The Most Famous Apostasy Hadith
Of all the Islamic texts on apostasy, one hadith stands above the rest in clarity, brevity, and authority. This statement by Muhammad has shaped Islamic law for fourteen centuries and continues to influence legal systems in multiple Muslim-majority countries today.
"من بدل دينه فاقتلوه" (Man baddala deenahu fa-qtuluhu)
"Whoever changes his religion, kill him." — Sahih Bukhari 6922
This hadith was narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas, Muhammad's cousin and a prominent early Islamic scholar. The simplicity and directness of the command leave little room for alternate interpretations.
The Authority of This Hadith
Islamic scholars universally classify this hadith as sahih (صحيح)—meaning "authentic" and "sound." It appears in Sahih Bukhari, compiled by Imam al-Bukhari (810-870 CE), which Muslims consider the most reliable hadith collection after the Quran. Al-Bukhari examined over 600,000 hadith and included only about 7,000 that met his rigorous authentication standards. This apostasy hadith made the cut.
The hadith also appears in other major collections with slight variations but the same meaning:
- Sunan an-Nasa'i 4059: "Whoever changes his religion, execute him."
- Sunan Ibn Majah 2535: "Whoever changes his religion, strike his neck (with the sword)."
- Sunan Abu Dawud 4351: "Kill those who change their religion."
The Arabic word used is iqtaluhu (اقتلوه), an imperative command meaning "kill him" or "execute him." The verb qatala (قتل) specifically means to kill or slay, leaving no ambiguity about the prescribed punishment.
Classical Scholarly Commentary
Major Islamic scholars throughout history have affirmed this hadith and its application:
Imam al-Nawawi (1233-1277 CE), in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, wrote: "Scholars have agreed that the apostate should be asked to repent, and if he does not repent, he is to be killed."
Ibn Qudamah (1147-1223 CE), the Hanbali jurist, stated in Al-Mughni: "The apostate should be called to repent; if he repents, he is left alone, and if he does not, he is killed."
Imam Malik ibn Anas (711-795 CE), founder of the Maliki school, said: "In our view the apostate is to be asked to repent, and if he repents he is left alone, otherwise he is killed."
Imam al-Shafi'i (767-820 CE), founder of the Shafi'i school, wrote: "An apostate is to be executed by the order of the leader."
These are not fringe voices—these are the founding imams of the four major schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, representing the mainstream interpretation of Islam for over a millennium.
Application in Islamic Law (Fiqh)
Based on this hadith, all four Sunni schools of law (madhahib) prescribe death for apostasy:
- Hanafi school: Male apostates must be executed; female apostates imprisoned until they repent
- Maliki school: Both male and female apostates must be executed
- Shafi'i school: Both male and female apostates must be executed
- Hanbali school: Both male and female apostates must be executed
The primary debate among scholars is not whether apostates should be killed, but whether female apostates should be killed or merely imprisoned. The Hanafi position on female apostates comes from the hadith: "Women are not to be killed" (referring to wartime). However, even the Hanafi school mandates execution for male apostates.
The "Context" Argument
Modern Muslim apologists sometimes claim this hadith only applies to political treason during wartime, not personal religious choice. However, this interpretation contradicts classical scholarship and the plain reading of the text.
The Arabic phrase "baddala deenahu" (بدل دينه) literally means "changed his religion," not "committed treason" or "fought against Muslims." If Muhammad meant treason, Arabic has specific words for that: khiyana (خيانة) or ridda wa-haraba (ردة وحارب) meaning "apostasy and waged war."
Furthermore, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari 9:83:17 lists three crimes punishable by death: murder, adultery by married persons, and "the one who reverts from Islam and leaves the Muslims." These are clearly individual moral/religious crimes, not political offenses.
Contemporary Implementation
This hadith is not merely historical—it actively shapes law in multiple countries today:
- Saudi Arabia: Apostasy is a capital crime under Sharia law
- Iran: Article 167 of the Iranian Constitution mandates that judges use Islamic sources, including hadith, for cases not explicitly covered by codified law. Apostasy cases have resulted in death sentences
- Yemen: The penal code prescribes death for apostasy
- Afghanistan: Apostasy is punishable by death under Sharia
- Sudan: Article 126 of the 1991 Penal Code prescribed death for apostasy (modified in 2020)
In 2006, Abdul Rahman was arrested in Afghanistan for converting from Islam to Christianity. He faced the death penalty and was only released after international pressure led to him being declared mentally unfit to stand trial—and he had to flee the country.
The "No Compulsion" Contradiction
Muslims often quote Quran 2:256: "There is no compulsion in religion." But how can this coexist with "Whoever changes his religion, kill him"? If there's truly no compulsion, why is leaving Islam punishable by death?
Classical scholars resolved this by saying 2:256 means you cannot force someone to initially accept Islam, but once they're Muslim, they cannot leave. Ibn Kathir explained: "This verse was revealed concerning forcing the disbelievers into Islam... but this does not apply to those who have already believed."
This interpretation reveals a one-way door: enter freely, but leaving costs your life.
Biblical Contrast: The Freedom to Choose
Christianity presents a fundamentally different approach to faith and apostasy:
"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." — Joshua 24:15
"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve." — Joshua 24:15
Jesus told a parable about wheat and weeds growing together, explaining: "Let both grow together until the harvest" (Matthew 13:30). He instructed His disciples not to forcibly remove unbelievers but to allow freedom of choice until the final judgment.
When many disciples left Jesus because of His difficult teachings, He didn't threaten them or command their execution. Instead, He turned to the twelve and asked: "You do not want to leave too, do you?" (John 6:67). Jesus respected their freedom to stay or go.
Questions to Consider
- If Islam is the truth, why does it require the death penalty to prevent people from leaving?
- Can genuine faith exist when maintained by fear of execution?
- How many Muslims worldwide remain Muslim primarily because leaving would cost them their lives?
- Does a religion that kills apostates have confidence in its own arguments?
- Why did Jesus allow people to leave freely while Muhammad commanded their execution?