# What is the context of the hadith 'whoever changes his religion, kill him'?

*'Whoever changes his religion, kill him': the full narration of Ali and Ibn Abbas*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vyawdwthpa4/s/7/
- Date: 2018-05-10 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Apostasy has NO punishment in Islam: A Qur'an & Sunnah Analysis by Mufti Abu Layth (26:06–28:42)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyAwDWTHPa4&t=1566s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vyawdwthpa4/

**Topics:** Apostasy and blasphemy; Individual hadith explained

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The report 'whoever changes his religion, kill him' clashes with the Quran, and in full it is Ikrima's account of Ali burning people alive and Ibn Abbas objecting that he should have executed them instead.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the report 'whoever changes his religion, kill him' clashes with the absolute verse of the Quran on freedom of belief and must be read in its full context of Ali burning people alive and Ibn Abbas objecting.

**Evidence, his words at 26:55:** “first of all this narration apart from it clashing with the absolute verse of the Quran let's read the full narration” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyAwDWTHPa4&t=1615s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth takes the most popular narration, 'whoever changes his religion, kill him', which he says is in Bukhari, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud and other major collections but not Sahih Muslim, and says that apart from clashing with the absolute verse of the Quran it must be read in full. In the full narration, which he notes is told by Ikrima, the client of Ibn Abbas, rather than by Ali, certain people described in most versions as hypocrites or apostates, and in versions in al-Nasa'i and Ahmad as idol worshippers, were brought to Ali, who burnt them alive. When this reached Ibn Abbas, he is reported to have said that Ali was wrong, since the Prophet forbade punishing with fire, which belongs to Allah alone, and that he should instead have executed them because the Prophet said 'whoever changes his religion, kill him'. He adds that Ikrima had been Ibn Abbas's slave before being freed.

## Sources and names cited

- report: whoever changes his religion kill him (man baddala dinahu faqtuluhu; unresolved, Sahih al-Bukhari and others, number not stated)
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sunan al-Nasa'i
- Sunan Ibn Majah
- Sunan Abi Dawud
- Musnad Ahmad
- Ali ibn Abi Talib
- Ibn Abbas
- Ikrima

## Transcript (machine tier, 26:06–28:42)

[25:37] mentality sometimes because the the day and age had very little value sometimes for human life and people of religion often justify things by religion but that doesn't make it right so hence you had some I've quoted in the past some Maliki scholars who said well all so-and-so has said this and somebody said well he's an apostate or he's like this you should kill him and other scholars in most in Muslim Spain said no you can't do that you know you need to defend things and that one scholar said kill him and he's his blood is on me and I will answer on the day of judgment that is absurd but that was the mentality of unfortunately of some

[26:17] people okay so let me just come to two to these narrations because a lot of people mention these narrations I want to go through the popular one first this hadith ma'am but the ladina wolf up to Loulou this hadith is transmitted in in a mambo Hadees book is transmitted in Mussoorie inhibin emergere internally the in abu dawood and muslim department basically most of the major books of hadith except Sahih Muslim for this narration this narration is very interesting okay whosoever changed his Deen then kill him

[26:55] this is what the narration says right first of all this narration apart from it clashing with the absolute verse of the Quran let's read the full narration let's read the full narration okay the full narration is actually to do with Ilia or the allah one even though Ali isn't saying it it's interesting there's a person called Akuma mola even Abbas who is saying it economists say is that Ali was brought sorry certain hypocrites who were brought to Holly in some narrations it mentions that they were they were idol

[27:34] worshippers so you will see that there's a narration in nursery and in Ahmed wait mentions that they were idol worshippers but in in many narrations it says there were hypocrites apostates was in deeds people pretending to be Muslim and Ali said burnt Ali burnt them alive Wow burn them alive this is what the narration says this thing reaches even a bus a carama says I then told that to it not bus or this reached if not bus if not bus is by the way the heat a krama used to be his slave and then he

[28:13] was freed by him even a bus said oh that was wrong of i'li like if i if it was up to me and what he should have done because the prophet told us off from burning anyone he said only Allah please the Lord of fire and he can punish with fire so I li got that wrong what he should have done is just executed them because the Prophet said man but the ladina who [ __ ] all right this is incredibly interesting why almost okay now these narrations bow hadees' narration comes through a comma

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment VyAwDWTHPa4/s/7. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vyawdwthpa4/s/7/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.