A very short response to Muslim and Non-Muslims who have been misled to believe that Islam prescribes death punishment for apostasy.
1. There is not a single verse of the Holy Quran to even suggest a punishment for apostasy. On the contrary a believer can -> apostate -> become a believer again -> then apostate again. If he or she was to be killed for apostasy then how could they believe again?
2. Not a single true incident in which we find Holy Prophet (saw) himself ordered the death of a person for the charge of apostasy. Yet, several incidents exist were a Muslim apostates and Holy Prophet (saw) does not order any punishment. (Please do your research or ask me, I am not ignorant of the incidents commonly cited to prove death for apostasy)
‘Those who believe then disbelieve, then believe again, then disbelieve...’(4.138)
2. Not a single true incident in which we find Holy Prophet (saw) himself ordered the death of a person for the charge of apostasy. Yet, several incidents exist were a Muslim apostates and Holy Prophet (saw) does not order any punishment. (Please do your research or ask me, I am not ignorant of the incidents commonly cited to prove death for apostasy)
Bukhari relates, on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah, that a desert Arab took the pledge of Islam at the hand of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, and a little later he suffered from fever while he was still in Medina. He came to the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, and said: Messenger of Allah, do release me from my pledge. But the Holy Prophet paid no attention to him. He came a second time and made the same request, and the Holy Prophet refused to comply with his request. He then departed from Mediga., whereupon the Holy Prophet observed: Medina is like a furnace which destroys the dross and purifies the rest (Fathul Bari, Vol. XXIII, p.173).
1.
2.57, 100, 109, 218, 257, 273
2.
3.21, 73, 86–92, 145
3.
4.83, 138, 139, 146
4.
5.55, 62, 91–3, 99–100
5.
6.67, 105–8, 126
6.
7.124–9
7.
9.11–14
8.
10.100–9
9.
13.41
10. 15.10
11. 16.83,
105–7, 126
12. 17.55
13. 18.30
14. 19.47
15. 20.72–4
16. 22.40
17. 24.55
18. 25.42–4
19. 26.117
20. 28.57
21. 29.19
22. 39.30–42
23. 40.26,
27
24. 42.7,
8, 48, 49
25. 47.26
26. 50.46
27. 51.57
28. 64.9–13
29. 66.7
30. 88.22–3
