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Now here is an actual substantive case made on the basis of Islamic tradition for the overturning of the traditional Islamic death penalty for apostasy. Contrast this to the mountains-from-molehills exercise here, which offers nothing against the large number of authorities who support the practice.
"SIS: Many of opinion apostasy not capital crime," by Jacqueline Ann Surin in Sun2Surf.com, with thanks to DFS:
PETALING JAYA (Dec 1, 2006): There is a significant body of opinion among the ulama from the earliest Islamic history that apostasy is not a capital crime, and not punishable by death, Sisters in Islam (SIS) said.SIS programme manager Norhayati Kaprawi said the Quran was silent on the worldly punishment for apostasy, and Surah al-Baqarah 2:256 explicitly states: "Let there be no compulsion in religion".
"Surah Yunus 10:99 also states that 'Had your Lord willed, everyone on earth would have believed. Do you then force people to become believers?'," she said in a press statement yesterday.
Norhayati said noted International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) scholar Prof Hashim Kamali, who wrote Freedom of Expression in Islam, has also highlighted that two leading jurists of the generation succeeding the Prophet's Companions - Ibrahim al-Naka'I and Sufyan al-Thawri - both held that apostates should never be condemned to death.
"The renowned Hanafi jurist, Shams al-Din al-Sarakhsi, wrote that even though renunciation of faith is the greatest of offences, it is a matter between man and his Creator, and its punishment is postponed to the Day of Judgment.
"The Maliki jurist Abul Walid al-Baji and the renowned Hanbali jurist Ibn Taymiyyah have both held that apostasy is a sin which carries no hudud punishment, that is, death.
"The Sheikh of al-Azhar, who was Egypt's former grand mufti, Dr Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, also declared that apostasy is not a capital crime."
Norhayati said SIS viewed with concern the opinions of two IIUM lecturers at a convention on Wednesday that apostasy was punishable by death and was also a crime under the Federal Constitution....
The SIS case is welcome. Still, it will face an uphill battle. Muhammad's statement من بدل دينه فاقتلوه -- if anyone changes his religion, kill him -- is amply attested in the Hadith, and is accepted as authentic by virtually all Islamic scholars. It appears in various forms in Bukhari, Ibn Majah, An-Nasai, Tayalisi, Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and other authorities.
Nor does Muhammad make any exception when enunciating the principle in this way: "The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except 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" (Bukhari, vol. 9, bk. 83, no. 17).
I am glad to see the SIS invoking Islamic authorities against all this. Now they will need to construct a case for why these traditions should be rejected by Muslims. Then and only then might they start making headway in Islamic communities worldwide.
Posted by Robert at December 3, 2006 7:23 AM
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How India will be won for Islam:
http://www.dawahinamericas.com/roadmap_jihad.htm
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL
ROADMAP TO DISCOVER INDIA THROUGH BUILDING ISLANDS OF PEACE
[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]
The eloquent appeal made by Mohtram Abdul Haq Falahi in the Isharat of Zindagi -e. Naw, July 2003 towards Dawah Ilallah is quite impressive. It is extensively supported by Verses from the Qur'an that exhort a Muslim to be a Da'ee and be involved in Dawah process. But he didn't elucidate or propound as how to do Dawah in a pluralistic society like India, preparing the ground towards the accomplishment of the ideology and the goal that JIH upholds. It might be available in its four yearly "Miqat" in different form and shape but it is not before me.
I am living in the pluralistic society of America and surrounded by all faiths, cults and dogmas. Hindus too are living here very prominently. I was expecting that Mohtram Falahi will unfold some plan and program as how to call the people of the land unto the fold of their Creator and Sustainer; how to take them out from the world of paganism and liberal cults to the world of Tawhediat; how to offer solace to their tormented hearts and minds and how to balance the life of common man that has been shattered under extremely tight centuries old rituals, taboos and "denials"? How to get the people of the land first free from the bondage of "slavery" of religious customs, the hierarchy of the priesthood, the supremacy of the Brahmins or high cast Hindus and then elevate their position at par with other humans as equals in the pursuits of happiness and attaining success of both the worlds? Equally, working through what plan and program the stage can be set for the emergence of Islam as a political entity in the complex socio-religious-political set up of India in due course of time?
