Question:
If a slave apostatizes from Islam, what is his punishment?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
Answer:
Whoever abandons Islam and becomes an apostate, his punishment is execution. This is the prescribed ḥadd (legal punishment) for apostasy, and it applies equally to free men, slaves, and women.
Prophetic Proof:
❀ ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
من بدل دينه فاقتلوه
“Whoever changes his religion (i.e., leaves Islam), kill him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 3017)
This ḥadīth is general, including both slaves and free persons, men and women. It cannot be restricted without a valid sharʿī proof.
Scholarly Consensus:
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله (852 AH):
إن الإجماع انعقد على أن العبد والحر فى الردة سواء
“Consensus has been established that slave and free person are equal regarding (the punishment for) apostasy.”
(Fatḥ al-Bārī, 12/203)
Important Note:
The implementation of punishments is the sole responsibility of the Islamic state. No individual is permitted to take the law into his own hands, as this leads to fasād fī’l-arḍ (corruption in the land). Islam strictly forbids such vigilantism.
If the Islamic state neglects to implement the ḥudūd, then its rulers will be held accountable before Allah on the Day of Judgment. The duty of the public is only to demand the enforcement of Allah’s laws, not to enforce them themselves.
Conclusion:- Apostasy, whether by a free person or a slave, carries the punishment of death.
- The enforcement of this ruling lies exclusively with the Islamic state, not with individuals.
