Apostasy and Blasphemy in Islam

MENJ

VII. Kitab al-fiqh Ala' al-Madahib al-Arba'ah (16)
by 'Abd al-Rahman Jaziri (Urdu translation)
Excerpts and examples to further illustrate what constitutes blasphemy in Islam
It is necessary to have evidence of two reliable witnesses corroborating each other before a Khazi (judge) shall be required to question the witnesses. Thereupon the witnesses will have to make statements describing the words uttered or the acts done which constitute apostasy.

Apostasy can be committed in two ways: (1) by uttering expressly by tongue that he is (or has become) a Mushrik , a polytheist (i.e. one who associates others with the One God and considers them to be worthy of worship) or, by saying something which is bound to connote in its meaning a denial of the existence of God, for instance to say that God has corporeal (physical, material) existence just like any other corporeal object, or (2) by the performance of an act in which one cannot avoid the clear conclusion that it is tantamount to 'kufr' (infidelity, denial of Islam), for example, to throw away with contempt the holy Qur'an or any part of it or even a single word of it; or to throw it in the fire in an insulting, contemptuous manner; or to throw it in such a place as a garbage dump where there are filthy, dirty and repulsive things; or in a spittoon etc. These acts would be blasphemous and constitute apostasy.

The same rules apply to the Most Beautiful Names of Allah as well as to books of Ahadith (Prophetic Traditions - i.e. records of the Prophet's sayings, doings and tacit approvals) and it would be considered blasphemy amounting to apostasy.

The same rules apply to books of Fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence) provided the acts are done with the intention of defaming or belittling with contempt the Islamic injunctions or the Islamic code of law. This would be regarded as blasphemy/apostasy.

Other examples of blasphemy/apostasy are:

? To believe in transmigration of souls or reincarnation because this amounts to rejecting the belief in life-after-death and the world of the Hereafter.

? To deny or reject something of which the whole Muslim Community (Ummah) is agreed upon, e.g. to hold that the obligatory ritual prayers or fasting are not obligatory or to deny legal permissibility (halal) of a thing on which the whole Muslim Community is agreed upon and which is definitely proven to be so on the basis of its proof from the holy Qur'an and Hadith mutawatir.

? To call names and use swear-words in respect of all such Messengers of God, Apostles, Prophets who are accepted as such by the whole Muslim Community.

? This same rule applies to angels.

? This same rule applies to angels and prophets with regard to fault-finding using taunting or derogatory or sarcastic language against them even in respect of their physical/bodily defects.

? To use sarcasm and belittling words in respect of the moral character or the way of life (religion) of the Prophet Muhammad or other prophets.

Apostasy - "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 [i.e. Muslim] 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 "Punish not with God's punishment (i.e., fire), but whosoever changes his religion, kill him with the sword."

Apostasy - Returning to Webster's dictionary this time for a definition of Apostasy and Treason: - "the public abandoning of a religious faith, esp. Christianity, for another; a similar abandonment of a doctrine or party." 'Treason is' defined: "not only as an attempt to overthrow by illegal means, the government to which a person owes allegiance, the act or attempted act of working for the enemies of the State, and attempt to kill or injure the sovereign, but also betrayal of trust, disloyalty (to a cause, friend, etc.)."  



http://muslim-canada.org/APOSNOFR.HTM

Apostasy - "According to Muslim Law, a male apostate, or murtadd, is liable to be put to death
----
I don't agree.

MENJ

Originally posted by samerosie at 8-8-2006 06:01 PM
Apostasy - "According to Muslim Law, a male apostate, or murtadd, is liable to be put to death
----
I don't agree.

Facts are there for all to see.

- MENJ

Well, I don't understand, without any commentary from you, I am not sure whether you are for or against the death penalty for apostacy?

The article in link is too long.

[ Last edited by  samerosie at 9-8-2006 10:54 AM ]

MENJ

Of course I am "for". I will never disobey the Prophet.

