Apostasy : An Overview - The Maranatha Community

6. The punishment for Apostasy
6.1 There appears to be unanimous agreement among the key Islamic schools of law that the
punishment for apostasy is death.
6.2 The influential Islamic theologian Abdul Ala Mawdudi states in his book The Punishment of
the Apostate according to Islamic Law:
“To everyone acquainted with Islamic law it is no secret that according to Islam the punishment for a Muslim
who turns to kufr (infidelity, blasphemy) is execution. Doubt about this matter first arose among Muslims
during the final portion of the nineteenth century as a result of speculation. Otherwise, for the full twelve
centuries prior to that time the total Muslim community remained unanimous about it. The whole of our
religious literature clearly testifies that ambiguity about the matter of the apostate’s execution never existed
among Muslims. The expositions of the Prophet, the Rightly-Guided Caliphs (Khulafa’-i Rashidun), the great
Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet, their Followers (Tabi’un), the leaders among the mujtahids and,
following them, the doctors of the Sharia of every century are available on record. All these collectively will
assure you that from the time of the Prophet to the present day one injunction only has been continuously and
uninterruptedly operative and that no room whatever remains to suggest that perhaps the punishment of the
apostate is not execution.” 18
6.3 In practice, fifteen Islamic countries make conversion from Islam a crime, with perhaps as
many as eight or nine making it punishable by death: the latter group includes Afghanistan,
the Comoros, Iran, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and, very probably,
Iraq. However, very few such state executions are actually carried out. 19 In Pakistan,
blasphemy is punishable by death. (See Appendix 1 & 2 for detailed description of cases)
6.4 Other punishments for apostasy may include the annulment of marriage with a Muslim
spouse, the removal of children and the loss of all property and inheritance rights.
6.5 Someone who is accused of apostasy may be threatened in one of two ways. The state in
which he lives may sentence him/her to death; or he/she may be harassed, intimidated,
assaulted or even killed by his own family, or other Muslims. At the same time the
government may be either complicit, or unwilling or unable to protect the individual.
6.6 Human rights violations through Sharia apostasy laws are not limited to a small number of
‘extreme’ Islamic countries but occur in more ‘moderate’ countries such as Turkey and
Indonesia. There is widespread concern about Turkey’s involvement in view of its
aspirations to enter the European Union.
6.7 There is rising concern in a number of European countries that individuals who have left the
Muslim faith are not safe from attacks by their own family or other Muslims.
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