❖ Question:
Does the ruling of capital punishment for apostasy also apply to those born in Muslim families but who, upon reaching maturity, are not satisfied with Islam? Is it not excessive to execute such individuals for leaving Islam?❖ Answer: Two Perspectives –
✦ Principled Response:
Every religion considers the children of its followers as part of its community. The notion that individuals should be allowed complete freedom to choose their religion upon maturity is impractical and unreasonable. If individuals born in a particular religion or state were allowed to abandon it upon reaching adulthood, no societal system could remain stable.The continuity and stability of any system depends on a permanent population that preserves and transmits its principles from generation to generation. If each generation is allowed to doubt its religious or national affiliation, the entire system would collapse. Therefore, the children of Muslims are to be regarded as Muslims by birth, and they must be subject to the laws of Islam.
✦ Practical Response:
In practice, the fear that this ruling leads to injustice is largely unfounded. Any well-established system invests effort into transferring its values, culture, and beliefs to the new generation. With the establishment of an Islamic state, Islamic education and upbringing would ensure that new generations remain loyal to Islam. Only a small minority may deviate, and such exceptions cannot justify relaxation of fundamental principles.If a person wishes to separate from the collective religious identity, two options can be presented:
➊ Let them leave the borders of the Islamic state and express their deviation elsewhere.
➋ Or, if they are truly resolute in their rejection, let them be prepared to sacrifice their life, because no systemic change comes without sacrifice.
❖ Conclusion:
Those born in Muslim families are bound by Islamic law. If they deviate from Islam, the ruling of apostasy and its capital punishment applies, as affirmed by the consensus of all Islamic jurists.❖ Author’s Observation:
In the modern era, it is acknowledged that many generations have been deprived of proper Islamic education. If, in the future, an Islamic state is established and the law of apostasy is enforced, it could potentially lead to widespread hypocrisy. To address this, it is proposed that after an Islamic revolution, a one-year grace period be granted. During this time, those who have effectively renounced Islam may openly declare themselves non-Muslims and exit the system. After this period, apostasy laws would be fully enforced on anyone who leaves Islam.
Derived from Fatawa of Ahl-e-Hadith Scholars, Kitab al-Salah, Volume 1