Here's another link:

http://www.bukanliberal.org/articles/302/

- MENJ

Sure, nobody here is against the Prophet but wouldn't you think the Prophet was misquoted or taken out of context?  

I'm not being anti hadith or anything, but I believe man can make mistakes so whatever is in hadith that does not make sense and have no reference in the Quran, I will ignore it, BUT whichever that has reference in the Quran, it is always good and I will try to follow it.

There is one hadith collected by Bukhari that I read, can't remember which vol. number, it tells about this man who was listening to the Prophet explaining about the creation of the universe, half way someone shouted that his camel was untied and running away, so he left to get his camel and didn't come back until the Prophet finished his explanation.  Later, someone asked him about what he had heard from the Prophet, and he told them but it was not completed.  When it did not make sense, he confessed that he was only there for a short while and missed the rest.  

Now, isn't that like a broken telephone game?

I remember some years ago in Malaysia the case of Aishah(???)  who decided to leave Islam to follow her Hindu bf.  There was a huge uproar in the Muslim community.  Then, a week or so after that, the Mufti of Mesir visited Malaysia, and a reporter asked him what we should do regarding the people who leaves Islam.  His answer was, and I remember it very very well as it was broadcasted on the prime news and later the next morning in the papers, he said, leave them alone rather than forcing them to stay in Islam and causing much damage within and to the religion.

This reminds me of a hadith collected by Bukhari and mentioned a few times in his vol. 9 alone:-

Volume 9, Book 89, Number 316:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:

A bedouin gave the Pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle for Islam and the bedouin got a fever where upon he said to the Prophet "Cancel my Pledge." But the Prophet refused. He came to him (again) saying, "Cancel my Pledge.' But the Prophet refused. Then (the bedouin) left (Medina). Allah's Apostle said: "Medina is like a pair of bellows (furnace): It expels its impurities and brightens and clears its good."

Volume 9, Book 89, Number 318:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:

A bedouin gave the Pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle for Islam. Then the bedouin got fever at Medina, came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Cancel my Pledge," But Allah's Apostle refused. Then he came to him (again) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Cancel my Pledge." But the Prophet refused Then he came to him (again) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Cancel my Pledge." But the Prophet refused. The bedouin finally went out (of Medina) whereupon Allah's Apostle said, "Medina is like a pair of bellows (furnace): It expels its impurities and brightens and clears its good.

Volume 9, Book 89, Number 323:
Narrated Jabir:

A bedouin came to the Prophet and said, "Please take my Pledge of allegiance for Islam." So the Prophet took from him the Pledge of allegiance for Islam. He came the next day with a fever and said to the Prophet "Cancel my pledge." But the Prophet refused and when the bedouin went away, the Prophet said, "Medina is like a pair of bellows (furnace): It expels its impurities and brightens and clears its good."

The Prophet said :  "Medina is like a pair of bellows (furnace): It expels its impurities and brightens and clears its good."

It made sense!  And he didn't even ordered the Bedouin to be killed etc.  The Quran says:-

If it had been your Lord's will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth.  Will you then compel against their will to believe?  (10:99):  

The Truth is from your Lord, so whoever wants let him believe and whosoever wants let him deny (18:29)

The freedom of choice is given by the Almighty, but if you have chosen Islam as your path, you have a certain responsibilities that comes with it.  What if, at the judgement day, Allah swt holds you responsible for the death of those people you "punished" believing it was a good deed approved by the Prophet?

Wallahualam, but I don't want to have blood on my hands.

[ Last edited by  samerosie at 9-8-2006 12:16 PM ]

Originally posted by samerosie at 9-8-2006 12:10 PM
Sure, nobody here is against the Prophet but wouldn't you think the Prophet was misquoted or taken out of context?  

