(2) A murtad must fully realize the implications of his open...

(2) A murtad must fully realize the implications of his open rejection and what it means–casting doubt on the truth and honesty of (peace be upon him) as the Messenger of God. The punishment prescribed by the shari`ah for apostasy is death. Even the terms used by the shari`ah for apostates give the idea of treason to this whole phenomenon. “Murtad” means apostate. Murtad can be of two types: Fitri and M illi .

(1) “Murtad Fitri” means a person who is born of a Muslim parent and then he rejects Islam. “Fitrah” means creation. The term “murtad fitri” implies that the person has an apostate from the faith in which he was born. (2) “Murtad Milli” means a person who converted to Islam and then, later on, he rejects Islam. Milli is from millat which means religion. The term “murtad milli” implies that the person has apostatized from his religion and the Muslim community.

In the first case, the apostasy is like treason against God; whereas in the second case, the apostasy is like treason against the Muslim community. Probably, that is why the Sh`iah jurisprudence deals with these two kinds of murtads differently: • A former kāfir who became a Muslim and then apostate ( murtad milli ), he is given a second chance: if he repents, then he is not to be killed; but if he does not repent, then he is to be killed.

●But one who is born as a Muslim and then apostates ( murtad fitri ), he is to be killed even if he repents. It is important to understand that in case a murtad fitri repents, Allāh may accept his repentance and he may be forgiven in the hereafter, but he still has to go through the punishment prescribed for his treason in this world. (3) This punishment is only applicable in the case of apostasy by men; in the case of women, the punishment is not death but life imprisonment.

And if such a woman repents, then her repentance is accepted and the punishment is lifted. In the writings of some of the Sh`iah jurists , one gets the sense that the punishment of murtad is to be implemented onlyā in dāru ‘l-Islām (i.e., the Muslim world) and that if the murtad flees to dāru ‘l-kufr (i.e., the abode of kufr ), then he is not to be pursued. (4) Continued in the next article: http://Apostasy in Islam 3 NOTES: ____________________________________________________ 1.

See Professor Ali Mazrui, The Satanic Verse or a Satanic Novel, p. 4-5, who probably is the first Muslim to have used the term treason in comparison with apostasy in the context of the Rushdie affair 2.

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