From: ark@ukc.ac.uk (A.R.Khan)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: IN/OUT OF ISLAM
Date: 16 Nov 92 23:38:40 GMT
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.



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IN/OUT of ISLAM

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Dear Brothers in Islam,
As'salamu Alaikum : I promised to Brother Rached that I shall Insha
Allah give the specific ayats and hadiths regarding the Islamic precepts
regarding those who go out of Islam. At the outset I fervently seek Allah's
forgiveness that I wrongly mentioned Sahih Bukhari as a source
about the punishment of apostacy. I definitely read somewhere but I can 
not recall where. Anyway, if I come
across and Insha Allah I shall, then I shall post the source of the Islamic
regulations I have mentioned in my earlier posting on IN/OUT OF ISLAM. Again
I beg forgiveness of Allah and I state that my purpose is not to create
dissension among Muslim Brothers or raise unnecessary fitna/fassads with 
others. With this, I shall first give the relevant ayats in the Qur'an on 
apostacy and then Insha Allah give the Hadiths from Shahih Bukhari on the 
subject. The ayats in the Qur'an will indicate, may Allah forgive me if 
I wrongly interpret, that, apostacy, no question of number of times, 
is a grave sin in the eye of Allah, and has to be treated as good as, 
even more than, KUFFAR.


   How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their
   belief and (after) they bore witness that the Messenger
   (Muhammad) was true, and that Clear Signs had come unto
   them? And Allah does not guide the wrong-doing people.
   As for such the reward is that on them (rests) the curse
   of Allah, the angels, and of all mankind. They will abide
   there-in. Neither will their torment be lightened nor it will
   be postponed (for a while). Except for those that repent after
   that and make amends. Verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 
   Surely, those who disbelieved after their belief, and go on adding
   to their defiance of faith, never will their repentance be accepted,
   and they are those who have gone astray.
                                            [Al-Imran, 3:86-90]


   Verily! Those who believe then disbelieve, then believe
   (again), and (again) disbelieve, and go on increasing
   in disbelief, Allah will not forgive them, nor guide
    them on the (right) way.
                                     [An-Nissa, 4:137]
Please also see these relevant verses :

                                    Al-Ma-ida 5:54

                                    Al-Nahl    16: 106-110

                                    Al-Baqara   2: 217


                                    Muhammad    47: 25.

I have copied above the translation as given in Sahih Bukhari. Now,
if you Brothers consult pages 45-47 in Volume 9 of Sahih Bukhari
as Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Hadiths 57-59, it is
clearly mentioned that the punishment of apostacy is death, NOT
AFTER THREE  TIMES APOSTACY as I earlier mentioned, although I
clearly remember I read somewhere. One Brother raised
the question : Do we have to wait for three times? The point
is if one goes out of Islam he IS OUT OF ISLAM with the difference
that a KAFIR who turns back from Islam is more harmful
than an OUTSIDER KAFIR because turning back may affect the faith 
of others. 
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