I'm not being anti hadith or anything, but I believe man can make mistakes so ...

how do we settle this? i believe in hadiths. i marvel at the prophet's attributes. to me he is the greatest strategist of all time. if one think tdm is malaysia. muhammad saw is very much more than that.

however, the issue here is not on islamic principle but on whether the collections of the hadith has been following the right criterias as well as the originality preserved. using the existing logic, one would think of how a gropu of people compile sayings that are a few hundred years back with precision. if we dispute the gospels, logically we should also dispute the hadiths. and i beleive, as the american way influences and becomes our way of life, such questions will be increasingly asked by future generations.

islam needs to look at how we address this issue i.e. the standards, benchmarks, criterias in selecting the hadith for quranic support rather than quarrel over what the hadith says.

Originally posted by bob at 9-8-2006 12:29 PM


how do we settle this? i believe in hadiths. i marvel at the prophet's attributes. to me he is the greatest strategist of all time. if one think tdm is malaysia. muhammad saw is very much more  ...

Suggest Samerosie to research deeper.
Effect of "Apostasy and Blasphemy" is catastrophe, you wouldn't like to imagine.

Itu saja saya dibenarkan....

Originally posted by bob at 9-8-2006 12:29 PM

.......if we dispute the gospels, logically we should also dispute the hadiths. and i beleive, as the american way influences and becomes our way of life, such questions will be increasingly asked by future generations.

islam needs to look at how we address this issue i.e. the standards, benchmarks, criterias in selecting the hadith for quranic support rather than quarrel over what the hadith says.

I agree Bob, although not necessarily "the american way influences and becomes our way of life".  I think it's more appropriate to say that "when more and more educated and knowledgeable the Muslims become", we need to look at the hadith objectively or critically even.

Recently I read a book by Dr. Louay Fatoohi - The Prophet Joseph in the Qur'an, the Bible, and History.  



It looks at the Surah Yusof in a new light while referring to interpretations from classical exegetical works of the Quran and also a comparison of the biblical Joseph.

What I find most interesting is that the book gives an insight how traditional exegesists interpreted certain suras that has no basis in the Quran.  For example in Surah Yusof ayat 42 below, those exegesists interpreted and put the blame on Prophet Yusoff for asking his fellow prison mate for help in getting him out of the prison, thus Allah swt punished him by making him stayed longer in the prison.  This was not true.  

And of the two, to that one whom he consider about to be saved, he said: "Mention me to thy lord." But Satan made him forget to mention him to his lord: and (Joseph) lingered in prison a few (more) years.

Those exegesists seemed to forget that this was Nabi Allah dan terpelihara (12:24 ....but that he saw the evidence of his Lord: thus (did We order) that We might turn away from him (all) evil and shameful deeds: for he was one of Our servants, sincere and purified).   Even in the Quran, Allah swt said the Satan made his prisonmate forget, not Allah punished the prophet for asking help from other apart from Him.

Just imagine, we Muslims depended and still depends on these type of classical exegesis in studying the Quran!  

We should look at the hadith again, objectively with basis from the Quran, the best Hadith.

[ Last edited by  samerosie at 9-8-2006 02:35 PM ]

Originally posted by pooja_1 at 9-8-2006 02:00 PM


Suggest Samerosie to research deeper.
Effect of "Apostasy and Blasphemy" is catastrophe, you wouldn't like to imagine.

Itu saja saya dibenarkan....

Apostate carries to an extent one meaning, blasphemy has another.  Allah swt is THE most merciful and forgiving.  The Quran says Repent repent and you will be at His mercy for He is the most forgiving.  The Quran also says about people rejecting the faith, repented, reject again, repented, reject again, well, (banyak kali chance Dia kasi tu, bila tiba tang kita, sekali je dah nak berbunuh) no amount of repentence will then be acceptable by Him but He didn't say, reject faith, must be killed.  He said for one who rejects Him, He will create another who will love Him more.  And if you don't take that to mean literally, it can mean, for one who rejects Him, the other take this as an example, why the former rejects Him thus he will find, sought, learn about Him deeper, understands Him and thus make him love his Creator more.  Allah swt tak rugi apa.

