Sun 14 April 2019
Lesson 24: Apostasy
Hadith 14
- On the authority of Ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The blood of a Muslim is not permissible (to spill) except by one of three [instances]: the married person who commits adultery, a soul for a soul, and the one who forsakes his religion and separates from the community” [Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
- Previous topics such as adultery and murder were discussed in lessons 22 to 23
- Recap of points on apostasy from Lesson 23
- These rulings are NOT for people to take into their own hands, rather they have rulings, requirements and conditions which must be met and can only be carried out by the authority in a Muslim country
- General Background:
- How do countries in the world today deal with threats to their national interest or safety/order?
- What was the approach of countries in the past?
- What is considered a risk to the government in a Muslim country?
- The value of life in Islamic Law
- Allah says:”And a party of the people of the Scripture say: “Believe in the morning in that which is revealed to the believers (Muslims), and reject it at the end of the day, so that they may turn back.” [Surah Āli-Imran (The Family of Imran) verse 72]
- What is the ruling on Apostasy? why is it in place? Is there an immediate threat to life?
- Does this law affect infiltrators and spies?
- What is the impact of apostasy on societal order? Why is this?
- Are there safeguards?
- Living within a society and respecting its laws and social order
- Example, in ‘liberal’ countries today
- Impact of worldview on this topic:
- False notion of the atheistic view
- What about the biblical perspective
- The Islamic perspective
- Different groups of people who apostate:
- People who Apostate for financial or ideological motive (e.g. Feminism) and who have an agenda
- Those who Apostate due to doubts or lack of education (e.g. evolution and pseudoscience or following the authority of “mainstream science”)
- Summary of this hadith, requirements and reasoning:
- Murder
- Adultery
- Apostasy
- IMPORTANT reminder: These rulings are NOT for people to take into their own hands, rather they have rulings, requirements and conditions which must be met and can only be carried out by the authority in a Muslim country