The Punishment for Blasphemy Against the Prophet ﷺ — Quran and Sunnah’s Ruling
Source: Fatawa Muhammadiyyah, Vol. 01
Topic: Shar‘i Guidance Regarding the Sanctity of Prophethood ﷺ
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
The claim of the rulers of Denmark and Norway that “The Qur’an forbids killing, hence the demand to execute those who produce blasphemous caricatures does not align with Qur’anic injunctions” is absolutely baseless and contrary to reality.
Indeed, the Qur’an strictly prohibits unjust killing and establishes the law of Qisas to prevent it. Allah says:
﴿وَلَكُم فِي القِصاصِ حَياةٌ يا أُولِي الأَلبابِ﴾
But this ruling is not absolute; it is conditional. If a person insults the Qur’an, dishonors its bearer, offends Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, or mocks Islam, then according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, such a person is liable to execution. The Qur’an has declared the leaders of disbelief, the enemies of Islam, and the blasphemers of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ to be Mubah al-Dam (whose blood is lawful) and Wajib al-Qatl (liable to execution).
◈ Evidence from the Qur’an
① Surah al-Tawbah (9:12):
﴿وَإِن نَكَثوا أَيمـنَهُم مِن بَعدِ عَهدِهِم وَطَعَنوا فى دينِكُم فَقـتِلوا أَئِمَّةَ الكُفرِ إِنَّهُم لا أَيمـنَ لَهُم لَعَلَّهُم يَنتَهونَ﴾
"If they break their oaths after their treaty and revile your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief—for surely their oaths are worthless—perhaps they will desist."
Imam Ibn Kathir رحمه الله explains in his Tafsir:
اى عابوه انتقصوه ومن ههنا اخذ قتل من سب الرسول اللهﷺ او من طعن فى دين الاسلام او ذكره تنقص
i.e. If the leaders of disbelief ridicule or demean Islam, they are to be fought. From this, the ruling of killing anyone who abuses Rasulullah ﷺ, reviles Islam, or insults it is derived—whether Muslim or non-Muslim, male or female, ruler or commoner.
② Surah al-Tawbah (9:5):
﴿فَإِن تابوا وَأَقامُوا الصَّلوةَ وَءاتَوُا الزَّكوةَ فَخَلّوا سَبيلَهُم إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ﴾
"When the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them…"
Ibn Kathir رحمه الله states this is general, except within the Haram unless they initiate fighting. Imam Razi رحمه الله adds that the verse obligates killing polytheists not only in the battlefield but in any possible way.
Thus, if a dhimmi (non-Muslim under treaty) reviles Islam, his covenant is void, and fighting him becomes obligatory. The greatest form of reviling is insulting Rasulullah ﷺ.
◈ Consensus of Scholars
- Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (Al-Sarim al-Maslool, p. 16):
If a dhimmi curses Allah, Rasulullah ﷺ, or mocks Islam publicly, he breaks his covenant and must be punished without dispute. - Imam Shafi‘i رحمه الله:
Insulting Rasulullah ﷺ nullifies the covenant, making the dhimmi liable to execution. - Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله (Zad al-Ma‘ad, vol. 3, p. 439):
The ruling of killing the one who insults Rasulullah ﷺ is fixed and mandatory; it is a hadd punishment, not mere discretionary punishment (ta‘zīr). He cites the Prophet ﷺ ordering the killing of Ibn Khatal, Miqyas bin Subabah, and two slave women who used to satirize him. - Hadith Evidence:
عن ابن عمر رضي الله تعالى عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله ، وأن محمدا رسول الله ، ويقيموا الصلاة ، ويؤتوا الزكاة. (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 8)
This Hadith proves that rejecting the testimony of faith or mocking it warrants armed struggle.
- Consensus of Sahabah:
Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله writes:
هذا اجماع من خلفاء الراشدين ولا يعلم لهم فى الصحابة مخالف
This is the consensus of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and no Companion opposed it. - Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله in Al-Sarim al-Maslool clarifies:
Anyone insulting Rasulullah ﷺ—Muslim or non-Muslim, male or female—is unanimously liable to execution. This is also the ruling of the four Imams: Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi‘i, and Imam Ahmad رحمهُم الله.
◈ Final Ruling
From the Qur’an, Sunnah, consensus of the Sahabah, rulings of the four Imams, and agreement of scholars past and present, it is established that:
✔ The one who insults Rasulullah ﷺ, Islam, or the Qur’an—whether through words, actions, or blasphemous caricatures—is liable to execution (wajib al-qatl).
✔ Such a person’s blood is lawful (mubah al-dam).
✔ He is not to be given an opportunity for repentance, as mentioned by research scholars.
Thus, the claim of Denmark and Norway’s rulers that the Qur’an forbids killing in all circumstances is false and misleading. The Qur’an forbids only unjust killing, whereas the execution of a blasphemer is a just and divinely mandated ruling.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