I have no idea how JIH will do this job when it resolved to change the society, fight against corruption at all levels, annihilate the cast system, give "tongue" to the untouchables and bring the status of the lowest at par with the highest placed in the society? What program it has to raise the status of the predominantly oppressed womenfolk of India? Alhamdulillah, these are very high ideals and JI is striving and must strive hard to attain them within a feasible time frame with set targets, otherwise, the goal will become a stalemate and a matter of distant dream. My humble suggestions are as follows:
1. In my humble opinion these ideals can be accomplished if JI starts working at the grass root level, building the momentum gradually at its individual workers level, especially Arkan, who are dedicated, devoted and committed. If the case is not so, it should first concentrate in transforming each one of them into an effective Da'ee Ilallah in Indian perspective at their respective places, neighborhood and in vicinity.
2. Each worker will try to ignite the environment around him or her by setting:
i. his or her own house as model Muslim family;
ii. his or her own example as a model socio-political worker [activists] in their respective domain, demonstrating the exemplary trustworthy character of a Da'ee;
iii. working day and night enthusiastically with active cooperation of the local people, irrespective of their cast and creed, in developing and establishing around themselves an "Island of peace" [IOP] based on common human values [Ma'roof to be followed by Munkar] at their respective places within a variable time frame of three to four years, depending on the local condition and targeting to build 5, 000 such basic "units of peace" throughout India within the next four years time.
Important Notes:
1. Initially the "Island of peace" will cover an area of about 1 to 2 sq. mile, depending on the number of workers available in that area;
2. This IOP will be the target of intensive and extensive Dawah activities, mass contact programs and humanitarian services involving the local people in social activities as much as possible;
3. It will help in building the requisite good will for the IM and the image of its workers as socio-political activists with dependable and trustworthy character.
4. In subsequent stage or stages, additional areas will be added to this IOP in geographical contiguity, depending on the availability of Thareeki workers locally and the amount of cooperation from the people of the area with a target to build 10, 000 additional Islands of Peace throughout India [totaling 25 to 30,000 or more]. The building of the IOP will increase in geometrical proportion in a continuous geographical contiguity.
5. The area covering the IOP will continue to increase in stages till it ultimately covers an electoral constituency or greater part of it. If the project continues systematically and programmatically, it will not take more than 20 to 25 years to win over the hearts of the "electorates" of the area, enabling the JI to set up its own or pro-Jamaat or an honest person as candidate of the area, as the situation would warrant, for local, provincial and national elections.
6. In fact, this is the Roadmap for JIH to create the atmosphere for promoting the Islamic values in the heterogeneous pluralistic society of India. It may pave the way ultimately for the emergence of Islam as political entity, first in "localities", then in "provinces" and then at "national" level. All depends on our ingenuity, sincerity and human efforts that are put behind this long drawn out process. JIH has no choice but to set out its march to prepare the country for the human values that it cherishes and promotes. Allah (SWT) in His infinite mercy will help us. He stands committed: "Wallazeena Jahadu feena, lanahdiyanahum subulana". Every one of us must have confirm believe in the commitment of Allah. But if we don't make any effort and remain "stagnant," His blessings too will remain dormant, always waiting at the horizon for the forthcoming men of action and deeds.
7. The four yearly "Meqats" of the JIH will need revision and adjustment accordingly
8. This whole process does not need any publicity and fanfare but silent working for the targeted goal. This should be the policy of the Jamaat at each level. Publicity gives nothing but "headaches."
9. All the programs of JIH must rotate around this axis of IOP. The attitude of "hesitancy" about setting a political agenda that is apparently visible both in the leadership and the program all around must be buried deep into the Indian Ocean for good. "Precaution" and "reservation" are denying the opportunity to the Jamaat to present itself as the "NEED OF THE PEOPLE'". If Islam has the "Khair" and solution of human problems, it must now be ventilated in full to the people of the land through intensive and extensive Dawah programs at each level and through the character and behavior of its workers at their respective places, making IOP as a landmark program to transform the sick and the corrupt society of India into a vibrant human society that stands for justice to all.
10. This vision must now be visible through our programs, speeches and personal contacts at every level. India stands today to be "re-discovered" what Pundit Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi could not do in the last millennium, JIH should undertake to accomplish it in the current millennium. I wish JIH all success through their period of trials and tribulation that are inevitable when it would set out its march of rediscovering India afresh.