Do you know that the first to use the death penalty for both offences above were the early Christians?  Recant or die!  

Some Muslims are so against some of the Christian practises and beliefs, but here, they are such in hurry to adopt it.  What IF out of the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world today, only 10 decided to stay in Islam, do you exterminate the rest?  Now, that'll be something.

But, I do have to agree, to reject Islam is one thing, but to reject pas tu treason lagi, tu patut lah kena gantung.  America yang berkobar2 kata negri demokrasi pun hukum tembak gak kes treason.

[ Last edited by  samerosie at 9-8-2006 02:56 PM ]

eastrun

Originally posted by bob at 9-8-2006 12:29 PM


how do we settle this? i believe in hadiths. i marvel at the prophet's attributes. to me he is the greatest strategist of all time. if one think tdm is malaysia. muhammad saw is very much more  ...

Follow the Quran and you will know which one is the true hadith. Keep in mind...ALWAYS..Allah gave Muhammad WISDOM and Holy Book. The WISDOM is to explain the Holy Book in detail and the Wisdom was 'disalin' by those perawi called Hadith. The Hadith came from Wisdom but the reference is the Holy Quran. If the hadith is not related anywhere in the Holy Qurn, so the Hadith is not true.

At least when we have contradict Hadith, we still have a reference(Quran) to clarify which one is the true one. But for the Christian, when there are contradictions in the Bible, they don't have any reference at all to clarify which one is true between those two cointradictions..that's why Hadith accuracy can be deterimned better than the Bible.

yusmar

Originally posted by samerosie at 9-8-2006 02:54 PM


Apostate carries to an extent one meaning, blasphemy has another.  Allah swt is THE most merciful and forgiving.  The Quran says Repent repent and you will be at His mercy for He is the most fo ...

i agree samerosie....Allah is most forgiving and everything that happens is with His consent....Allah maha mengetahui...there are reasons things happen....who are we to say what the rightful punishment is......only Allah has the right to punish us for our wrong doings....wallahu alam

an interview with Syeikh Al-Azhar
Di Rennaissance Hotel
Pada 21 Ogos 1998

Tuan telah menyentuh tentang isu murtad dalam ucapan tuan di Pusat Islam. Di sini saya ingin memohon kesudian tuan untuk menjelaskan lebih lanjut bilakah orang murtad ini boleh dihukum bunuh dan bilakah pula tidak boleh dihukum bunuh?

Perkataan murtad itu sepertimana yang telah saya sebutkan bahawa saya tidak suka mendengarnya dan saya tidak tahu ada orang Islam di Mesir yang telah murtad. Negara Mesir yang mempunyai 50 juta orang Islam dan juga mempunyai penduduk bukan Islam, sedangkan umur saya sudah menjangkau 70 tahun namun saya tidak tahu adanya orang Islam yang murtad dari agamanya. Saya tidak tahu kenapa isu murtad ini ditimbulkan. Islam adalah agama yang terkenal dengan kesempurnaan aqidahnya, terkenal dengan toleransinya, terkenal dengan kebenarannya dan terkenal dengan kerjasama antara manusia untuk kebaikan. Soalnya kenapakah seorang manusia yang mengakui bahawa tidak ada Tuhan yang disembah melainkan Allah dan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. adalah pesuruh Allah, meninggalkan agama ini? Kemudian menganut agama lain? Apakah kemudaratan yang menimpanya dengan sebab ia beragama Islam? Tentunya tiada, malah Islam telah memuliakannya dan menjelaskan kepadanya apakah tanggungjawabnya terhadap Penciptanya, apa harus dilakukan kepada masyarakatnya dan terhadap dirinya sendiri. Saya sendiri tidak mengetahui berlakunya murtad.

