Murtadd

Question : What is the meaning of Murtadd?

Answer : Murtadd is someone who has committed Riddah. Riddah means to become an apostate.

This may occur in several ways:

1. A person is born as a Muslim but he unfortunately abandons Islam for another religion.

2. A non-Muslim accepts Islam but then reverts to his previous religion or converts to another religion. For example, a person was a Hindu and he accepted Islam. Later he either becomes a Hindu again or he adopts the religion of Christianity or Judaism or he becomes an atheist (a person who does not believe in God). Such a person is a Murtadd.

Question : How does one qualify a Muslim who becomes a Qadiani or a Shiah?

Answer : A Muslim who becomes a Qadiani or a Shiah is a Murtadd. This also is termed as renouncing Islam.

Question : How does one qualify a person who accepts all the teachings of Islam except for a few ? For example he claims that Zakaat is no longer Farz or that there are only 3 or 4 Salaah which are Farz ?

Answer : It should be borne in mind that it is not necessary to leave Islam completely to become a Murtadd. We are aware that a person becomes a Murtadd when he abandons the Deen completely. Similarly he becomes a Murtadd when he refuses to accept a fundamental practice or a categorical thing in Deen. For example, if someone refuses to accept Salaah, Hajj, Roza or Zakaat then he becomes a Murtadd even if he accepts other aspects of the religion. That is why Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radiyallahou anhu) carried out Jihaad against those who refused to give Zakaat after the demise of Nabi (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam). Similarly a person becomes a Murtadd when he says that Zuhr Salaah or ‘Asr or any other Salaah among these 5 Salaah is not Farz.

Question : How does one describe an attitude, a statement or a gesture that involves an insult to the Deen?

Answer : Any word, statement, practice, or attitude that indicates scorn or insult for something sacred in Deen is considered Riddah (apostasy) and the person becomes a Murtadd. For example, someone who make fun of the Qur'aan-e-Kareem or the Deeni books becomes a Murtadd. He is no longer considered a Muslim. In the same way, a person becomes a Murtadd by mentioning inappropriate words about a Nabi.

[English version of "Mourtadd" - Al Jamiat - Vol.6 No.14]