Apostasy in Islam
Apostasy in Islam (Arabic: ردة, romanized: ridda or ارتداد, irtidād) is commonly defined as the abandonment of Islam by a Muslim, in thought, word, or through deed. It includes not only explicit renunciations of the Islamic faith by converting to another religion[1] or abandoning religion,[1][2][3] but also blasphemy or heresy by those who consider themselves Muslims,[4] through any action or utterance which implies unbelief, including those who deny a "fundamental tenet or creed" of Islam,[5] An apostate from Islam is known as a murtadd (مرتدّ).[1][6][7][8][9]
This article is about a general description and examination of apostasy from Islam. For the situation of those accused of apostasy from Islam (ex-Muslims) by country, see Apostasy in Islam by country. For the sociological perspectives of ex-Muslims, see Ex-Muslims. For organisations by and for ex-Muslims, see List of ex-Muslim organisations.
While Islamic jurisprudence calls for the death penalty of those who refuse to repent of apostasy from Islam,[10] what statements or acts qualify as apostasy and whether and how they should be punished, are disputed among Islamic scholars.[11][3][12] The penalty of killing of apostates is in conflict with international human rights norms which provide for the freedom of religions, as demonstrated in human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provide for the freedom of religion.[13]
[14][15][16]
Until the late 19th century, the majority of Sunni and Shia jurists held the view that for adult men, apostasy from Islam was a crime as well as a sin, punishable by the death penalty,[3][17] but with a number of options for leniency (such as a waiting period to allow time for repentance;[3][18][19][20] enforcement only in cases involving politics),[21][22][23]
depending on the era, the legal standards and the school of law. In the late 19th century, the use of legal criminal penalties for apostasy fell into disuse, although civil penalties were still applied.[3]
As of 2021, there were ten Muslim-majority countries where apostasy from Islam was punishable by death,[24] but legal executions are rare.[Note 1] Most punishment is extra-judicial/vigilante,[26][27] and most executions are perpetrated by jihadist and "takfiri" insurgents (al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, the GIA, and the Taliban).[10][28][29][30] Another thirteen countries have penal or civil penalties for apostates[27] – such as imprisonment, the annulment of their marriages, the loss of their rights of inheritance and the loss of custody of their children.[27]
In the contemporary Muslim world, public support for capital punishment varies from 78% in Afghanistan to less than 1% in Kazakhstan;[Note 2] among Islamic jurists, the majority of them continue to regard apostasy as a crime which should be punishable by death.[18] Those who disagree[11][3][32] argue that its punishment should be less than death, should occur in the afterlife,[33][34][35][36] (human punishment being inconsistent with Quranic injunctions against compulsion in belief),[37][38] or should apply only in cases of public disobedience and disorder (fitna).[Note 3]
Etymology and terminology[edit]
Apostasy is called irtidād (which means relapse or regress) or ridda in Islamic literature.[40] An apostate is called murtadd, which means 'one who turns back' from Islam.[41] (Another source – Oxford Islamic Studies Online – defines murtadd as "not just any kāfir (non-believer)", but "a particularly heinous type".)[42] Ridda can also refer to secession in a political context.[43] A person born to a Muslim father who later rejects Islam is called a murtadd fitri, and a person who converted to Islam and later rejects the religion is called a murtadd milli.[44][45][46] Takfir (takfeer) (Arabic: تكفير takfīr) is the act of one Muslim excommunicating another, declaring them a kafir, an apostate. The act which precipitates takfir is termed mukaffir.
In practice: historical impact[edit]
From the Middle Ages to the early modern period[edit]
The charge of apostasy has often been used by religious authorities to condemn and punish skeptics, dissidents, and minorities in their communities.[51] From the earliest times of the history of Islam, the crime of apostasy and execution for apostasy has driven major events in the development of the Islamic religion. For example, the Ridda wars (civil wars of apostasy) shook the Muslim community in 632–633 AD, immediately after the death of Muhammad.[51][207] These wars caused the split between the two major sects of Islam: Sunnis and Shias, and numerous deaths on both sides.[208][209] Sunni and Shia sects of Islam have long accused each other of apostasy.[210]
The charge of apostasy dates back to the early history of Islam with the emergence of the Kharijites in the 7th century CE.[211] The original schism between Kharijites, Sunnis, and Shias among Muslims was disputed over the political and religious succession to the guidance of the Muslim community (Ummah) after the death of Muhammad.[211] From their essentially political position, the Kharijites developed extreme doctrines that set them apart from both mainstream Sunni and Shia Muslims.[211] Shias believe ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib is the true successor to Muhammad, while Sunnis consider Abu Bakr to hold that position. The Kharijites broke away from both the Shias and the Sunnis during the First Fitna (the first Islamic Civil War);[211] they were particularly noted for adopting a radical approach to takfīr (excommunication), whereby they declared both Sunni and Shia Muslims to be either infidels (kuffār) or false Muslims (munāfiḳūn), and therefore deemed them worthy of death for their perceived apostasy (ridda).[211][212][213]
