The Issue of Apostasy
By: Dr. Maqsood Jafri

(Continued)
Now let us briefly analyse the claim of the people who support the plea of capital punishment for reverts. They mostly quote this: "Allah's Apostle said, 'The blood of a Muslim, who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His apostle, cannot shed blood but in three cases: in Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse, and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims'" (Sahih Bokhari, vol.9, book 83, Number 17; narrated via Abdullah). Some Muslim jurists are of the opinion that it is about those reverts who accept Islam with malicious hypocritical designs to destroy and damage it. It is for mischiefmongers. It is not about the peaceful people who leave faith by academic choice. The second incident is about Hazrat Ali. It is narrated by Ikrama that Hazrat Ali burnt some atheists, and this news reached Ibn Abbas, who said, "Had I been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, 'Do not

punish anybody with the punishment of Allah' (meaning by fire)." Then he said, "No doubt I would have killed them, for the Prophet had said, "If somebody (the Muslim) discards his religion, kill him"( Book 52; chapter 14; Number 260). Hazrat Ali did not burn the apostates. He burned those atheists who were openly creating Fitna (chaos) in Islamic society.

Here a question arises: Are the atheists to be burned in an Islamic society? There is no verse in the holy Qur'an that instructs its followers to kill the apostates or the atheists. The holy Prophet did not give the orders of killing any atheists. It is on record that Hazrat Ali had so many debates and discussions with the polytheists and the atheists. He was a man of knowledge and used to convince people with arguments. He was sent to Yemen by the holy Prophet to preach Islam The Yemenites converted to Islam only by the polite and rational preaching of Hazrat Ali. History testifies the fact that the people burned on the orders of Hazrat

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