The Truth about the Alleged Punishment for Apostasy in Islam — Page 26
26 [disbelief], whereas the word Irtid a d may be used to indicate a return to disbelief or to any other matter, Allah says: 17 ["Surely those who turns their backs"] and Allah says: 18 ["O ye who believe! whoso among you turns back from his religion"]. 19 The latter verse illustrates the usage to indicate 'returning from Islam to disbelief'. A GREAT SUBTLETY IN THE WISDOM OF GOD The word " Irtid a d " is exclusively used in active sense, and it can never be used in the passive sense. That is, only such a person is called a murtad [i. e. , an apostate] who himself announces that he is relinquishing the faith. The rules of Arabic grammar certainly do not permit someone else to declare him a murtad and throw him out of faith. The volition of a murtad is, inevitably, implied here. God has chosen such a remarkable word to describe apostasy as [it emancipates] every Muslim from any unilateral intervention in his faith by anyone else. The Holy 17 The Holy Qur’an 47:26. [Publisher] 18 The Holy Qur’an 5:55. [Publisher] 19 Mu‘jamu Mufrad a til Alf az il Qur’ a ni [known as Al-Mufrad a t ] by ‘All a ma H usain bin Mu h ammad, known as Im a m R a ghib, Al-A s fah a n i , under Radda. [Publisher]