Death for Apostasy?

Yesterday’s post dealt with the topic of apostasy in Islam. Here are some Muslim voices who reject the death penalty for apostasy from Islam,

Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Ali Gomaa, has unequivocally told the Washington Post that the death penalty for apostasy no longer applies.
Dr. Hisham Hellyer, a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies at University of Oxford, believes the death penalty punishment is no longer applicable and should be suspended under certain circumstances.

Even though the article is “old” by Internet standards, you should check out “When Muslims Become Christians.”

One thought on “Death for Apostasy?”

The basic thing to take into consideration is that in non-Islamic countries of the world, Religion and State are considered two separate institutions. However, according to Islam, the State and Islam are one. The reason is because the Arabic word used in Qur’an is ‘Deen’ which is often translated to ‘Religion’. However, the accurate translation of the word ‘Deen’ is ‘a way of life’. It is not restricted to a religious nature, but rather it consists of any set of principles, law and in effect describe any ‘system’ practised by a community or people. Hence, it is very understandable that Islam’s rules make up the State. They are not two separate institutions.
In this context, if a person leaves Islam (the way of life, and not just ‘Religion’), he/she would be going against the State. In this situation, he/she would be trialled with treason. If proven guilty, the death penalty would apply. However, it cannot be applied if the person held accountable has just abandoned the religious nature of Islam on a personal, individual level and has not allied with any of the State’s enemies and has not committed any treason against the State.
Some countries in the West also have death penalty for treason against the State.

Moreover, a person can only be subjected to death penalty if he/she is living in a State which fully and completely functions according to Islamic law. And I personally believe that no state in today’s world follows the Islamic law wholly and completely. Hence, the death penalty should not be applied anywhere.