Qaradawi on Apostasy

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, whom John Esposito of Georgetown University famously called "a reformist" explains the ins and outs of the Islamic view on apostasy in this article from Islamonline:

The greatest kind of danger that faces Muslims is that which threatens their moral aspect of existence, i.e., their belief. That is why apostasy from Islam is regarded as one of the most dangerous threats to the Muslim community. The ugliest intrigue the enemies of Islam have plotted against Islam has been to try to lure its followers away from it; they have even used force for this purpose. In this regard, Almighty Allah says, [And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have made you renegades from your religion, if they can.] (Al-Baqarah 2:217)
In the contemporary age, the Muslim community has been exposed to horrendous invasions and aggressive attacks, one of which is the missionary invasion that aims at uprooting the Muslim community altogether. This invasion began its missions with the Western colonialism (of the Muslim world), and it still exercises its activities in the Muslim world and among the Muslim communities and minorities (in non-Muslim countries). One of its goals is to entice Muslims to convert to Christianity. This goal was made clear in the North American Conference on Muslim Evangelization (that was held in Colorado in 1978). Forty studies about Islam and Muslims and how to spread Christianity among them were submitted to that conference, and US$1 billion was allocated for this purpose. In addition, the Zwemer Institute (in South Carolina) was established to train missionaries to preach Christianity to Muslims...

Muslims are to seriously resist individual apostasy before it seriously intensifies and develops into a collective one.

That is why the Muslim jurists are unanimous that apostates must be punished, yet they differ as to determining the kind of punishment to be inflicted upon them. The majority of them, including the four main schools of jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi`i, and Hanbali) as well as the other four schools of jurisprudence (the four Shiite schools of Az-Zaidiyyah, Al-Ithna-`ashriyyah, Al-Ja`fariyyah, and Az-Zaheriyyah) agree that apostates must be executed...

A bit on the longish side, but well worth the read for anyone still confused as to why it is forbidden for Muslims to express doubt about Islam. See also Ibn Warraq's treatment, Leaving Islam.

« Previous Entry | Home Page | Next Entry »

11 Comments

Just_Linda | April 14, 2006 9:54 AM

Imam: "Oh please, oh please, oh please don't leave the cult.. I'm begging you please, please, please don't leave our cult".

/Spit

abdulalshirk | April 14, 2006 10:25 AM

Of course where there is annoying dishonessty involving Islam there is John Eposito lurking somewhere in the background.
So essentially colonilism is used as a retroactive, never ending blanket justification for Islamic atrocities?
The idea of Western Missionary activity in the Islamic world counting as a "horrendous" attack and onslaught is perverse. Islam and its adherents project their own crimes onto others.
The tragic fact is that this lie works, between the left and well funded Islamist they get to spew their libel of Christianity, Isreal and anyhing else pretty much unchallenged and the public as uneducated as much of is, never knows the difference. This evil feeds on ignorance and the guilty, self- hate conplex that grips so many Westerners. Reading someone like Bat Ye'or can help remedy this though.
I have personal experience, very negative experience with Muslims evangelizing for Islam, I would describe their attempts at dawah as an abusive onslaught. This discussion of Islamic apostasy is a prime example of the hypocracy and dishonesty that surrounds anything involving Islam.

ExpatriateDK | April 14, 2006 11:00 AM

I wonder how they would feel about it if all non-muslim states made it punishable by death to convert to islam. I bet all the same imams that are crying for death to apostates would be first in line to cry about how oppresive such a punishment is against the poor peaceloving muslims.

Television | April 14, 2006 11:16 AM

"well worth the read for anyone still confused as to why it is forbidden for Muslims to express doubt about Islam."

Anyone still confused as to why it is forbidden for Muslims to express doubt about Islam is a naive Infidel who thinks the whole world must naturally be as intellectually open-minded and spiritually mature as the modern West. cough! *BUSH!* cough!

DaveMate | April 14, 2006 11:50 AM

Don't you dare leave this religion.

Don't you dare refuse to join this religion.

Don't you dare inform muslims of other religions.

Don't you dare refuse to force Islam on others.

Think that covers it, no?

Moose | April 14, 2006 12:21 PM

"The Borg"

Star Trek.

Moose

Erik | April 14, 2006 12:42 PM

I must say, I really feel for Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, I mean Islam is under IMMENSE assualt in Africa. I mean can you imagine if you were some poor African kid whose parents died of AIDS and your belly looks like a 40 yr. old hick's beer gut because you don't have enough food to eat? Then to top it all off some 'white' missionaries come from America or some other infidel land and spread their TOXIC message of LOVE AND PEACE AND REDEMPTION and actually feed and clothe the hungry. I MEAN, these World Relief, World Vision organizations make me sick! Coming over to our perfect Islam world and helping out our own people who we neglect everyday! I MEAN why help them out with food/medicine/shelter and then tell them that Jesus loves them and died for their sins and that they can actually have a RELATIONSHIP with God?!?!? They should stay muslim so that they can die a martyr's death so they can get 72 virgins and that way they won't have to get to know allah (a.k.a satan) or at least let them become pagan apostates so they won't preach any GOOD NEWS to desperate people!

profitsbeard | April 14, 2006 8:55 PM

All he needed to say were the last four words:

"...apostates should be executed...".

