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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Your Questions Answered (volume 6) Q90: One Has Never Paid Khums Q.100: Freedom Of Choice VS.Death Penalty For Apostate: How does one reconcile the freedom to choose a religion (2:256) and the death decree for a person who chooses to abandon Islam? A: Suppose you are a foreigner living in the U.K. with a right to apply for its citizenship. Nobody can compel you to use that right and acquire the said citizenship; you have "the freedom to choose it".

But once you apply for and get the citizenship you are bound to obey its rules and keep its interests at your heart. Then if after some time you are caught plotting against the state and found guilty of treason and rebellion, what penalty awaits you? It is death. How will you reconcile the initial "freedom of choice" with that ultimate "denial of right of life"? For your information, such plottings had started in the life of the Prophet (S.A.W) himself.

Allah says in the Qur'an: "And a party of the people of the Book say: show belief in that which has been revealed to those who believe, in the early part of the day, and declare disbelief at the end of it; perhaps they (i.e. Muslims) go back on their religion." (3:72). So you see what bad effect apostasy of even one man can have on the whole Muslim Ummah. It demoralizes the Muslims; and disturbs their cohesion and discipline.

It is unmitigated "fasadfil ard", and needs tough handling to stem the rot in the beginning. Q. 101: IS BETTING ON HORSES ETC. ALLOWED? Imam Khomeini (R.A) gave a Fatwa on betting, and said that it was Halal, particularity on horses and camel racing. Is it Halal to receive money on winning? A: You have been given wrong information. The fact is that in Islam competitions of horse- riding and archery are allowed.

Also it is permitted to make a condition that the loser will give so much prize to the winner; and /or that a third party will pay a reward/prize to the winner. But betting on who will win or lose in strictly forbidden. And detailed rules for regulating this competition or race are found in all books of Fiqh from the early days of Islam. It is not only a fatwa on Ayatullah Khumayni (R. A).

Now what it has got to do with present days' horse racing in the western countries which is pure gambling, and is diametrically opposed to that Islamic way of racing and archery which develops martial arts, and trains youths for fighting in the way of Allah?