commits apostasy ('rtidad) , that is the conscious abandonment of allegiance or ... renunciation of a religious faith or abandonment of a previous loyalty. "Theology of Violence-oriented Takfirism as a Political Theory: The Case of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)". In Cusack, Carole M. ; Upal, M. Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements . In Paul Babie; Neville Rochow (eds.). Freedom of Religion under Bills of Rights . Human Rights : Universality and Diversity . In Mohammed Abu-Nimer; David Augsburger (eds.). Peace-Building by, between, and beyond Muslims and Evangelical Christians . Islam: the key concepts . The Oxford dictionary of Islam . The Princeton encyclopedia of Islamic political thought . associate editors Patricia Crone, Wadid Kadi, Devin J. Stewart and Muhammad Qasim Zaman; assistant editor Mahan Mirza. Sharī'a: Theory, Practice and Transformations . The New York Times . Religions . 10 (8: The Return of Religious Antisemitism? ). There is a long-running debate in Islam over whether apostasy is a crime. Some liberal scholars hold the view that it is not (...), Others say that apostasy is (...). The latter is the dominant view in conservative Muslim states such as Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (...). The Blackwell Companion to Contemporary Islamic Thought . (1994), Apostasy and Blasphemy in Pakistan, Conn. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists . Council on Foreign Relations . The Muslim World . 97 (1). There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).