14. CONVERSION FROM ISLAM IS APOSTASY

A Muslim cannot convert. If a Muslim decides to adopt another religion or even denounce Islam, he is committing apostasy. According to Islamic rule an apostate can be given only one punishment, death.

The Ridda wars, also known as the Wars of Apostasy, were a series of military campaigns launched by the Caliph Abu Bakr against rebel Arabian tribes during 632 and 633 AD, just after death of Mohammed. Tulayha, Musaylima and Sajjah claimed prophet-hood after death of Mohammed. A large number of Arab tribes gathered around them. Some other tribes claimed that Mohammed was the prophet of God and they accepted him as so but owed nothing to Abu Bakr. They refused to pay zakat to Abu Bakr.

Abu Bakr dealt with apostasy squarely. He was a genius general. He used intelligence to good effect. He created rift between tribes opposing to him. He even bribed some to support him. Finally he formed 11 corps. Each group was given the following instructions:

1. Seek the tribes.
2. Call the Azaan.
3. If the tribe answers with the Azaan, do not attack. After the Azaan, ask the tribe to confirm its submission, including the payment of zakat.
4. Those who submit will not be attacked.
5. Those who do not answer with the Azaan, or after the Azaan do not confirm full submission, will be dealt with by the sword.
6. All apostates who have killed Muslims will be killed. Rest will be readmitted.

With these instructions Abu Bakr launched the forces of Islam against the apostates. Slowly within ten months apostasy was defeated through a series of campaigns. All those resisted were killed. All those who killed a Muslim or suspected to have killed were not spared. All those who did not submit to Islam were also killed. Whole of Arab was unified under Abu Bakr. To achieve this unity violence with tact was used. The result was also violent. A slave killed Abu Bakr next year.

During lifetime of Mohammed, apostasy was not tolerated. Muslims once accepted that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger and the last prophet, had no option but to follow what Allah’s messenger ordains. Two Arabs took shelter at Medina and accepted Islam. But after going back, they renounced Islam. Mohammed ordered them to be captured and punished them. Their hands and legs were cut off, eyes gauged off and thrown out in sand for dying.

During last fourteen hundred years apostasy was not tolerated. Once a Muslim is always a Muslim. A child born to a Muslim father is a born Muslim. In 2014, a Christian woman in Sudan was sentenced to death as her father was a Muslim and she ought to be a Muslim. The woman was brought up as Christian by her Christian mother after her father died early. When challenged she refused to convert to Islam. The matter has attracted international condemnation and possibly she and her family was allowed to immigrate to some western country. But the fact remains that a Muslim does not enjoy freedom of choice of religion.

Gandhiji’s elder son converted to Islam. Gandhiji wrote to a well-known Imam to find out how to re-convert him back. Imam wrote to him that a Muslim is not permitted to convert to another religion or even renounce Islam. If anybody does then he is an apostate and should be punished by execution. Gandhiji reconverted his son in Arya-Sabha without making any noise. Luckily India was under British rule during that time and matter was handled secretly.

But there were always a few who repudiated Islam all these years. They were not killed either. Mainly these are low key affairs.These conversions did not attract any attention. They are invariably ordinary people and converted to improve social or economic condition. These people may be Muslim by birth or by conversion. They form the largest group among few who converted away from Islam. Invariably these conversions take place in non-Muslim land.

Some Muslims reconverted back to their original faith after realizing their mistake. Harihar and Bukka are the two most important persons in ancient India who established Vijayanagara kingdom after reconversion. All attempts to assassinate the brothers were repulsed. In fact Vijaynagara kingdom flourished for 200 years. But such incidences are very few in history. Few Muslim also converted to religions of their fiancé. But these are very exceptional cases. Generally it is otherwise. Non-Muslim partner converts to Islam before marriage due to unbending laws of Islam.

But now there isthe third group. Educated Muslims, who have been through violent nature of Islam in their personal lives or have realized that Islam is the source of all violence, are considering conversion to other religion, especially Christianity. They are leaders, social reformers and eminent writers. A time will come when this small group will swell and will be able to influence Muslim mass.They will be able to modernize Islam or they should be able to convert Muslims to other faiths and achieve world peace.

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