- EN (English)
| Fatwa ID: | 77325 |
| Title: | If apostates must be executed, how can we say there is freedom of religion in Islam? |
| Category: | Basic Tenets of Faith (Belief) |
| Scholar: | Dr. Main Khalid Al-Qudah |
| Date: | 01/02/2009 |
Assalamu alaikum.
I would like to know more about the apostate, because others argue that, since the apostate has to be killed, it can be concluded that there is nothing like freedom in Islam.
Under the authority of the Muslim state, the People of the Book have the right to stay on their belief without being compelled to embrace Islam. But if one of them has embraced Islam, it would not be acceptable from him to go back to his original religion.
The same rule applies to those who are born into Muslim families. According to the Islamic Law, they cannot commit apostasy.
Implementing the punishment of killing the apostate is the sole and the exclusive responsibility of the Muslim state (were there any nowadays). Nobody else has the right to implement it.
