Apostasy in 'Sunni' Islam..

[IjazAhmad]

Salamun Alaikum, brother Joseph!

I've the volumes of Sunan An Nasai (hadiths)

Today I read hadiths about apostasy.  I got disturbed.. There were many hadiths that said if a person leaves the religion, kill him!
The Ulema/Scholars explain this by telling us that in Islamic Law if someone leaves the religion and THEN rebels or attack the Islamic government/religion then we have the right to kill him. The explanation the Ulemas give, can it be true? And is it allowed in the Qur'an?

I also read the commentary in Sunan An Nasai and exactly the same thing is said.. If someone rebels after he became an apostate THEN "according" to Islamic law it is right to kill that person.

Now is this explanation right? Even Dr. Zakir Naik gives the same explanation.. 

So is this true according to the Qur'an? If someone apostates and then rebels is it right to kill him? And is their explanation right? 

So what is it? Kill him after he rebels or kill him directly when leaves Islam? I'm confused 

Wassalam!

[Sardar Miyan]

Salam Bro  Please se the following Ayaah for your guidance. Please trust no Hadith but Quran
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

[good logic]

Greetings IjazAhmad.

We have the freedom to believe or disbelieve according to Qoran

We are absolutely free to believe or disbelieve in God. Be Muslims, Christians, Jews... Whatever we want to be. It is God's will that we will freely, see 18:29, 25:57, 73:19, 74:37, 76:29 etc.
Also, God told us in the Qoran that He knows the future and He knows what everyone of us will do, believe, behave and commit in this life, because He is God who knows the past, present and future. God warns those who create rules and say they are from Him!

Those who create rules to force people to do or not to do are not really following Qoran!!!

They will have a "big" contradiction" with the scripture and they will account to GOD on the day of judgement:

[Qoran 10:99] Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Do you want to force the people to become believers?


Because of this kind of freedom God never forces His religion on any body, how can they justify forcing people, or killing them?

If God was to force people to believe or disbelieve he would not have asked them about their choices and He would never have punished some and rewarded others. God is Most Merciful.

GOD bless you.
Peace.

[Joseph Islam]

Wa alaikum assalam Ijaz Ahmad,

Welcome to the forum!

From a Quran's perspective, there are no grounds for taking a life for apostasy alone. The Quran remains clear that one only enters and leaves religion out of free choice. There is no compulsion in religion. Please see articles [1] and [2] below.

However, the Quran also makes it clear that life can only be taken in two circumstances, arguably by those in governance (5:32).

• As a retribution for causing 'fasaad' (gross mischief, spreading corruption, evil, beyond all bounds) in the land (punishable by the state).
• As a retribution for murder (punishable by the state).

Now if after leaving faith, one resorts to (1) above (fasaad), then there are arguably grounds for such a punishment as the 'death penalty'.

This also applies to 'blasphemy'. Similarly, there is no death penalty for blasphemy in the Quran either [2]. However, if repeated, unrelenting blasphemy is to such an extent which incites hatred, terrorism and outright evil in the land then this is a matter for the state to decide whether it can be classed as 'fasaad'. This is especially the case, if the perpetrator has no intention to curtail it, repent nor has any suitable defence.

Even if it is deemed that the matter is so grave that it is classed as 'fasaad', the state has many judgments to its avail which do not always necessarily amount to the death penalty. One example can be seen in verse (5:33) which includes banishment from the land.

Therefore in short, unless leaving faith (apostasy) or blasphemy causes one to engage in outright ‘fasaad’ in the land, then there is no death penalty.

I hope that helps, God willing
Joseph


REFERENCES:

[1] APOSTASY
http://quransmessage.com/articles/apostasy%20FM3.htm
[2] FORCED FAITH IS NO FAITH
http://quransmessage.com/articles/forced%20faith%20is%20no%20faith%20FM3.htm
[3] DEATH PENALTY FOR BLASPHEMY
http://quransmessage.com/articles/blasphemy%20FM3.htm