On Apostasy

I've been an avid fan of documentaries and podcasts, especially about cults. They had a hook on me that I haven't been able to explain—particularly around how they would draw people in and hook them, even though, from the casual observer's perspective, there are obvious issues. Some of the more notable ones were about Scientology, like Leah Remini's Scientology and the Aftermath, which have practices around apostasy.

But the one that flipped a switch was Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, which chronicled the family and their participation in a church called the Institute in Basic Life Principles. As I was watching, I started feeling uncomfortable. It reflected Islam in a really interesting way - the way women were required to dress, circumcision being required, and most of all their Prophet, who had an outwardly powerful personality, but was hiding an ugly side - multiple wives and concubines, child abuse and indentured servitude, just as a start.

I first set out on this journey to discover and catalog the reasons Islam was the "true religion". However, as I went deeper into the sources, it had the opposite effect (see below). This is a place for me to catalog my journey and findings into an organized collection. And I hope that it helps others to also leave and live their lives with freedom from fear.

Sourcing

Most of my sources will be directly from the Quran and Hadith (rated Sahih or Hasan), and the canonical and most widely accepted tafsirs around them, including Tafsir Ibn Kathir or Ma'ariful Qur'an. I will also reference Q&As on popular and mainstream Islamic Q&A sites, which have been answered by credentialed clerics, and look at their sources.

Understanding Islam is straightforward

Before we dig into the punishments for apostasy, I want to first examine how Islam wants to be examined, and we can see, through that, where the severe punishments come from.

And indeed We have made the Qur'an easy for seeking advice. So, is there one to seek advice?

54:17

Let's ignore the fact that it's written in a language most of the world doesn't understand... the Quran is saying that Islam is easy to understand and remember. Looking at the tafsir:

The verse could also mean that Allah has made the Qur'an so simple that just as an intellectual and knowledgeable person benefits from its contents, so does a layman, having no expertise in relevant sciences. He too can benefit from its admonition and warnings (at his own level).

And it is simple - as you read on, don't ignore what you're reading. Don't immediately rationalize it away. You'll feel angry, confused, upset. I still am. But read it again. Read the sources.

The game is rigged from the start

Islam also claims to be for everyone, to have a universal message that goes across any borders or boundaries. On the other hand...

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah said:

‘The Children of Israel split into seventy-one sects, and my nation will split into seventy-two, all of which will be in Hell apart from one, which is the main body.”

Sunan Ibn Majah 3993

This is a man who knew there would be divisions and splintering and did nothing to prevent it from happening.

That's pretty simple to understand. Islam was created in the 7th century, with 7th-century morals and ideals. It's a religion for men, by men. If you look at the intent behind many of its edicts, they are simply about controlling every aspect of your life.

Claims of Perfection

Islam has set a very high bar for itself:

This is the Book! There is no doubt about it—a guide for those mindful of Allah

2:2

And reading the tafsir:

...the Holy Qur'an makes a claim about itself: "There is no doubt in it". There are two ways in which doubt or suspicion may arise with regard to the validity or authenticity of statement. Either the statement itself is erroneous, and thus becomes subject to doubt; or, the listener makes a mistake in understanding it... So, in spite of the doubts and objections of a thousand men of small or perverse understanding, it would still be true to say that there is no doubt in this book - either with regard to it having been revealed by Allah, or with regard to its contents.

The claim is that the Quran, and by extension, says there are no errors or any reason to doubt anything in the Quran. If there are errors, it's because you've made an error.

Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy

4:82

Tafsir:

Allah commands them to contemplate about the Qur'an and forbids them from ignoring it, or ignoring its wise meanings and eloquent words. Allah states that there are no inconsistencies, contradictions, conflicting statements or discrepancies in the Qur'an, because it is a revelation from the Most-Wise, Worthy of all praise. Therefore, the Qur'an is the truth coming from the Truth, Allah.

What does that mean for us, those who question the Islamic status quo? It leaves us as apostates.

The Challenge

Because of Islam's ironclad, inflexible stance on its correctness, the challenge for us becomes quite simple:

When you pick at this first bit of loose thread, it all comes apart very quickly. This is what I will keep coming back to. In future posts, we'll see how there are numerous scientific mistakes and logical inconsistencies that are present in the Quran.

The Quran and Islam can be disproved by scientific mistakes alone.

Just Submit

Islam, quite literally, means "submission to God". Islam's entire structure comes from this simple decree - submit to God (and by extension, Mohammed), and his rulings, without question, and you will be sent off to heaven. Obedience is the core of Islam:

Narrated Abu Hurairah:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Leave me with what I left you. When I narrated a Hadith to you, then take it from me. The people before you were only destroyed by their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their Prophets."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2679

As I mentioned, I started my journey by trying to prove to myself that Islam is true. I mainly wanted to see that the Quran is of divine origin (spoiler, and future post: it's not). That spawned dozens of questions.

And Islam does not like being questioned and actively discourages it:

O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if ye ask about things when the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you, Allah will forgive those: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.

Some people before you did ask such questions, and on that account lost their faith.

5:101-5:102

And reading the tafsir behind it:

...meaning, some people before your time asked such questions and they were given answers. They did not believe the answers, so they became disbelievers because of that.

Someone asked a question, got an answer that was non-sensical or contradictory, and was enough to leave Islam! There are numerous examples in the Hadith of this - also a topic of future posts.

