Knowing everlasting enjoyments await the Muslim in Paradise and everlasting torture in Hellfire awaits the one who dies a non-Muslim should make every Muslim anxiously prioritize holding tight to his Religion. The one who is desirous of having his ending a good one will do his utmost to comply with all what is obligatory upon him and avoid what is forbidden, and above all, will endeavor to avoid anything which will invalidate, interrupt, and terminate his Islam--namely apostasy. Of greater priority is warning the Muslims against what would take them out of Islam and lead them to be one of the eternal inhabitants of Hellfire over other issues in the Religion with less drastic consequences. For this reason, the scholars of Islam included chapters on apostasy in their books to elucidate what causes a person to commit apostasy and the judgments concerning him, in an effort to warn the people from committing any of it. The one who does not know evil is more likely to fall in it, and the one who learns the chapter of apostasy would have his eyes open and his heart guarded to avoid committing this grievous sin.
Imam an-Nawawiyy defined apostasy as interrupting Islam by an intention or by a blasphemous doing or by a blasphemous saying--whether or not it was said mockingly, out of stubbornness, or out of conviction. He said apostasy is the most abhorrent type of blasphemy. For one to have been Muslim, then to apostate from Islam is the most vulgar of sins. It is a heinous crime and its committer deserves the everlasting torture of Hellfire should he die without repenting from it.
Scholars of the four schools (madhahib) classified apostasy into three (3) categories: beliefs in the heart, actions committed by certain parts of the body, and sayings with the tongue. Ar-Ramliyy, from the school of Imam ash-Shafi^iyy, classified apostasy into these three categories and gave examples of each in his book, Explanation of Minhaj, as did Imam an-Nawawiyy in his book, Rawdat at-Talibin. Qadi ^Iyad and Imam Muhammad ^Ulaysh from the Malikiyy school gave examples of these three (3) types of apostasy. Likewise did Imam Ibnu ^Abidin and Badr arRashid from the Hanifyyy school and Imam alBuhutiyy from the Hanbaliyy school. Ibn asSubkiyy said in his book At-Tabaqat : " Imam Al-Ash^ariyy , his students and all Muslims do not disagree upon that he who says a blasphemous word or he who does a blasphemous doing is a blasphemer ( kafir). He is not a believer in Allah, and he shall remain in Hellfire forever, even if he knew the truth in his heart. This is a case of scholarly consensus; not even two Muslims would disagree on that matter.
The Muhadith, Hafidh, Faqih and Linguist Murtada Az-Zabidiyy said: " the scholars from the four schools (madhhab) authored in exposing the types of apostasy."
The scholar's classification of apostasy into these three categories facilitates one's learning and understanding of the subject--thereby making it easier to avoid falling into it. Classification as such can be easily understood from different ayat in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Hujurat, Ayah 15, Allah said:
which means: [The believers are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and they do not doubt in that belief.] This ayah reflects that category of apostasy pertaining to beliefs in the heart. In Surat Fussilat, Ayah 37, Allah said:
which means: do not prostrate for the sun or the moon, rather prostrate for Allah Who created the sun and the moon.] This ayah reflects that category of apostasy pertaining to actions committed by different parts of the body. In Surat at-Tawbah,
Ayah 74, Allah said:
which means: [They swear by Allah that they did not utter, and they have said the word of blasphemy and blasphemed after having been Muslims.] This ayah reflects that category of apostasy pertaining to sayings.
Each one of these three categories of apostasy is divided into many subdivisions, and the scholars gave many examples of each.
An example of the first category of apostasy--beliefs in the heart--is for one to have doubt in the existence of Allah or doubt in the message of Prophet Muhammad. Also blasphemous is to doubt in the message of any of the messengers or prophets of Allah known to be a messenger or a prophet by the layman and the scholar alike, such as Adam, Ibrahim, ^Isa, or Musa. Doubting in the revelation of the Qur'an to Sayyidina Muhammad is blasphemy, as is doubting about matters such as the Day of Judgment, the existence of Paradise and Hell, or other such matters upon which there has been scholarly consensus, such as Reward and Punishment. Doubting in matters which are not commonly known among the Muslims--layman and scholar alike--like the existence of the Basin (Hawd) that the believers will drink from prior to entering Paradise, is not blasphemy except if one was stubborn about it in that he knew this matter is part of the Religion and still denies it.
