jimnyc
09-05-2007, 08:02 AM
What happens to a Muslim should they choose to leave and/or deny their faith?
"Apostasy in Islam is commonly defined as the rejection of Islam in word or deed by a person who has been a Muslim."
"All five major schools of Islamic jurisprudence agree that a sane male apostate must be executed.A female apostate may be put to death, according to some schools, or imprisoned, according to others. The Islamic laws governing apostasy are derived from the traditions; Al-Shafi'i interpreted the verse [Qur'an 2:217] as adducing the main evidence for the death penalty in Qur'an.According to Wael Hallaq nothing of the apostasy law are derived from the Qur'an.
Some contemporary Shi'a jurists, scholars, writers and Islamic sects have argued or issued fatwas that either the changing of religion is not punishable or is only punishable under restricted circumstances, but these minority opinions have not found broad acceptance among Islamic scholars."
The Hadith (the body of quotes attributed to Muhammad and claimed eyewitnesses' accounts of Muhammad's life and deeds) includes statements that Muslim scholars such as Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid see as supporting the death penalty for apostasy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam
It is clear quite clear that under Islamic Law an apostate must be put to death. There is no dispute on this ruling among classical Muslim or modern scholars, and we shall return to the textual evidence for it. Some modern scholars have argued that in the Koran the apostate is threatened with punishment only in the next world, as for example at XVI.106, “Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief –save him who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with the Faith but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom.” Similarly in III.90-91, “Lo! those who disbelieve after their (profession of) belief, and afterward grow violent in disbelief, their repentance will not be accepted. And such are those who are astray. Lo! those who disbelieve, and die in disbelief, the (whole) earth full of gold would not be accepted from such an one if it were offered as a ransom (for his soul).Theirs will be a painful doom and they will have no helpers.”
However, Sura II.217 is interpreted by no less an authority than al-Shafi’i(died 820 C.E.), the founder of one of the four orthodox schools of law of Sunni Islam to mean that the death penalty should be prescribed for apostates. Sura II.217 reads: “… But whoever of you recants and dies an unbeliever , his works shall come to nothing in this world and the next, and they are the companions of the fire for ever.” Al-Thalabi and al -Khazan concur. Al-Razi in his commentary on II:217 says the apostate should be killed.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/001590.php
"According to Muslim Law, a male apostate, or murtadd, is liable to be put to death if he continue obstinate in his error; a female apostate is not subject to capital punishment, but she may be kept in confinement until she recant. If either the husband or the wife apostatize from the faith of Islam, a divorce takes place ipso facto; the wife is entitled to her whole dower, but no sentence of divorce is necessary. If the husband and wife both apostatize together, their marriage is generally allowed to continue, although Imam Zufar says if either husband or wife were singly to return to Islam, then the marriage would be dissolved. According to Abu Hanifah, a male apostate is disabled from selling or otherwise disposing of his property. But Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad differ from their master on this point, and consider a male apostate to be as competent to exercise every right as if he were still in the faith.
If a boy under age apostatize, he is not to be put to death, but to be imprisoned until he come to full age, when, if he continues in the state of unbelief, he must be put to death. Neither lunatics nor drunkards are held to be responsible for their apostasy from Islam. If a person upon compulsion became an apostate, his wife is not divorced, nor are his lands forfeited. If a person become a Mussulman upon compulsion, and afterwards apostatize, he is not to be put to death.
The will of a male apostate is not valid, but that of a female apostate is valid.
Ikrimah relates that some apostates were brought to the Khalifa Ali, and he burnt them alive; but Ibn Abbas heard of it and said that the Khalifa had not acted rightly, for the Prophet had said "[I]Punish not with God's punishment (i.e., fire), but whosoever changes his religion, kill him with the sword."
http://www.muslim-canada.org/apostasy.htm
These selected quotes/articles are just a few I found with a very brief search. There is an extensive amount of knowledge to be found out there about what happens to Muslim apostates. While there are few Muslims who will deny and/or argue the penalties for leaving the Muslim faith, history shows the penalties to be very severe for those caught exercising this act.
I have to ask, why should anyone be harmed in ANY way for leaving a religion? Never mind being put to death, why ANY penalty? Most stories I've read, directly from Muslims themselves, discuss harsh treatment, death, loss of family, having to hide and move... Why?