Shamim A Siddiqi
July 26, 2003
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at December 3, 2006 7:52 AM
Dawah in Prisons:
http://www.dawahinamericas.com/prison.htm
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL
DAWAH IN PRISONS
[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]
Alhamdulillah, with the growth of time, the campaign towards Dawah Ilallah, inviting the people, the humans, to the fold of Allah, is getting momentum in the Muslim community everywhere. The more the adversaries of Islam are attacking the Deen of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Muslim Ummah, the more Muslims are getting conscious of the need of Dawah as an effective means to counteract the nefarious designs of the enemies of Islam, to dilute their round the cock propaganda against the fundamental teachings of Islam and the life pattern of Muslim’s way of life. In the western hemisphere, prisons are the concentrative points of non-Muslims inmates and, therefore, have become the focus points and easy targets of Dawah Ilallah [DI].
Everyone who has the urge for DI, he arranges some Dawah flyers and books/booklets, applies to the prison authorities to visit jails that are called “correctional facilities” in the USA. With permission in hand, these “Da’ees” enter into jail at appointed times and meet the non-Muslim inmates, invite them to the fold of their Creator and Sustainer, try to convince them to the beauties and benedictions of Islam and give them Dawah literature to study afterwards. The Dawah contactees mostly are of African-American [AA] origin and some of Latino-Americans. Rarely the inmates of Caucasian-American origin respond to such Dawah calls. However, the response from AA brothers is very often positive. They embrace Islam in jail and these outside Da’ees try to meet their basic religious needs like, prayer rugs, Tasbeeh [rosaries], a copy of the Holy Qur’an, life history of Rasulullah (S), a book of “every-day” Fiqh, Miswak, perfume and some basic Islamic literature to make and keep them as practicing Muslims.
It needs a lot of funds. Islamic organizations like ICNA, ISNA, and CAIR meet these expenses as their Dawah project. Islamic Circle of North America alone expends about fifty thousand dollars each year on its project: “Dawah in Jail”. The book “Towards Understanding Islam” by Late S. A. A. Maudoodi is in great demand for Dawah both in prison and outside. ICNA has published varieties of Dawah flyers and booklets to this effect and supplies thousands of copies of the Qur’an to jail inmates every year. Other organizations too are involved in Dawah in prison and meet its requirements in their respective way.
State Government appoints Jews, Christians and Muslim Chaplin in jail for imparting the religious needs of the inmates. Muslim Chaplins do additional Dawah work in jail on their own accord. In NY alone, a friend of mine who is a Chaplin in jail has, Alhamdulillah, brought more then three thousand inmates into the fold of Islam so far during the last five years. He expends all of his emoluments that he gets for his services to cater the needs of the new Muslims in jail and something more from outside help. The Muslim Chaplin leads the prayers, deliver Friday sermons, teach them Islam in detail and meet their other religious needs. The picture apparently looks rosy but in depth it has a lot of problems that need our attention.
1. Dawah in prison is the most disorganized phenomenon. Everyone carries out his Dawah efforts in his own way restricting himself to deliver the message and some flyers and thinks that the objective of DI is accomplished. These flyers represent different sects and cults in Islam and go along way to poison the minds of many inmates. A contactee of mine sent me a flyer that was written in South Africa in fifties against Maulana Maudoodi in South Africa. I had to explain him a lot in writing to correct the situation and remove his bad impression. Both Qadianees and Shiites are actively involved in “Dawah in prison”. All schools of thoughts are carrying out their respective “factionalism” in prison. It needs developing a common program, preparing comprehensive Dawah flyers/literature based on the fundamental teachings of Islam and practicing a common strategy of spreading Dawah through jail. Only then Dawah in prison will produce substantial results in the field of DI.
2 If the inmate, fortunately, becomes Muslim, no proper arrangement is available for his education and training on Islamic lines afterward except through government appointed Chaplins. Very often he is lost in the doldrums of “Kufr and Shirk” from where he was picked up and brought into the fold of Islam. The Muslim Chaplins should constitute themselves into an institution on national basis, develop a course of training of jail inmates, evolve a mechanism of evaluation to judge their progress and implementation of their program, examine their issues and meet on regular basis to get their problems resolved. The Muslim leadership of the USA should undertake this issue to resolve soon.
