Thus every human being can be defined in terms of his relationship with Islam. He is an apostate. In practice, such harsh disciplinary measures are usually imposed rigorously only on those who are formally Muslims, and then convert to another faith. On each occasion, I promptly received the reply that the punishment would be the death penalty. If they die unrepentant, they will be condemned to hell.
Islamic law offers a third option.
They may be required to pay a special tax. During the first centuries after the rise of Islam, that tax was indeed collected from Jews and Christians living in Muslim states. With the passage of time, and the experience of Muslims living in societies where they formed a religious minority, Islamic states began to take a more tolerant attitude toward other faiths. But today, a new trend toward fundamentalism within Islam has produced a return to the old rigorous enforcement of the law. Today many Muslims give up their religious practices once they are beyond their teenage years.