If Muslims are supposed to be peaceful people, wouldn't this fall in direct contradiction?
"Apostasy in Islam is commonly defined as the rejection of Islam in word or deed by a person who has been a Muslim."
"All five major schools of Islamic jurisprudence agree that a sane male apostate must be executed.A female apostate may be put to death, according to some schools, or imprisoned, according to others. The Islamic laws governing apostasy are derived from the traditions; Al-Shafi'i interpreted the verse [Qur'an 2:217] as adducing the main evidence for the death penalty in Qur'an.According to Wael Hallaq nothing of the apostasy law are derived from the Qur'an.
Some contemporary Shi'a jurists, scholars, writers and Islamic sects have argued or issued fatwas that either the changing of religion is not punishable or is only punishable under restricted circumstances, but these minority opinions have not found broad acceptance among Islamic scholars."
The Hadith (the body of quotes attributed to Muhammad and claimed eyewitnesses' accounts of Muhammad's life and deeds) includes statements that Muslim scholars such as Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid see as supporting the death penalty for apostasy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam
It is clear quite clear that under Islamic Law an apostate must be put to death. There is no dispute on this ruling among classical Muslim or modern scholars, and we shall return to the textual evidence for it. Some modern scholars have argued that in the Koran the apostate is threatened with punishment only in the next world, as for example at XVI.106, “Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief –save him who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with the Faith but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom.” Similarly in III.90-91, “Lo! those who disbelieve after their (profession of) belief, and afterward grow violent in disbelief, their repentance will not be accepted. And such are those who are astray. Lo! those who disbelieve, and die in disbelief, the (whole) earth full of gold would not be accepted from such an one if it were offered as a ransom (for his soul).Theirs will be a painful doom and they will have no helpers.”
However, Sura II.217 is interpreted by no less an authority than al-Shafi’i(died 820 C.E.), the founder of one of the four orthodox schools of law of Sunni Islam to mean that the death penalty should be prescribed for apostates. Sura II.217 reads: “… But whoever of you recants and dies an unbeliever , his works shall come to nothing in this world and the next, and they are the companions of the fire for ever.” Al-Thalabi and al -Khazan concur. Al-Razi in his commentary on II:217 says the apostate should be killed.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/001590.php
"According to Muslim Law, a male apostate, or murtadd, is liable to be put to death if he continue obstinate in his error; a female apostate is not subject to capital punishment, but she may be kept in confinement until she recant. If either the husband or the wife apostatize from the faith of Islam, a divorce takes place ipso facto; the wife is entitled to her whole dower, but no sentence of divorce is necessary. If the husband and wife both apostatize together, their marriage is generally allowed to continue, although Imam Zufar says if either husband or wife were singly to return to Islam, then the marriage would be dissolved. According to Abu Hanifah, a male apostate is disabled from selling or otherwise disposing of his property. But Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad differ from their master on this point, and consider a male apostate to be as competent to exercise every right as if he were still in the faith.
If a boy under age apostatize, he is not to be put to death, but to be imprisoned until he come to full age, when, if he continues in the state of unbelief, he must be put to death. Neither lunatics nor drunkards are held to be responsible for their apostasy from Islam. If a person upon compulsion became an apostate, his wife is not divorced, nor are his lands forfeited. If a person become a Mussulman upon compulsion, and afterwards apostatize, he is not to be put to death.
The will of a male apostate is not valid, but that of a female apostate is valid.
Ikrimah relates that some apostates were brought to the Khalifa Ali, and he burnt them alive; but Ibn Abbas heard of it and said that the Khalifa had not acted rightly, for the Prophet had said "[I]Punish not with God's punishment (i.e., fire), but whosoever changes his religion, kill him with the sword."
http://www.muslim-canada.org/apostasy.htm
These selected quotes/articles are just a few I found with a very brief search. There is an extensive amount of knowledge to be found out there about what happens to Muslim apostates. While there are few Muslims who will deny and/or argue the penalties for leaving the Muslim faith, history shows the penalties to be very severe for those caught exercising this act.
I have to ask, why should anyone be harmed in ANY way for leaving a religion? Never mind being put to death, why ANY penalty? Most stories I've read, directly from Muslims themselves, discuss harsh treatment, death, loss of family, having to hide and move... Why?
If Muslims are supposed to be peaceful people, wouldn't this fall in direct contradiction?