The Book of Hudood

Ruling of the Apostate

حُكْمِ اْلمُرْتَدِّ

Glossary

Chapter on the Ruling of the Apostate ¹⁶⁶²

Whoever, whether male or female, apostatizes from Islam must be killed, because the Messenger of Allah (SA) said, “He who changes his religion (that is, apostatizes), kill him.” ¹⁶⁶³
They are not killed until their repentance is sought for three days;
then they either repent or are executed by the sword.

وَمَنِ ارْتَدَّ عَنِ اْلإِسْلاَمِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ، وَجَبَ قَتْلُهُ، لِقَوْلِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ : "مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ" لاَ يُقْتَلُ حَتَّى يُسْتَتَابَ ثَلاَثًا، فَإِنْ تَابَ، وَإِلاَّ قُتِلَ بِالسَّيْفِ.

One who denies God, Most High; ascribes to Him partners, a mate, or a child; belies Allah (Exalted is He) or curses Him; denies or curses His Messenger (SA); denies one of the prophets, all or part of the Book of Allah, or one of the pillars of Islam; or makes lawful that which is unlawful – by clear consensus, commits apostasy. The exception is one who is ignorant of the obligations and prohibitions; he must be taught, and then if he shows no acceptance, he becomes a disbeliever.

وَمَنْ جَحَدَ اللهِ تَعَالى، أَوْ جَعَلَ لَهُ شَرِيْكًا أَوْ صَاحِبَةً أَوْ وَلَدًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ اللهَ تَعَالىٰ أَوْ سَبَّهُ، أَوْ كَذَّبَ رَسُوْلَهُ أَوْ سَبَّهُ، أَوْ جَحَدَ نَبِيًّا، أَوْ كِتَابَ اللهِٰ، أَوْ شَيْئًا مِنْهُ، أَوْ جَحَدَ أَحَدَ أَرْكَانِ اْلإِسْلاَمِ، أَوْ أَحَلَّ مُحَرَّمًا ظَهَرَ اْلإِجْمَاعُ عَلىٰ تَحْرِيْمِهِ، فَقَدِ ارْتَدَّ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ مِمَّنْ تَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ اْلوَاجِبَاتُ وَالْمُحَرَّمَاتُ، فَيُعَرَّفُ ذٰلِكَ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْبَلْ، كَفَرَ.

The acceptance of Islam by a discerning child is valid. ¹⁶⁶⁴ If he apostatizes, he will not be killed until he is asked to repent for three days after he reaches adulthood (buloogh). ¹⁶⁶⁵

وَيَصِحُّ إِسْلاَمُ الصَّبِيِّ اْلعَاقِلِ، وَإِنِ ارْتَدَّ لَمْ يُقْتَلْ حَتَّى يُسْتَتَابَ ثَلاَثًا بَعْدَ بُلُوْغِهِ.

1662. Introduction

Refer to the appendix on apostasy.

Notice that he did not call it the ḥadd of apostasy. This is because Ibn Qudâmah himself clarifies in al-Mughni that this punishment is not a ḥadd (penalty fixed by the Divine for His own ḥaqq).

1663. (B – from Ibn ‘Abbâs)

1664. They consider a ten-year-old discerning enough to accept Islam, and it is also accepted before that if the child shows signs of discernment. It was reported that Aḥmad himself said, “The Islam of a seven-year-old is valid.”

1665. See the appendix on ‘buloogh’.

If one’s apostasy is established, and then he returns to Islam, (his return) is accepted. For his (return to) Islam to be valid, it is enough for him to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (SA) is the Messenger of Allah. If his (prior) disbelief was due to denying a prophet, a book, an obligation, or the like, or if he believed that Muhammad (SA) was sent only to the Arabs, then (his return to Islam) will not be accepted until he acknowledges what he previously denied.

وَمَنْ ثَبَتَتْ رِدَّتُهُ فَأَسْلَمَ، قُبِلَ مِنْهُ، وَيَكْفِيْ فِيْ إِسْلاَمِهِ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللهِ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ كُفْرُهُ بِجَحْدِ نَبِيٍّ، أَوْ كِتَابٍ، أَوْ فَرِيْضَةٍ، أَوْ يَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا  بُعِثَ إِلىٰ اْلعَرَبِ خَاصَّةً، فَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يُقِرَّ بِمَا جَحَدَهُ.

وَإِذَا ارْتَدَّ الزَّوْجَانِ وَلَحِقَا بِدَارِ اْلحَرْبِ فَسُبِيَا، لَمْ يَجُزْ اسْتِرْقَاقُهُمَا، وَلاَ اسْتِرْقَاقُ مَنْ وُلِدَ قَبْلَ رِدَّتِهِمَا، وَيَجُوْزُ اسْتِرْقَاقُ سَائِرِ أَوْلاَدِهِمَا.

Ruling of the Apostate

( Page : no 164)

The Book of Hudood

Ruling of the Apostate

حُكْمِ اْلمُرْتَدِّ

Introduction

The Book of Purification

The Book of Prayer

The Book of Funerals

The Book of Fasting

The Book of Hajj and 'Umrah

Book of Zakat

The Book of Selling and Commercial Transactions

The Book of Bequests

The Book of Inheritance

The Book of Marriage

The Book of Divorce

The Book of Sadaq

The Book of Dhihar

The Book of Lian

The Book of Foods

The Book of Oaths

Book of Fatal and Non-Fatal Assault

The Book of Indemnities

The Book of Hudood

The Book of Jihad

The Book of the Judiciary

The Book of Testimonies

Appendix

Glossary

Ruling of the Apostate