Muslims often cite this verse as Islam being free to other religions, which is seemingly contradictory:

Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. So whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

2:256

However, this has nothing to do with apostasy, blasphemy, or dissent. If you look at the footnotes:

This verse was revealed when some new Muslims tried to force their Jewish and Christian children to convert to Islam after the Prophet’s emigration (Hijrah) to Medina. The verse prohibits forced conversion

However, if you didn't convert, you wouldn't be left alone! More on that in a future post.

What does this all have to do with apostasy?

The punishment for dissent

Murdering someone for questioning, sarcasm, or insulting, is, at a minimum, allowed. To quote a report by the Pew Research Center:

These laws were most common in the Middle East and North Africa, where 18 of the 20 countries (90%) in the region have laws criminalizing blasphemy and 13 of them (65%) outlaw apostasy.

In Pakistan, summarized by a US State Department Report:

...there were at least 84 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges, at least 29 of whom had received death sentences, as compared with 77 and 28, respectively, in 2018.

"This isn't the real Islam"

Many Muslims would argue that these policies are the products of military rule or authoritarian governments, and they're not from the "true Islam". However, that's not the full picture.

As we can see in this answer, there's not a single doubt that the Shariah is clear:

The scholars are unanimously agreed that a Muslim who insults the Prophet becomes a Kaafir and an apostate who is to be executed. This consensus was narrated by more than one of the scholars, such as Imaam Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Qaadi Iyaad, al-Khattaabi and others. (Al-Saarim al-Maslool, 2/13-16)

We can see the severity to which Islam treats anyone with dissent in the following Hadith:

A blind man had a slave-mother who used to abuse the Prophet and disparage him. He forbade her but she did not stop. He rebuked her but she did not give up her habit. One night she began to slander the Prophet and abuse him. So he took a dagger, placed it on her belly, pressed it, and killed her. A child who came between her legs was smeared with the blood that was there. When the morning came, the Prophet was informed about it.

He assembled the people and said: I adjure by Allah the man who has done this action and I adjure him by my right to him that he should stand up. Jumping over the necks of the people and trembling the man stood up.

He sat before the Prophet and said: Messenger of Allah! I am her master; she used to abuse you and disparage you. I forbade her, but she did not stop, and I rebuked her, but she did not abandon her habit. I have two sons like pearls from her, and she was my companion. Last night she began to abuse and disparage you. So I took a dagger, put it on her belly and pressed it till I killed her.

Thereupon the Prophet said: Oh be witness, no retaliation is payable for her blood.

Sunan Abi Dawud 4361

Let's take a look at what's happened here:

• This blind man has a slave, with whom he has children with
• She becomes (or already was, it's not clear - and it doesn't matter) a kaafir (non-believer) - as we saw from the answer above
• She's slandered the Prophet (repeatedly - it doesn't matter)
  • Murdered her with her child in her lap
• This man was not punished, he was let go, free and clear

Most religions keep their followers in line by fear - whether it's the fear of punishment in this life, or threatening them with horrific, eternal damnation. Apostasy is another level of fear added.

It was narrated that 'Uthman bin 'Affan said:"I heard the Messenger of Allah [SAW] say: 'It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim except in three cases: A man who commits adultery after having married; or one who kills another person, who is to be killed; or who reverts to Kufr after having accepted Islam, who is to be killed.'"

Sunan an-Nasa'i 4058

It was narrated from 'Ikrimah:"Some people apostatized after accepting Islam, and 'Ali burned them with fire. Ibn 'Abbas said: 'If it had been me, I would not have burned them; the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'No one should be punished with the punishment of Allah.' If it had been me, I would have killed them; the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.'"

Sunan an-Nasa'i 4060

It was narrated from Abu Burdah bin Abi Musa Al-Ash'ari, from his father:"That the Prophet [SAW] sent him to Yemen, then he sent Mu'adh bin Jabal after that. When he arrived he said: 'O people, I am the envoy of the Messenger of Allah [SAW] to you.' Abu Musa gave him a cushion to sit down, then a man was brought who had been a Jew, then he became a Muslim, then he reverted to Kufr. Mu'adh said: 'I will not sit down until he is killed; this is the decree of Allah and His Messenger,' (saying it) three times. When he was killed, he sat down."

Sunan an-Nasa'i 4066

The publishing of this site and any of these thoughts are considered blasphemous, and in any number of countries in the world, would be punishable by a long jail sentence or death. In many instances, you wouldn't be subject to a trial, or be able to explain, mob justice would be carried out.

I'm lucky to be in a Western country - where I can freely chronicle my journey. As I mentioned earlier, I went into this with an open mind and came out with my mind blown.

Islam is immutable by definition. There is no possibility of reform because that door has been closed. There is no "progressive Islam". It demands complete and utter fealty. After all, it's purportedly divine revelation, and any changes would need to come directly from God.

Islam claims that its perfect ideals are supposed to span across all time, and Mohammed is supported to be the "perfect man", from when he lived, into perpetuity. But that's disqualified, almost immediately, when you see his opinions on women and his record on child marriage, slavery, war spoils (articles to come soon), and spousal abuse.

But it's much simpler than that, and we must abide by Occam’s razor. Islam is immutable by definition. What it's telling you is exactly what it means. After all, it's a divine revelation...