MURTAD – مرتد

 

Literally: Who wavers. Who is not firm. Especially, who apostatizes from Islam. An apostate.

Irtidad is apostatizing from Islam after accepting it. If a person apostates and accepts another religion or denies all religion, who was born Muslim or reverted to Islam, is called a Murtad.

 

“He may not even be like irreligious foreigners. For if they deny the Prophet, they may recognize the other Prophets. If they don’t know the prophets, they may recognize Allah. And if they do not know Allah, they may possess some good qualities which are the means to certain perfections. But a Muslim knows both the prophets, and his Rabb, and all perfection by means of Muhammad the Arabian ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm. One, who abandons his tarbiyyah and breaks out from his chain, does not recognize any other prophet (as), neither recognize Allah. And he cannot know any of the fundamentals within his rûh which will preserve perfection. For, one who abandons essential tarbiyyah and the principles of the religion of one who is the last and greatest of the prophets, and concerning miracles and religion superior to all since his religion and summons look to the whole of mankind, and who is ustadh to all mankind in all of the haqiqahs and has brilliantly been proved for fourteen centuries, and who is the cause of pride for mankind, he certainly cannot find any nûr or any perfection anywhere. He is condemned to absolute decline.” The Second Station of The Thirteenth Word

 

“O wretched one who claims public spirit and zeal, and fervently encourages Muslims to this world and forcibly drives them to the foreigner art and progresses! Beware! May not the bonds with which some of this nation are tied to with religion not be broken! If their bonds with religion are broken foolishly and blindly by compulsion, then those irreligious people will give harm as a fatal poison in social life. For since a murtad’s conscience is completely corrupted, he becomes a poison to the social life. Therefore, according to the Usul ad-din, "The murtad does not have the right to life. If a kâfir is a protected non-Muslim subject of a Muslim state or he makes peace, he has the right to life;" this is a principle amongst the fundamentals of the Sharî’ah. Also, according to the Hanafi madhab, the testimony of a kâfir amongst the protected non-Muslim subjects of a Muslim state is acceptable. But the testimony of a fâsiq is rejected, for he is a betrayer.” The Seventeenth Flash/7th Note

 

"Again, that obstinate person turned and said: "At least we live like irreligious foreigners."

I replied: "You cannot be like the irreligious foreigners, either. For even if they deny one prophet, they may believe in the others. If they do not know the prophets, they may believe in Allah. And even if they do not know Allah, some moral qualities may be found in them which are the means to perfection. But if a Muslim denies the Prophet of the âkhirzaman ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, who was the final and greatest and whose religion and summons are general, and if he breaks out from his chain, he may not accept any other prophet and even Allah. For he has known all the prophets and Allah and all perfections through him. They do not remain in his heart without him. It is for this reason that since early times people have entered Islam from all other religions. And no Muslim has become a true Jew, Magian, or Christian. Rather he becomes irreligious, his moral qualities are corrupted, and enters in a situation which is harmful to the country and nation." I proved. That obstinate person could find no further straw to clutch at, so it vanished and went to Jahannam.” The Eleventh Ray/The Third Topic

 

“Islam cannot be compared with other religions. If a Muslim abandons Islam and abandons his religion, he cannot accept any other Prophet; indeed, he cannot acknowledge Janâb-i Haqq either and does not recognize any sacred thing and no conscience remains in him that will be the means to perfection, he will be putrified.

Therefore, in the view of Islam, in war, a kâfir has the right to life. If it is outside the country and he makes peace, or if it is inside the country and pays the head-tax, his life is protected according to Islam. But a murtad does not have the right to life. For his conscience is putrified and he becomes like poison in the life of society. But an irreligious amongst Christians may still be in a beneficial situation to the life of society. He may accept some sacred matters and may believe in some of the Prophets, and may assent to Janâb-i Haqq in some respects.” The Twenty-Ninth Letter/Seventh Section/2nd Sign

 

“With us, if someone became fâsiq, he is generally immoral and without conscience. For the desire to sin grows by silencing the voice of îmân in the conscience. This means that without shaking his conscience and ma’nawî life, and without holding them in contempt, he cannot commit a sharr completely voluntarily. It is for this reason that Islam considers the fâsiq to be traitorous, and does not accept their testimony. It considers the murtad to be poison and sentences them to death. While it recognizes Christian subjects and kâfirs who are signatories of a treaty. The Hanafi madhab accepts the testimony of a non-Muslim subject.

Justice should be executed in the name of religion so that it may be effective over the mind, heart, and rûh, and they may conform to it. Otherwise, it affects only the wahm. A criminal is then frightened only of the penalty set by the state, if it is enacted, or he shrinks from the reproaches of the public; if they occur.” The Damascus Sermon ( 124 )