Punishment of Apostacy in Islam — Page 55
55 Hazrat Abu Bakr and Apostates Nevertheless, the cases cited by those who differ with us, do not uphold their thesis. The first case cited is that of the widespread apostacy which followed upon the death of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. It is argued that Hazrat Abu Bakr’s fighting the apostates is conclusive proof that simple apostacy is punishable with death. Our naive divines who cite this instance assume that those apostates were “harmless people” whose only fault was that they did not consider themselves bound to pay the zakat to the Khalifa and had given up salat. It is imagined that they had committed no wrong beyond this and that they did not fight the Muslims, nor hurt anyone. It is supposed that they had no quarrel with the Islamic state, that indeed they were obedient to the Khalifa and supported him and were eager to live peacefully, and obediently under the authority of the Islamic state. Had that been so, then it would be doubtful whether they were apostates at all. But the case was not as our divines imagine. Those apostates had repudiated their allegiance to the Islamic state and had taken up arms against it. Those of them who continued to adhere to Islam were killed, and forces were got ready to wage war with the Islamic state. In fact, they advanced upon Medina and laid siege to it in their effort to destroy the Muslims altogether. Therefore, Abu Bakr took up the sword against them and defeated and subdued them. This lends no support to the thesis that the punishment of simple apostacy is death. If the apostates had no rebellious designs, then why is it that leading Refugees and Helpers urged Hazrat Abu Bakr that he should detain the force which was ready to march