2,743
edits
Islam and Apostasy: Difference between revisions
Removed dead link (and webcitation.org no longer works), but the content was later included and sourced in the linked Quran Hadith Scholars page anyway
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
No edit summary |
Lightyears (talk | contribs) (Removed dead link (and webcitation.org no longer works), but the content was later included and sourced in the linked Quran Hadith Scholars page anyway) |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
The Qur'an does not assign a specific punishment for leaving the religion, as it does for instance for [[zina]]. Rather the Qur'an promises the punishment and wrath of Allah upon the believer who later leaves the faith: | The Qur'an does not assign a specific punishment for leaving the religion, as it does for instance for [[zina]]. Rather the Qur'an promises the punishment and wrath of Allah upon the believer who later leaves the faith: | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|16|106}}|Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|16|106}}|Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;}}This verse was, according to the traditional reckoning, revealed to the prophet in the case of 'Ammar ibn Yasir, a Mekkan who had been put under pressure of torture of himself and his family to renounce Islam. The prophet ruled that upon the end of this persecution, 'Ammar could be allowed back into the Muslim community. This is a stark departure from the Christian tradition, which sees holding fast to the faith under persecution as the ultimate virtue of the believer. This story and verse would end up providing the grounding for the (largely realized as Shi'ite) doctrine of [[Taqiyya]]. Although usually thought of as a Shi'a idea, ibn Kathir himself provides grounding for this idea:{{Quote|Tafsir of ibn Kathir on Quran 16:106|(except one who was forced while his heart is at peace with the faith) This is an exception in the case of one who utters statements of disbelief and verbally agrees with the Mushrikin because he is forced to do so by the beatings and abuse to which he is subjected, but his heart refuses to accept what he is saying, and he is, in reality, at peace with his faith in Allah and His Messenger. The scholars agreed that if a person is forced into disbelief, it is permissible for him to either go along with them in the interests of self-preservation, or to refuse, as Bilal did when they were inflicting all sorts of torture on him, even placing a huge rock on his chest in the intense heat and telling him to admit others as partners with Allah.}}As such, this verse provides for no hadd punishment for apostasy, but rather gives excuse to Muslims who have apostasized under pressure of persecution to return to the community when it is safe to do so.{{Quote|{{Quran|2|217}}|They ask you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting [people] from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Haram and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the sight of Allah. And fitnah is greater than killing." And they will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able. And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever - for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally.}}In addition to providing a rational for fighting the mushrikeen (idolators or unbelievers), this verse again deals with the punishment in the hereafter of those who leave the faith and lacks any mention of the punishment to be meted out to unbelievers. Qurtubi notes in his tafsir on this verse: | ||
{{Quote|Tafsir of Qurtubi on Qur'an 2:217|Scholars disagree about whether or not apostates are asked to repent. One group say that they are asked to repent and, if they do not, they are killed. Some say they are given an hour and others a | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|2| | month. Others say that they are asked to repent three times. That is related from ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān and that is the view of Mālik. Ibn | ||
al-Qāsim related it from him. Al-Ḥasan said they are asked a hundred times. It is also said that they are killed without being asked to repent. Ash-Shāfi‘ī says that in one of his two views and it is one | |||
of the positions of Ṭāwūs and ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr. Saḥnūn mentioned that ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Abī Salmah al-Mājishūn said that apostates are killed without being asked to repent. He argues that | |||
based on the ḥadīth of Mu‘ādh and Abū Mūsā. It says: ‘When the Prophet f sent Abū Mūsā to Yemen, he sent Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal after | |||
him. When he came to him, he dismounted and Abū Mūsā gave him a cushion. There was a man in shackles beside him. Mu‘ādh asked, “Who is this?” He replied, “He is a Jew who became Muslim | |||
and reverted and returned to Judaism.” He stated, “I will not sit down until he is killed. This is the judgment of Allah and His Messenger.” “Sit,” Abū Mūsā said. He repeated, “No, I will not sit | |||
down until he is killed. This is the judgment of Allah and His Messenger.” He said it three times and he commanded that he be killed.’ Muslim and others transmitted it.}} | |||