Sebaliknya di Universiti Al-Azhar pada setiap bulan malahan pada setiap minggu puluhan orang-orang bukan Islam datang ke pihak kami untuk mengumumkan (isytihar) ke-Islaman mereka. Ada antara mereka yang datang dari Eropah, Amerika, Afrika dan ada juga dari Asia. Mereka ini mengumumkan ke-Islaman mereka itu secara sukarela dan dengan penuh keyakinan sesudah mereka membaca dan memahami bahawa agama Islam itu adalah sepertimana yang difirmankan oleh Allah yang bermaksud:
'Pada hari ini, Aku telah sempurnakan bagi kamu agama kamu, dan Aku telah cukupkan nikmatku kepada kamu, dan Aku telah redhakan Islam itu menjadi agama untuk kamu'.(Surah al-Ma?dah: 3)

Oleh itu, saya tidak tahu adanya orang Islam yang telah murtad. Namun begitu (katakanlah) sekiranya perkara ini berlaku dan seorang Islam meninggalkan agamanya, maka manusia itu bukanlah orang Islam, bukan Nasrani, bukan Yahudi dan bukan pula Buddhist, tetapi ianya seorang manusia yang mengejar keseronokan dan kepentingan diri, manusia yang tidak beragama dan ia meninggalkan agama Islam semata-mata kerana mengejar keuntungan dan kepentingan tertentu. Orang yang seperti ini tidak diperlukan oleh Islam itu sendiri dan kewujudannya dalam masyarakat Islam adalah merupakan satu bebanan. Apabila ia keluar dari Islam, maka ketika itu kita perlu memberi kesedaran kepadanya supaya ia berpatah balik kepada Islam. Tetapi jika dia pergi ke Eropah misalnya dan ingin berkahwin dengan wanita Nasrani lalu dia menukar agamanya kepada Kristian (murtad), maka terpulanglah kepadanya.

Tetapi apabila dia memusuhi Islam seperti menulis atau menerbit buku mencaci Islam, maka ketika itu kita perlu menghukumnya dengan hukuman yang munasabah (setimpal). Saya tidak boleh terus menjatuhkan hukuman bunuh. Persoalan ini berkaitan dengan apa yang anda katakan tentang apa yang dilakukan olehnya. Anda perlu menentukan bahawa ia telah melakukan perkara itu dan ini dan sesudah itu barulah boleh mengemukakan hukuman mengikut syara?.

Di zaman Nabi s.a.w. pernah berlaku di mana Ubaidullah bin Jahsy yang telahpun berkahwin dengan Saiyidah Ummu Habibah di mana kedua-duanya berhijrah ke Habsyah (Euthopia). Di sana Ubaidullah telah murtad (memeluk agama Kristian). Apakah tindakan Rasulullah s.a.w.? Rasulullah s.a.w. mengahwini bekas isterinya demi untuk memelihara dan menjaganya. Ke manakah bekas suaminya (Ubaidullah)? Dia dilaporkan mati dalam keadaan biasa sepertimana kebanyakan manusia tanpa diketahui oleh sesiapapun. Walau bagaimanapun, sekiranya isu murtad ini berlaku, kita hendaklah menasihati orang-orang yang terlibat dan memandu mereka serta menjelaskan tentang keistimewaan dan kebaikan Islam, kemudian Allah jua yang mampu untuk memberi hidayah kepadanya.

http://www.islam.gov.my/e-rujukan/lihat.php?jakim=463

Wallahualam.......

[ Last edited by  yusmar at 9-8-2006 06:29 PM ]

so we have to agree that while muslims need to relook at the way we research and view hadiths, we need to agree not to agitate each other.

Originally posted by yusmar at 9-8-2006 06:20 PM

i agree samerosie....Allah is most forgiving and everything that happens is with His consent....Allah maha mengetahui...there are reasons things happen....who are we to say what the rightful  ...

Exactly, yusmar, just like what the Quran says in Surah 74 ayat 10-11:-

Far from easy for those without Faith. Leave Me alone, (to deal) with the (creature) whom I created (bare and) alone!