Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman Al-Azmi رحمه الله
The punishment for the one who turns away from the religion of Islam (apostasy) is death. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ﴾
[Al-Baqarah: 217]
"And whoever among you turns back from his religion and dies while he is a disbeliever—then those are the ones whose deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and they are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein forever."
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Whoever changes his religion, kill him.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth no. 6524]
This ḥadīth refers to a person who abandons Islam and adopts another religion, and remains firm upon that rejection without repenting. In such a case, the prescribed punishment is execution.
The Prophet ﷺ also stated:
❝It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, except in one of three cases:
① A murderer who is executed in retaliation for murder,
② A married person who commits adultery,
③ One who abandons his religion and separates from the community.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth no. 6484; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth no. 1676]
[Al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah: Fatwa no. 21166]
❖ Punishment for the Apostate (Murtad)
The punishment for the one who turns away from the religion of Islam (apostasy) is death. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ﴾
[Al-Baqarah: 217]
"And whoever among you turns back from his religion and dies while he is a disbeliever—then those are the ones whose deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and they are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein forever."
✔ Authentic Prophetic Rulings on Apostasy
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝Whoever changes his religion, kill him.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth no. 6524]
This ḥadīth refers to a person who abandons Islam and adopts another religion, and remains firm upon that rejection without repenting. In such a case, the prescribed punishment is execution.
⚠ When the Death Penalty is Applicable
The Prophet ﷺ also stated:
❝It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, except in one of three cases:
① A murderer who is executed in retaliation for murder,
② A married person who commits adultery,
③ One who abandons his religion and separates from the community.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth no. 6484; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth no. 1676]
[Al-Lajnah al-Dā’imah: Fatwa no. 21166]