Included in the category of apostasy pertaining to beliefs in the heart is to believe anything other than Allah exists without a beginning. This was the belief of the Greek philosophers, and following in their footsteps, Ibn Taymiyyah, who said the kind of the world exists without a beginning. Only Allah exists without a beginning and His attributes are eternal and everlasting and do not change. Everything else is a creation of Allah and has a beginning to its existence. Qadi ^Iyad, alMutawaliyy, and Ibn Hajar al^Asqalaniyy, and others established the scholarly consensus (ijma^) on the blasphemy of he who believes the world exists without a beginning.
Renouncing any of the attributes of Allah, known by ijma^ He is attributed with--such as knowing about everything is blasphemy. Also blasphemous is he who renounces that Allah is attributed with Power, Will, Knowledge, Hearing, Sight, or Speech (Kalam). Renouncing any of these attributes of Allah is blasphemous because the mind alone is sufficient in knowing that Allah must be attributed with these attributes, i.e., these attributes are a condition for the status of Godhood and as such, one is not excused by ignorance. Ibn alJawziyy said: "There is consensus on the blasphemy of he who negates Allah has power over everything."
He who believes that Allah resembles any of his creations in His Self, Attributes, or Doings has blasphemed. The one who believes Allah is a body or an illumination, or believes Allah exists 'above' in the heavens, or that He sits on the throne is a blasphemer. All these are attributes of the creation and are non-befitting to attribute to the Creator. If Allah was attributed with such attributes, He would have similars from among His creations, and Allah said in the Qur'an:
which means: [Nothing is like him.] If Allah was a body, He would be susceptible to the things all bodies are susceptible to like change, divisibility, and annihilation--all indications of shortage or weakness and nonbefitting to attribute to Allah.
The second category of apostasy, i.e., actions committed by different parts of the body, includes prostrating to an idol, or prostrating to the sun or the moon, or prostrating to any other creation with the purpose of worshipping it. Another example of apostasy of actions is knowingly throwing the Book of the Qur'an in the garbage, and likewise any papers containing Islamic information, as said by Ruyyaniyy and others, because this action displays mockery for the Religion. It is blasphemy to throw a paper on which is written a name of Allah, provided the thrower knows it is a name of Allah and is conscious of the fact when he threw the paper.
The third category of apostasy is that of sayings and the scholars said this category contains the most numerous cases. The Prophet said: <<Most of the sins of the sons of Adam are from his tongue.>> Among these are great sins (kaba'ir) and blasphemy. In this age it has become common that people are so negligent and careless with their words to an extent some would utter words which turn them out of Islam, yet they do not deem such words sinful despite them being blasphemous. This complies with the saying of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, related by at-Tirmidhiyy: <<A person may utter a word he thinks is harmless, which results in his falling the depth of 70 years into Hellfire.>> The depth of 70 years falling is the bottom of Hellfire, and it is a place that only the blasphemers will reach. This hadith is explicit in showing uttering a word of blasphemy renders a person a non-Muslim--even if he does not deem that word harmful or a sin as such.
Apostasy is not an easy issue, and not one to be taken lightly. Many judgments are incurred on the one who apostates from Islam. Some examples are: the apostate's fasting and Dry Purification (Tayammum) are invalid; it is not permissible to eat the meat he slaughters; his wealth not inherited, nor does he inherit; his marriage contract to a Muslim or non-Muslim is not valid. Moreover, the apostate loses all the reward of all the good deeds done prior to his committing apostasy, though all his sins remain. These sins are not erased for him should he go back to Islam, but rather require a separate repentance. Who among the people can afford to have all his good deeds done and rewards earned erased by apostasy, to stand on the Day of Judgment with only his sins to be weighed?
Praise be to Allah.
May Allah bless us with a good ending.
and Allah knows best.