Qurtubi clearly believes that some manner of punishment is due for apostates, but justifies his belief in this punishment with reference to the hadith. It's clear that Qurtubi does not see the Qur'an itself as supporting this punishment and feels the need to reach outside of it into other traditions in order to justify this recieved belief. | |||
===In the four schools=== | ===In the four schools=== | ||
| Line 36: | Line 43: | ||
*'''The Hanbali school''' recommends a waiting period of three days for repentance and reversion. Then, the apostate is to be invited three times to repent and revert. If the apostate refuses this invitation, they must be executed. This applies to both males and females. | *'''The Hanbali school''' recommends a waiting period of three days for repentance and reversion. Then, the apostate is to be invited three times to repent and revert. If the apostate refuses this invitation, they must be executed. This applies to both males and females. | ||
*'''The Ja'fari school''' does not require a waiting period, but allows one to be granted if the apostate was born a disbeliever (rendering them a ''murtad al-milli''). Male apostates must be executed, while female apostates must be held in solitary confinement and beaten at the times of the daily prayers and restricted to light rations of food until she repents and reverts.<ref name="PetersDeVries2" / | *'''The Ja'fari school''' does not require a waiting period, but allows one to be granted if the apostate was born a disbeliever (rendering them a ''murtad al-milli''). Male apostates must be executed, while female apostates must be held in solitary confinement and beaten at the times of the daily prayers and restricted to light rations of food until she repents and reverts.<ref name="PetersDeVries2" /><ref>[http://statics.ml.imam-khomeini.ir/en/File/NewsAttachment/2014/0000-tahrir%20j4-nA4.pdf imam-khomeini.ir] Imam Khomeini, Tahrir al-Wasilar Volumie IV (English translation), Tehran: Institute for Compilation of Imam Khomeini's works, 2011, p.255</ref><ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://formermuslimsunited.org/?page_id=2169|2=2011-10-04}} A Shiite Opinion on Apostasy] - Originally from Kayhan International, March 1986</ref> | ||
Civil law penalties for apostates who are imprisoned, awaiting execution, or who have taken flight have also been prescribed.<ref name="PetersDeVries2" /><ref>[https://islamqa.info/en/134339 islamqa.info] Fatwah 134339: Effect of apostasy on marriage before and after consummation]</ref> In all | Civil law penalties for apostates who are imprisoned, awaiting execution, or who have taken flight have also been prescribed.<ref name="PetersDeVries2" /><ref>[https://islamqa.info/en/134339 islamqa.info] Fatwah 134339: Effect of apostasy on marriage before and after consummation]</ref> In all schools other than the Hanafi school, the apostate's right to dispose of property is suspended pending repentance. An apostate also loses the right to inherit (from anyone, Muslim or otherwise). The four schools and the individual jurists within them differ on whether all an apostate's property goes to their Muslim heirs, or just that acquired before his apostasy (if the apostate is a male). The apostate's marriage contract is annulled upon the act of apostasy, even if they repent, or is suspended pending repentance for the length of the wife's 'waiting period' in the Shafi'i school (if their marriage was already consummated) and Shia Ja'fari school (if the apostate was born a disbeliever). | ||
===In scripture and scholarly writing=== | ===In scripture and scholarly writing=== | ||
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Apostasy|l1=Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars: Apostasy}}Authoritative Islamic sources (the Qur'an, hadith, and both classical and modern scholars) have commented at length on what constitutes apostasy and how apostates are to be dealt with.{{quote |{{Bukhari|4|52|260}} | Narrated Ikrima: | {{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Apostasy|l1=Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars: Apostasy}}Authoritative Islamic sources (the Qur'an, hadith, and both classical and modern scholars) have commented at length on what constitutes apostasy and how apostates are to be dealt with.{{quote |{{Bukhari|4|52|260}} | Narrated Ikrima: | ||
| Line 58: | Line 65: | ||
A Pew poll released on April 30, 2013 asked Muslims in 39 countries between 2008 and 2012 questions about religion, politics and society based on 38,000 face-to-face interviews. In one question, asked in 37 of these countries with a combined Muslim population of just over 1 billion people, the survey asked participants whether they favored or opposed the death penalty for leaving Islam. Using the complete dataset for this question on page 219 of the full report<ref>[http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2013/04/worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-full-report.pdf The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society] Pew Research Centre, 30 April 2013, p.219 (responses by country to the question on apostasy)</ref>, and weighing the responses by Muslim population<ref>[http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2011/01/FutureGlobalMuslimPopulation-WebPDF-Feb10.pdf Future Global Muslim Population] Pew Research Centre, 2011, pp.156-163 (Estimated Muslim population by country in 2010)</ref> indicates that overall, 40% of Muslims in