The Obligation of Muslims Toward One Who Insults the Religion
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
This message reached us from Sudan. It says: From your brother in religion, Al-Abid Muhammad, Sudan, Al-Jazirah Directorate. He says: I present this to my brothers in religion and my brothers, the presenters of the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb*, and I ask that this request for a ruling be presented to the Shaykh who answers the listeners' questions. He says: What is the legal ruling for a person who commits the crime of insulting the religion, and he is married? If I am around him or close to him, what is the obligation I must fulfill toward this person? And my thanks to you?
Answer: Insulting the religion is among the greatest crimes in Islam. It is one of the crimes of disbelief, one of the nullifiers of Islam, and one of the types of apostasy from Islam. So, the one who insults the religion, or insults Allah, or insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), has committed a great disbelief and apostasy from Islam. It is obligatory for the one who hears it or knows it from him to refute it and to inform him that this is one of the nullifiers of Islam and a clear disbelief. So, he must hasten to repent, so that perhaps Allah will accept his repentance.
As for his ruling in this world regarding the authorities, it is obligatory for them to ask him to repent. If he repents, praise be to Allah; otherwise, he must be killed. A group of scholars said: He is not asked to repent, but is killed as a disbeliever by way of a fixed punishment. If he repents between himself and Allah, Allah will accept his repentance, but he must be killed as a deterrent for him and his like from insulting Allah and His Messenger, and from insulting the religion of Allah.
Both opinions are well known among the scholars. Considering the state of people today, the prevalence of ignorance, their mixing with polytheists and disbelievers, and the weakness of their insight, it becomes clear that this matter may become common in this time; due to the extensive mixing with disbelievers, due to the prevalence of ignorance and its dominance over people, and due to the weakness of religion and faith in the hearts of many people. Therefore, this thing may occur from him frequently. So, it is obligatory to deter him from this thing with the utmost discipline that deters people from this, then ask him to repent, so that perhaps he will regret what he did. But the discretionary punishment is necessary... the discipline is necessary for what he committed, then asking him to repent after that. He is asked to repent; if he repents, praise be to Allah, along with the discretionary punishment and discipline so that he does not return to such a thing. If he does not repent, he is killed for disbelief and apostasy from Islam.
The second opinion is: He is not asked to repent, but is killed immediately and not asked to repent; because this is a great crime, so its perpetrators are not asked to repent, just as the sorcerer is not asked to repent according to the correct opinion. So, the one who insults Allah and His Messenger, or insults His religion, is even more so; due to the clarity of his disbelief and because he has violated a great matter and committed a great crime in insulting the religion, insulting Allah, and His Messenger.
In any case, it is obligatory to ask him to repent. If he repents, regrets, ceases, and displays good and displays righteous deeds, praise be to Allah; otherwise, he is killed. But the discretionary punishment is necessary; he must be punished and disciplined so that he does not return to such a thing, even if he repents. If he is killed immediately and not asked to repent, that is a good opinion and a strong opinion, and there is no objection to it. But asking for repentance has its aspect. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) commanded asking disbelievers to repent and calling them to it. So, if he is asked to repent; because ignorance dominates people, and they are also dominated by leniency in these matters; due to misguided companions, due to the prevalence of ignorance, and due to the bad mixing with disbelievers and criminals. If he is asked to repent and repents with a sincere repentance and displays good, praise be to Allah. Otherwise, he may be killed if he returns to such a thing and is not affected by the asking for repentance or the discretionary punishment that was done to him by the authorities. Yes.
And Allah is sought for help. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
Answer: Insulting the religion is among the greatest crimes in Islam. It is one of the crimes of disbelief, one of the nullifiers of Islam, and one of the types of apostasy from Islam. So, the one who insults the religion, or insults Allah, or insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), has committed a great disbelief and apostasy from Islam. It is obligatory for the one who hears it or knows it from him to refute it and to inform him that this is one of the nullifiers of Islam and a clear disbelief. So, he must hasten to repent, so that perhaps Allah will accept his repentance.
As for his ruling in this world regarding the authorities, it is obligatory for them to ask him to repent. If he repents, praise be to Allah; otherwise, he must be killed. A group of scholars said: He is not asked to repent, but is killed as a disbeliever by way of a fixed punishment. If he repents between himself and Allah, Allah will accept his repentance, but he must be killed as a deterrent for him and his like from insulting Allah and His Messenger, and from insulting the religion of Allah.
Both opinions are well known among the scholars. Considering the state of people today, the prevalence of ignorance, their mixing with polytheists and disbelievers, and the weakness of their insight, it becomes clear that this matter may become common in this time; due to the extensive mixing with disbelievers, due to the prevalence of ignorance and its dominance over people, and due to the weakness of religion and faith in the hearts of many people. Therefore, this thing may occur from him frequently. So, it is obligatory to deter him from this thing with the utmost discipline that deters people from this, then ask him to repent, so that perhaps he will regret what he did. But the discretionary punishment is necessary... the discipline is necessary for what he committed, then asking him to repent after that. He is asked to repent; if he repents, praise be to Allah, along with the discretionary punishment and discipline so that he does not return to such a thing. If he does not repent, he is killed for disbelief and apostasy from Islam.
The second opinion is: He is not asked to repent, but is killed immediately and not asked to repent; because this is a great crime, so its perpetrators are not asked to repent, just as the sorcerer is not asked to repent according to the correct opinion. So, the one who insults Allah and His Messenger, or insults His religion, is even more so; due to the clarity of his disbelief and because he has violated a great matter and committed a great crime in insulting the religion, insulting Allah, and His Messenger.
In any case, it is obligatory to ask him to repent. If he repents, regrets, ceases, and displays good and displays righteous deeds, praise be to Allah; otherwise, he is killed. But the discretionary punishment is necessary; he must be punished and disciplined so that he does not return to such a thing, even if he repents. If he is killed immediately and not asked to repent, that is a good opinion and a strong opinion, and there is no objection to it. But asking for repentance has its aspect. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) commanded asking disbelievers to repent and calling them to it. So, if he is asked to repent; because ignorance dominates people, and they are also dominated by leniency in these matters; due to misguided companions, due to the prevalence of ignorance, and due to the bad mixing with disbelievers and criminals. If he is asked to repent and repents with a sincere repentance and displays good, praise be to Allah. Otherwise, he may be killed if he returns to such a thing and is not affected by the asking for repentance or the discretionary punishment that was done to him by the authorities. Yes.
And Allah is sought for help. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.