MUSLIM FUN FACT OF THE DAY: Someone asked me the following question: "What is the penalty in Islam for apostasy." While it is a loaded question, I'll do my best to answer it anyway. The short answer is that while the Holy Qur'an does mention "apostasy" it does NOT mention a punishment and therefore certainly does NOT say that "apostates must die." The long answer is that there are some people "for" and others "against" - just like everything else in life.

In order to understand why some say yes to the death penalty for this "crime" one has to look at historical events that happened over 1400 years ago . Many "conservatives" not to mention Daesh (ISIS/ISIL ... I won't call them that because there is nothing "Islamic" about them and they are NOT a "state" and calling them what they want to be known as just gives them validity they don't deserve) and even others that aren't quite so looney say the punishment is death as it is seen as "a crime of treason." Of course, many people already know this, which is why people asked me. 　

There are many scholars, not to mention everyday Muslims (especially in "the West") that do not agree with this at all. For those that are pro-death penalty they site what happened in history AFTER the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) death. It is a historical fact that people starting 'leaving the faith' in large numbers AFTER the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) death. The first caliphate, Abu Baker, did wage war (war mind you, not death sentences) with those he deemed to be "traitors" to the state (and at that time it really was a gov't ... and it also should be noted in some SPECIFIC cases in history, there really were traitors and by that I mean spies, etc. that infiltrated the gov't to get close to the Prophet in an effort to kill him and/or cause the state/tribe/gov't harm). These events happened in history and cannot be denied - but it is much like any war - there was a reason given that was thought to be just by those who fought it. These historical events are used by those that believe death is a punishment for "apostasy" as justification, but it is SOLEY based on THEIR INTERPRETATIONS of historical events.

Muslims believe in a direct connection to God; therefore there is no need for a system of religious hierarchy. While this is beautiful in many ways (e.g., I don't need a 'religious man' to hear and forgive me and I don't need to pray to someone else to take my prayer to God) in this day and age, it is also a bit of a roadblock in that anyone has the right to interpret religious texts for themselves - educated or not. Thanks to the 'internets' this can be a HUGE PROBLEM as any fool can write a blog with zero true understanding.

Most versus of the Tor'ah, Bible, and/or Qur'an came down at a specific time to address a specific purpose or situation. While it is logical to expect that people will read these age-old texts and understandably try to make them apply and fit to our lives today; without studying the CONTEXT of WHEN and WHY a verse was revealed to humanity things are EASILY MISINTERPRETED, MISUNDERSTOOD, and TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT for political power and greed.

The strongest reason to "prove" the viewpoint/argument AGAINST the alleged "mandatory death sentence" is, again, that there is NO death penalty for apostasy stated in the Qur'an itself. Several Muslim scholars (including the very well respected Dr. Ahmed Shafaat) argue "It is a SIGNIFICANT FACT that the Book of God [The Holy Qur'an] does NOT prescribe any punishment for apostasy." Allah [Arabic word for "God"] would have included this important penalty in the Qur'an if He wanted it performed. Lesser sins and crimes have penalties detailed explicitly in the Qur'an, such as the penalty for theft (e.g., cutting off a hand, under what is commonly referred to as 'an eye for an eye' - those laws also exist in the Tor'ah and the Bible). Therefore, it would stand to reason that the more severe "apostate’s death sentence" should most certainly be established by the Qur'an. The Qur'an mentions apostasy several times, but does not prescribe ANY penalty.

I am not a scholar, but I'm doing my best to provide true, researched, educated answers. I hope this has helped. #MuslimFunFactOfTheDay