Duly Warn Potential Converts of Death Penalty for Apostasy in Islam

Related posts:
Apostacy

Blasphemy

Death Penalty for Leaving Islam?

N advised: For our brothers who are making dawa: You might need to mention for those want to convert to Islam,  that once they are Muslims,  they can not change back , otherwise they will be killed. Be transparent so we don't look like cheating anyone  Fair enough,  right ?

My response: Killing for leaving the religion is a practice that is not rooted in the Quran. Consider the following verses: 

Quran 4:137 Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them on the way. 

How does one reject faith and then believe again if he/she is to be killed upon rejection of faith?  

Also, please consider the following verses:  

Quran 10:99 If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!

Quran 16:93 If Allah so willed, He could make you all one people: But He leaves straying whom He pleases, and He guides whom He pleases: but ye shall certainly be called to account for all your actions.

However, yes, many Muslims do believe that anyone who leaves the religion must be killed. Hence, its only fair to include it in the list of warnings about earthly trials, while laying due emphasis on the outcomes in the Hereafter (rewards for embracing the temporal trials vs the punishment for choosing the temporal over the eternal). 

No Compulsion in Religion

K shared an article claiming that there is contradiction in Quran, as Quran 2:256 states that there is no compulsion in religion while verse(s) of Chapter 9 of the Quran contradict it. 

My response: The 'No compulsion in religion, is it?! ' is a very misleading article. There is indeed no compulsion in religion nor are there contradictions in the Quran. The entire Quran repeatedly informs and warns that whenever a Messenger of God is sent to a people, and the signs of God are made clear to them, then that which they have been warned against will indeed come to pass, and God and His Messenger will prevail! [Quran 58:21] 

After warning the direct addressees of Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) for about two decades, then a formal announcement of annulment of treaty [Quran 9:1] is made at the beginning of the quoted chapter 9 of the Quran, a notice period of four months announced [Quran 9:2], and after that God and His Messenger prevailed over Mecca and the surrounding areas. Moreover, those heads of states to whom the letters had been sent by the Messenger of God were also subsequently prevailed upon by the immediate successors of Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him), who only subdued the nations whose leaders had already been warned by the Messenger of God.    

K responded: So does it mean, now we need to force anybody if he/she does not accept Islam? Islam itself has divided into hundreds of  groups and sects. So which islam? Shia islam or Sunni Islam? If sunni Islam then Jihadi Islam or sufi islam? The list is endless... Do you believe Islam is a religion of peace or religion of jihad? Please enlighten me brother. Thank you. 

My response: We Muslims are not the Messenger of God and we are not authorised to use force against anybody who does not accept Islam. Even the Prophets and Messengers of God were not authorised to force anyone to accept Islam. The Messengers of God prevailed because it is the decree of God that whenever he decides the punishment of a people, he sends a Messenger to warn of the imminent punishment. Copied below are the literal word to word translations of Quran 17:15 and Quran 58:21 Please visit the links to see multiple translations of verse.  

http://islamawakened.com/quran/17/15/  

Whoever (is) guided then only he is guided for his soul. And whoever goes astray then only he goes astray against it And not will bear one laden with burden, burden (of) another. And not We are to punish until, We have sent a Messenger. 

http://islamawakened.com/quran/58/21/ 

Allah has decreed, "Surely, I and My Messengers." Indeed, Allah (is) All-Strong, All-Mighty. 

The question it raises is that 'if there is no compulsion in religion, why then does God decide to punish a people in this world?'. I have tried to understand the narrative of the ancient civilisations in the following blogposts: 

http://signsandscience.blogspot.ca/2015/01/the-mighty-ancients.html 

http://signsandscience.blogspot.ca/2015/06/mission-of-messengers.html 

We Muslims are entrusted with the scripture (Quran) and it is our duty to understand, obey and share the knowledge in a spirit of compassion, so that as we find ourselves guided and grow in guidance, we share our light with others as well. Whether others accept or reject it is entirely between them and God. 

Trustworthiness of Humans

An atheist stated during a discussion with someone: ... thousands of years ago, politicians didn't exist. Religions controlled it all. Wars were between a Muslim Army against a Christian Army or a Hindu Army. 

In many ways, if you look at present day, it is easy to see how Religions are still behind many wars. Even different sects of the same Religion fight.

Nothing of this has the slightest relation to what goes on in the Universe, the movement of the stars, the planets in our solar system, etc, etc

My response: Thank God that the Universe and its governance does not depend on human foolishness! Man hopes to conquer space someday, yet cannot even be trusted with taking care of the earth, its environment, its ecosystem, or even each other! No wonder we've been sent here to establish who is trustworthy enough and who cannot be entrusted with anything precious! 

Purpose of Life and Religion

An atheist asked someone during a discussion: ... I would like yoiu to explaing to me how does your inexistent Allah provide for for the poor children of the world, dying at the pace of over 4,000 per minute? and the parents are veery observant Muslims. Where is the food, the medicines for when they're ill? 

It is as idiotic as in the Christian faith, where also the poorest, the starving are always praying to Jesus to provide them with food. Like with Islam, the more hungry people are, the more religious leaders tell them not to worry, God/Allah will provide. 

Religion kills millions every year. As I say, RELIGION, because it is by brainwashing the ignorant withg this big lie, that Allah will provide, that people die, die and die. 

My response: All people die, regardless of whether they believe in and/or worship any deity or not. The purpose of worship is not to attain immortality and everlasting bliss in this world. This world is transient and destined to end. The comfortable and the delightful in this world is but a preview of what awaits in the eternal Gardens of Bliss.  

God, the Most Compassionate, has given Adam and his progeny a chance, through this temporal life, to establish their trustworthiness and attain God's forgiveness in this world.  [http://islamawakened.com/quran/33/72/ , http://islamawakened.com/quran/33/73/ ]

This life is a mixture of all sorts of joys and worries, desires and temptations, needs and wants, and all of us are being mutually tested, regardless of the labels of religion, nationality or gender. Its not supposed to be perfect. Neither the joys and prosperity are rewards, nor are worries and pains punishments - everything is a test!   

Immortality and a life of everlasting bliss are promised by God to those who believe and keep their duty. Iblis made a similar promise to Adam and thereby, through temptation and misguidance, caused Adam's expulsion from the Garden. [http://islamawakened.com/quran/20/120/ ] 

We are repeatedly warned through the scriptures that Iblis and his progeny are enemies of Adam and his progeny (us), and that the promise of Iblis and his progeny are false, while the promise of God is true. You can read more on Iblis' plot to misguide humans on my blogpost Mission of the Messengers [http://signsandscience.blogspot.com/2015/06/mission-of-messengers.html ] 

In the email below, you raise the question of hunger and poverty in this world. Please see my blogpost on World Hunger and Slavery [http://signsandscience.blogspot.com/2015/05/world-hunger-slavery.html ]