Punishment of Apostacy in Islam — Page 38
38 continue to adhere to the doctrines and teachings of the faith into which he may be born. The accident of birth would determine everyone’s belief and freedom of conscience would become a myth. Also, in such a state of affairs, if a follower of one faith became convinced of the truth of another faith he would be under compulsion to continue to give lip service to the doctrines of the faith into which he was born, though he would have ceased to believe in them. In other words he would be a hypocrite. The Holy Quran condemns hypocrisy in the strongest terms. For instance, it is said: Convey to the hypocrites that for them there is a painful torment (4:139); and again: The hypocrites shall surely be in the lowest region of the fire, and thou shalt not find that they have any helper (4:146). Again, it is pointed out that if force or pressure had been permissible in matters of faith God Almighty, Who can force a person to believe, would have compelled the whole of mankind to become believers, but He leaves everyone the choice to believe or to disbelieve. How can it, therefore, be permissible for any human being to exercise compulsion in matters of conscience when any compulsion exercised by a human being cannot even be effective? For instance, it is said: If thy Lord had enforced His will surely all those on the earth would have believed, without exception, wilt thou, then, take it upon thyself to force people to become believers? Except by Allah’s leave no one can believe; and He will afflict with His wrath those who will not use their understanding (10:100-101). One Muslim divine, who has a considerable following, has