In fact, each new Muslim in prison, if given proper education and training in jail, he can be transformed into the most effective Da’ee much more better than those who make “air raid attack” on jail, drop some sporadic literature here and there and “feel” contented that Dawah work is completed. A brother who embraced Islam in jail, happened to read my book, “Methodology of Dawah in American Perspective”, got my address and wrote to me in detail about his background and understanding about Islam I corresponded with him in a continuous process and advised him to behave and act on the tradition of Prophet Yusuf (AS} and be a Da’ee by himself. I provided him all the basic literature about Islam got him admitted in the Open American University. He learned Arabic and many more Islamic subjects through my persuasion and correspondence course. He was simultaneously busy in giving Dawah to his co-inmates. Last year at Eid times, he sent me a group picture of himself with other inmates that became Muslim. He is Caucasian-American Muslim and is determined to remain a Da’ee for the whole of his life. I really treasure that picture as the most valuable asset of my life. Such should be the “end-result” of our Dawah efforts in prison. Only then every prison can become a Dawah-shell.
3. There is no arrangement to look after the new Muslims who come out of jail after completing their terms of imprisonment. Hardly, there is any “half-way house” to take care of these ex-convicts. They need relocation, sustenance at least for about six months enabling them to stand on their legs, job opportunities to maintain themselves and their “neglected” families, vocational training to earn honest livelihood by their own hands and a shelter to live in its shade for six months to one year or till he is properly relocated and established as an useful citizen of the state. It is very expensive job. To cater these essential needs for the new Muslims, the Muslim community of America and elsewhere need a lot of funds. A few years back, as Incharge of ICNA Dawah Department, I tried to build a half-way house in NY just for 12 to 15 ex-inmates, the minimum funds it needed was half a million dollar. Per year. I could not raise this fund from the community and had to give up this project in dismay. It needs millions of dollars to establish such half-way houses in different parts of the country to transform these new converts to Islam into a team of effective Da’ees. This is the continuous process of Dawah in Prison and must be attended by American Muslims. It would be a continuous “Sadaqah” for any sponsor, if he comes forward to accept this challenge of utmost importance from Dawah point of view.
May Allah give us vision to understand the fundamental needs and issues of Dawah in Prison and Tawfeeq to pool our resources to make it an effective means of Dawah Ilallah!
Shamim A Siddiqi
January 15, 2004
at December 3, 2006 8:02 AM
Methodology of Dawah Ilallah
The following link accesses a book length treatise on how to conduct Dawah (proselytization); have fun but don't get hurt:
http://www.dawahinamericas.com/
Posted by: Mentat at December 3, 2006 8:07 AM
Regarding the book I mention above, look under section, "B. Islam - as a Movement", in the left sidebar and click on the link entitled "Methodology of Dawah Ilallah".
Posted by: Mentat at December 3, 2006 8:12 AM
To avoid any future bloodshed or strife put Islam
and the Koran on trial now...
http://www.news.faithfreedom.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=776
Create such a furore that all those ignorant of
it`s malevolence will learn of it...EVERYONE !
at December 3, 2006 8:22 AM
There must be a lot of stupid Muslims out there. We get a story like this when every day we hear of people being arrested or killed for being apostates. Stupid Muslims!
Then we hear how only Muslims who misunderstand Islam go out and commit terrorist acts. Stupid Muslims!
I'm beginning to feel like an Islamic scholar compared to these people who seemingly know nothing about their own cult. To be a Muslim MUST mean being mindless. Why be a part of something you know nothing about?
Stupid Muslims!
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at December 3, 2006 10:46 AM
"Now they will need to construct a case for why these traditions should be rejected by Muslims."
Let me make the case for rejecting this particular tradition and most other violent traditions in Islam.
To all Mooselims: Either reform your religion or face the consequences. Howzzat?
Posted by: Pelayo at December 3, 2006 11:01 AM
Im not sure but it would appear to be a moot point since disbelief is a capitol crime.
Shirk is worse than Killing
Since Jihad involves killing and shedding the blood of men, Allah indicated that these men are committing disbelief in Allah, associating with Him (in the worship) and hindering from His path, and this is a much greater evil and more disastrous than killing. Abu Malik commented about what Allah said:
[وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ]
(And Al-Fitnah is worse than killing.) Meaning what you (disbelievers) are committing is much worse than killing.'' Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that what Allah said:
[وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ]
(And Al-Fitnah is worse than killing.) "Shirk (polytheism) is worse than killing.''
at December 3, 2006 12:51 PM
won't happen- Islam is waging the final battle on earth & if they start going soft, they will not be able to maintain the culutre of fear that they have cultivated- If they can't keep the pressures on people, then the people will revolt and stand up to the tyranny & the dems will actually quit fearing them and start passing actuial; laws that will protect America- Islamic radicals can't have that- so they'll keep the kilklings going in order to bring about hteir caliphate by force. The age of sorrows is soon upon us & there's nothign man or beast can do to prevent it. http://sacredscoop.com
Posted by: CottShop at December 3, 2006 1:43 PM
Rots of ruck SIS, you will need it.