In contrast to the words from the Cross:

"...forgive them for they know not what they do..."

The stark antipodes of the soul.

FreeSpeech | April 15, 2006 8:24 AM

The Unique Selling Proposition of Islam must be rather weak, and the Christian one rather attractive if people choose to leave despite the death sentence.

dococ | April 15, 2006 3:59 PM

[conference on] how to spread Christianity among [Muslims], and US$1 billion was allocated for this purpose.

I seriously doubt that US$1 billion was allocated for this or any other purpose. That is a HUGE amount that Christian ministries just don't have. (only if you count up ALL the mission boards in the country do you get that kind of figure.)

Christian | April 15, 2006 9:28 PM

Some good Christian web sites about Islam are as follows:

http://www.ciu.edu/muslimstudies
http://www.arabicbible.com
http://www.equip.org

I believe the first web site is that of the Zwemer Institute.

FrontPageMag.com

Books by Robert Spencer

The Muslim Brotherhood in America, by Robert Spencer

Islamophobia: Thoughtcrime of the Totalitarian Future

Muslim Persecution of Christians, by Robert Spencer

The Ground Zero Mosque: Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks

“My comrade-in-arms, my pal, my buddy.”
— Oriana Fallaci

“Robert Spencer incarnates intellectual courage when, all over the world, governments, intellectuals, churches, universities and media crawl under a hegemonic Universal Caliphate’s New Order. His achievement in the battle for the survival of free speech and dignity of man will remain as a fundamental monument to the love of, and the self-sacrifice for, liberty.”
— Bat Ye’or

“Robert Spencer is indefatigable. He is keeping up the good fight long after many have already given up. I do not know what we would do without him. I appreciate all the intelligence and courage it takes to keep going despite the appeasement of the West.”
— Ibn Warraq

“America's most informed, fearless, and compelling voice on modern jihadism.”
— Andrew C. McCarthy, Senior Fellow at National Review Institute

“Robert Spencer is the leading voice of scholarship and reason in a world gone mad. If the West is to be saved, we will owe Robert Spencer an incalculable debt.”
— Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs

"The consummate Islam critic and expert." — Bruce Bawer

“Over the years, we have become friends, and I have received his assistance on several pieces of legislation I proposed.”
— Former Congressman Tom Tancredo

“Few people are capable of applying scholarship, analytical reasoning, and objectivity to their topic -- while simultaneously being readable and witty -- as can Robert Spencer.”
— Raymond Ibrahim

“A national treasure...The acclaimed scholar of Islam.”
— Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy

“I am indeed honored to call him my friend.”
— Brad Thor, novelist

“A top American analyst of Islam....A serious scholar...I learn from him.”
— Daniel Pipes

“A brilliant scholar and writer.”
— Douglas Murray

"One of my best teachers."
— Ashraf Ramelah, Voice of the Copts

“Thank God there’s at least one man with balls left in the West.”
— Kathy Shaidle, Five Feet of Fury

“I read people like [Mark Steyn] and Bob Spencer and the rest of them, and I say, ‘Boortz, you’re pretending you’re an author. These people really are. They really write some entertaining, some standup stuff.’”
— Neal Boortz

“Robert Spencer is the Stephen King of Jihad.”
— Chris Gaubatz, Muslim Mafia

“Armed with facts and fearlessness, Spencer stands up for Western civilization.”
— Michelle Malkin

“Widely read in conservative foreign policy circles.”
— New York Times

“Widely read in many quarters in Washington.”
— Washington Post

“A canny operative who likely has the inside track on the State Department’s Middle East affairs desk should the tea party win the White House.”
— New York Magazine

“A hero of the American right.”
— Karen Armstrong

"The leading anti-Islamic intellectual in the United States....The go-to Islam expert for the right wing."
— Salon Magazine

“Robert Spencer is an Edward Said turned upside down.”
— Stephen Suleyman Schwartz

“One of the nation's most notorious Islamophobes.”
— Hamas-linked CAIR

"Geller and Spencer are probably the most important propagandizing Islamophobes in the world. These people's voices speak very loudly — not just here in the United States but overseas."
— Heidi Beirach, Southern Poverty Law Center

“Satanic ignoramus.”
— Khaleel Mohammed

“The Likud anti-Christ.”
— Dar al-Hayat newspaper (Saudi Arabia)

“Zionist Crusader, missionary of hate, counter-Islam consultant.”
— Al-Qaeda’s Adam Gadahn, “Azzam the American”