Authorising a person to become a Kaafir

Authorising a Muslim to become a Kaafir is an act of Kufr which renders the person a Kaafir. It is true that Islam does not force anyone to embrace it. However, it is also true that it does not tolerate a Muslim to change his religion. A Muslim who renounces Islam is called Murtadd and in Islam, the punishment of a Murtadd is execution / capital punishment if this has to take place in an Islamic state. Therefore, just as a Muslim who changes his religion becomes a Murtadd, similarly, a Muslim who authorises this also becomes Murtadd. Authorising a person to become a Kaafir renders the person a Kaafir because it indicates his satisfaction with Kufr. And satisfaction with Kufr is an act of Kufr. Allah Ta’ala says in Qur’an-e-Kareem: 

"They (the Kaafir) will continue fighting you until they turn you away from your Deen if they can. Whoever turns away from his Deen and then dies as a Kaafir, such people are the ones whose actions are lost in this world and in the Aakhirah. They are the dwellers of the fire where they shall live forever." (S2/V217)

According to a Hadith found in Saheeh Bukhari, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:

"Whoever changes his Deen (religion), then kill him."

Changing religion means forsaking the Deen of Islam and entering another religion. So, according to this Hadith, a person, who abandons Islam and adopts another religion, deserves to be killed as punishment according to Islam. And if this has happened in a non-Islamic state, then the Islamic State will not interfere because it is not under its jurisdiction, however, what the person did, is very grave. His punishment is also very grave because he will remain in hell forever. Ibn Qudama says in his Al-Mughni: "The 'Ulama are unanimous that it is obligatory to execute a Murtadd (one who has committed apostasy). This has been reported by Hazrat Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat 'Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Usmaan (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Mu'aaz (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Abu Mussa (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Abdullah Bin Abbaas (Radiyallahu Anhu), Hazrat Khalid (Radiyallahu Anhu) and others. And this has not been contested. So, it has become an Ijma (consensus)." (Al-Mughni)

[English version of "Autorise ene kikene vine ene kaafir" – Al Jamiat – Vol.2 No.9]