Posted by: duh_swami at December 3, 2006 1:47 PM
"Now they will need to construct a case for why these traditions should be rejected by Muslims. Then and only then might they start making headway in Islamic communities worldwide."
I disagree. The fact that such a self-evident principle of conscience has to be "constructed" out of Islamic texts in the first place shows how hopelessly bankrupt Islam is.
Muslims should not be "constructing" self-evident principles of conscience; they should be deconstructing the ridiculous and diseased need for such constructions.
But they won't; and because they will have failed to deconstruct Islam on their own, others will have to destroy it.
Posted by: remote_control at December 3, 2006 2:38 PM
Of course apostacy MUST be a capital crime in Islam. Many cults kill those who try to leave,lest they spill the beans. Besides, Islam can't bear to have someone leave for a better life. That cult is like bunch of crabs in a bucket-one tries to get out but the others always pull that one back in.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at December 3, 2006 4:51 PM
One Islamic apologist here explained in an Op-Ed in the local paper, that the apostate is to be killed only if they engage in further "mischief". (I see no justification for this in anything I read of Islamic Law. I think this was her personal view; not very comforting.)
Well, what constitutes "mischief"? Talking about one's new religion? Reading a bible? Also, what about someone doing this "mischief" who is not apostate? Obviously they are not killed. Thus it is the apostacy, not the mischief, that brings on the death sentence, which sort of makes the explanation void.
Much later I learned that the word often translated "mischief" in the Koran actually means "resistance", as in the opposite of "submission", i.e., Islam. Thus I believe her response was an encoding of "they must revert or die". I wonder how often this term "mischief" is used by islamic apologists in the west to cloak such a meaning.
Robert, I think your carrot-and-stick approach to the SIS is correct: when they move to properly address harmful doctrines within Islam and challenge the extremists, Muslims need our vocal support and encouragement (they won't get much from the other side) but we must be realistic about the challenge such groups face, and that they may simply be dissembling; it's always something to keep in mind.
Posted by: Archimedes2 at December 3, 2006 5:01 PM
Apostasy isn't a capital crime? So what? The "sisters" didn't reject imprisonment, torture, or exile as punishments for apostasy. Indeed, they didn't in any way reject punishment for apostasy.
Posted by: aynrandgirl at December 3, 2006 6:33 PM
"Now they will need to construct a case for why these traditions should be rejected by Muslims. Then and only then might they start making headway in Islamic communities worldwide."
I would say they need to bring the case forward, and then win it. If they can not show how this is right, and have all voices agree that now do not, the case is lost.
It is not saying what they want, it is showing how the others got it wrong, and making them admit just that.
A hardy good luck.
Posted by: Islofob IS-1 at December 3, 2006 6:40 PM
Mentat just wondering if you wondered on here a mistake in your posting it appears you are one of the great unwashed masses of the cult of Islam?? You may of goofed this is a site more for the discussion of how evil Islam as practiced in the Middle East exported in some countries is. After killing for a convert from Islam to Christianity I think the closest Christianity comes to this is the which brings and happened in the Middle Ages. A problem Islam has is never left, the time of Muhammad in 780ad where Christianity and Judaism have evolved and adapted to the 21st century. Islam and its more radical followers want returned to the seventh century and take it with them, personally I think they want is our women as booty. To be sex slaves.
Posted by: islamakapigeaters at December 3, 2006 10:28 PM
Perhaps while they are spreading the good news of mooslems and pislam, they ought to let the prisoners know how they are really viewed. Even converting won't help as shown by the africans being murdered by the arabs.
Posted by: practical witch at December 4, 2006 2:38 AM
They are saying this because they live in the US. How will they open their mouths to interpret those passages like that? Ordinarily, the words of women are inferior to those of men.
If they know that their interpretation is correct, let them go to Gaza and tell mention that.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/795736.html
i maintain that they are just trying to appease us - still working for the same bigger plan of making us weak and then overthrowing our system.
at December 4, 2006 4:22 AM
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