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

MUSLIM FUN FACT OF THE DAY: The Economist reported the following: "Though [Muslims are] less than 1% of America’s population, they account for 10% of its doctors;" This means your far more likely to be saved by a Muslim than killed by one. smile emoticon Just another fact to prove trumped up fears (see what I did there?) are irrational. ‪#‎MuslimFunFactOfTheDay‬

MUSLIM FACT OF THE DAY: "Humanity is but a SINGLE BROTHERHOOD; so make PEACE with your brethren." The Holy Qur'an 49:10. For those who cherry pick verses and take them out of context for their own selfish gains and add to the misinformation and ignorance that later become "us v. them" fodder, the Qur'an is clear. ‪#‎MuslimFunFactOfTheDay‬

MUSLIM FUN FACT OF THE DAY: While the chosen language for the Qur'an is Arabic, Arab culture is NOT representative of Islam. Far too often in "the West" Saudi Arabia is seen as the beacon or leader of Islam. While I can understand why that opinion exists, given that two of the three holiest cities in Islam are in present day KSA (1- Mecca; 2- Medina; 3- Jerusalem) - this assumption is incorrect. First of all "Arab culture" is pretty vague and covers a vast many countries. And before they were the countries we now know in the modern day - they were many, many ethnically diverse tribes before that. Culture in Egypt is not the same as it is in Morocco as it is in Saudi Arabia as it is in Iraq. Persians, Turks, Kurds, Basques, etc. are NOT Arab. So throwing all Middle Easterners and North Africans into one cultural bucket is also misleading as "our countries" and "our people" don't see eye-to-eye on many issues and many often disagree with the ultra-conservative spin Saudi clerics have on religious issues as well. However, the real reason it is wrong to confuse "Arab culture" with Islam is because what most Westerners don't know, is that MOST MUSLIMS ARE NOT ARAB! In fact, even though Islam is often associated with the Middle East (for the reasons I mentioned above), fewer than 15% of Muslims are Arab. By far, the largest populations of Muslims live in Southeast Asia (more than 60%), while the countries of the Middle East and North Africa make up only 20% of the total. One-fifth of the world's Muslims live as minorities in non-Muslim countries, with the largest of these populations in India, China, and Russia. There are actually more Muslims in India and Pakistan alone than there are in the ENTIRE Middle East and North Africa regions! So please be advised that Saudi culture doesn't speak for me personally, nor do Saudi laws; and quite frankly they don't speak for Islam either. While one cannot deny that the same religion can be practiced a little differently from place to place and the reason for that is the difference in cultures as one cannot deny that culture and the modern-day times both play a role on how we interpret religious texts, it is a big mistake to confuse the two. To quote one of my favorite Imams, "Follow the Qur'an, don't follow the Muslims because humans are imperfect and therefore fallible, but the Qur'an - what Muslims believe to be the word of God - that's where to find the heart of truth." #MuslimFunFactOfTheDay
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/07/worlds-muslim-population-more-widespread-than-you-might-think/

MUSLIM FUN FACT OF THE DAY: A friend posted an article on FB and wanted to be inclusive and respectful, so she wrote "God/Allah ..." It made me wonder how many people think "Allah" is somehow different than the God they grew up learning about. So the lesson of the day - the word "Allah" is simply Arabic for "God." If you are an Arab Jew (yes, they exist) or an Arab Christian or any Arabic-speaking human who believes in the concept of "God" you will use the word "Allah." The word is NOT EXCLUSIVE to Muslims, but since the Qur'an's language is Arabic ... shocker ... the Arabic word "Allah" is used. Allah is not a different being. As I previously stated, as a faith that also view the Prophet Abraham (PBUH) as the "father of our religion," Muslims do not have a different concept of "God." I do not ascribe to the "your God v. my God" line of thinking. Allah (الله) = Elohim (אלוהים) = Dios = Dieu = Gott = Dio = Theós (θεός) = God ... whatever your native tongue He is one and the same. And here's a "fun fact" bonus lesson: Jesus (PBUH) spoke Aramaic (which most linguists agree is "an ancestral" language to Arabic and Hebrew). The Aramaic word for "God" is ʼĔlāhā, or Alaha. And from Alaha came Allah, which again Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, use to mean "God". So really, Allah is pretty dang close to the words Jesus (PBUH) himself uttered; so maybe you might want to take it easy on the "Allah" jokes, eh? :) #MuslimFunFactOfTheDay

MUSLIM FUN FACT OF THE DAY: As I passed a sign that said "Jesus is the reason for the season" I thought about how many people have NO IDEA that Muslims love Jesus (PBUH) too! Jesus is a very important prophet in our faith. While Muslims do not believe in "the holy Trinity" or that Jesus (PBUH) was divine and "the Son of God" or that he was crucified and therefore a "Savior" -  let's focus on what Muslims and Christians DO both believe. Jesus (PBUH) was born from the Virgin Mary. Jesus (PBUH) is the Messiah of God. Yes, your read that right - Muslims believe he's the MESSIAH OF GOD. Muslims believe that Jesus (PBUH) will return to this Earth (meaning the Second Coming of Christ) and that he was risen to heaven (raised at the threat of harm, without crucifixion) and "sitting on the right hand of God," as it says in the Qur'an, until God chooses to send him back to His followers. One of the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) FIRST responsibilities when his destiny was revealed to him, was to RESTORE the name of the Prophet Jesus (PBUH) to a people who'd forgotten his name and were therefore oblivious to his teachings. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) constantly referred to the Prophet Jesus (PBUH) in this teachings, as well as all the prophets of God before the both of them, from Adam to Noah to Moses to Abraham (PBUT). Muslims believe Jesus (PBUH) cured the lepers, resurrected the dead, as well as other miracles that he performed with God's permission and power. Jesus (PBUH) was a shining example of how to treat the sick, the weak, the poor, and everyone mistreated by society. He was also a leading example in a lesson all humankind regularly forgets - HOW TO NOT JUDGE OTHERS! "God himself is the ultimate judge on the day of judgment/the day of reckoning," as stated in both the Bible and the Qur'an. Jesus (PBUH) is a beloved prophet of God in Islam and one cannot be a Muslim without loving and honoring him. Just another reminder that we are more alike than different. #OneLove #MuslimFunFactOfTheDay

This GIF is everything Muslims have wanted to say!

http://media.giphy.com/media/TlK63EwiHqemn41RRHq/giphy.gif