these countries favor the death penalty for apostasy from Islam. The percentage was below 10% in Central Asia, Turkey and Balkan countries included in the survey. It was above 50% in Afghanistan (79%), Egypt (88%), Jordan (83%), Malaysia (58%), Pakistan (75%), Palestinian Territories (62%), and Djbouti (62%). | A Pew poll released on April 30, 2013 asked Muslims in 39 countries between 2008 and 2012 questions about religion, politics and society based on 38,000 face-to-face interviews. In one question, asked in 37 of these countries with a combined Muslim population of just over 1 billion people, the survey asked participants whether they favored or opposed the death penalty for leaving Islam. Using the complete dataset for this question on page 219 of the full report<ref>[http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2013/04/worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-full-report.pdf The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society] Pew Research Centre, 30 April 2013, p.219 (responses by country to the question on apostasy)</ref>, and weighing the responses by Muslim population<ref>[http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2011/01/FutureGlobalMuslimPopulation-WebPDF-Feb10.pdf Future Global Muslim Population] Pew Research Centre, 2011, pp.156-163 (Estimated Muslim population by country in 2010)</ref> indicates that overall, 40% of Muslims in these countries favor the death penalty for apostasy from Islam. The percentage was below 10% in Central Asia, Turkey and Balkan countries included in the survey. It was above 50% in Afghanistan (79%), Egypt (88%), Jordan (83%), Malaysia (58%), Pakistan (75%), Palestinian Territories (62%), and Djbouti (62%). | ||
One noteworthy mistake has frequently been made by commentators on the 2013 Pew poll, likely as a result of neglecting the full dataset made available by Pew at the of the report. The table found in chapter one of the report shows support for the death penalty for apostasy among those who answered that they were 'in favor of Sharia in their country' in an earlier question. Multiplying the percentages in these two tables yields significantly lower percentages compared to those mentioned above (Egypt, for example appears by this calculation to have 64% support for the death penalty, and overall support in the countries surveyed falls to approximately 35% after weighing by Muslim population). This approach fails to | One noteworthy mistake has frequently been made by commentators on the 2013 Pew poll, likely as a result of neglecting the full dataset made available by Pew at the end of the report. The table found in chapter one of the report shows support for the death penalty for apostasy among those who had answered that they were 'in favor of Sharia in their country' in an earlier question. Multiplying the percentages in these two tables yields significantly lower percentages compared to those mentioned above (Egypt, for example appears by this calculation to have 64% support for the death penalty, and overall support in the countries surveyed falls to approximately 35% after weighing by Muslim population). This approach fails to account, however, for the support for the apostasy death penalty among those who answered that they 'do not support' or 'don't know whether they support' Sharia being the official law in their country, which, perhaps surprisingly, makes a significant difference. Only the table on page 219 near the end of the report reveals support for the apostasy death penalty for all respondents in each country. This was confirmed by an independent analysis of the data and correspondence with Pew's Director of International Survey Research.<ref>[https://uncertaintyblog.com/2015/02/12/check-the-original-source-how-so-many-writers-got-the-facts-wrong-after-the-maher-vs-affleck-islam-debate/ Check the original source! How so many writers got the facts wrong after the Maher vs. Affleck Islam debate] [http://www.webcitation.org/6yi5XIFbb Archive]</ref> Nevertheless, a strong correlation can be seen in the results for the two questions on support for Sharia and support for the death penalty for apostates.<ref>Survey Reports - [http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-beliefs-about-sharia/#sharia-as-the-official-law-of-the-land The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society - Chapter 1: Beliefs about Sharia] - Pew Research Center, April 30, 2013</ref> | ||
====Changes since 2013==== | ====Changes since 2013==== | ||
It is possible and even likely that support for the penalty has fallen in the years since the survey was conducted due to near-global outrage at the actions of ISIS and subsequent attempts by leading Muslim figures to distance Islam from the actions of that group. A similar decline in support may also have resulted from generally the negative experience of Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt between 2011 and 2013. | It is possible and even likely that support for the penalty has fallen in the years since the survey was conducted due to near-global outrage at the actions of ISIS and subsequent attempts by leading Muslim figures to distance Islam from the actions of that group. A similar decline in support may also have resulted from generally the negative experience of Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt between 2011 and 2013. | ||