For centuries Muslims understood the issue of apostasy, it was understood so clearly, very few books have been written outlining the rules for apostasy. For many non - Muslims throughout history the issue of apostasy meant they entered Islam with full intellectual conviction as it was clearly understood leaving Islam was not an option.

The situation of the Muslims in the world completely changed after the events of 9/11 and resulted in the Muslims residing in the West being labelled a security threat, were the actions of a few were blamed on the whole Muslim community. Wars were led against the Muslims of Iraq and Afghanistan and Western intellectuals began a scathing attack on Islam. Islam itself was put on trial, the Western media vilified individual’s aswell as many aspects of Islam.

Many questioned why women wear the niqab due to identification being made difficult. Some questioned the suitability of having Islamic schools based upon its need in a modern secular nation such as Britain. Many nations passed legislation making it compulsory on Muslim to swear allegiance to queen and country. Some of the Islamic rules themselves were also put on the dock such as loyalty and even if Islam can coexist with other faiths.

The Islamic rule of apostasy has always bewildered many non-Muslims and even Muslims all over the world. Beheadings in Saudi Arabia, Stoning in Iran and Nigeria perplexes many people who see such vile acts as backward with no place in the 21st century. In September a documentary in Britain titles ‘unholy war’ presented its findings on the reality of apostasy in modern day Britain, fundamentally capital punishment was seen as a medieval act with no place in a liberal society. Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, whose father left Islam, warned ‘people will die unless Muslim leaders in Britain speak out in defence of the right to change faith.’ He also made a link between 3000 people in Britain who left the fold of Islam potentially being killed if the current climate continues. He argued 'We have seen honour killings have happened, and there is no reason why this kind of thing cannot happen.'

There is a fashionable trend for all and sundry to all of a sudden become experts in Islamic jurisprudence as a result the following points need to be understood on the issue of apostasy:-

1. What is being discussed here is an ALTERNATIVE ideology, an alternative conception of life and an alternative way of organising life’s affairs to the current secular model. There exist some fundamental differences between the two models - the secular and Islamic models are not the same. They do not overlap as they do not stem from the same fundamental ideas. They will therefore have entirely different impressions of how society should look. The difference leads to each viewing the other as a potential challenger to its superiority. As result each will legislate in a manner that cements its position different to the other.

2. Since secularism and Islam do not agree at the basis it is wholly inappropriate to judge this alternative using the secular model as a benchmark. Doing so would inevitably lead to the elimination of any methodology not in agreement with secularism before the discourse even commenced - No debate on secularism would ever take place!

3. If Islam is an alternative way to organise life it will inevitably have solutions which are the complete opposite to the secular model. However a non - agreement with the secular basis is not proof in itself to render an idea invalid, consider the following:-

• Would we consider the development of China wrong because it was not entirely built upon the free market model, even though it’s on course to become the largest economy on the planet within 30 years?

• Would it be wrong for Indian companies to offer free medical alternatives to its poor because capitalism abhors state intervention in the economy?

• Would it be correct for one to say the UK’s fiscal policy is wrong because it does not have Zakat as a tax?

• Would it be correct to say homosexuality is wrong just by the fact Islam doesn’t permit it?

4. It is also wholly inappropriate to assess this alternative via its application or misapplication. It is no more valid to assess the secular model via Tony Blair’s lies about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, Ronald Reagan’s funding of the Contras or George W. Bush’s theft of the Florida marginal than it is to utilise the Afghan Taliban or the Iranian theocracy to assess the prospects of the khilafah.

5. Entering into Islam is essentially entering a contract. There can be no compulsion in it. People enter into Islam based on free will. As there is no force the intellectual conviction must be overwhelming especially since someone entering into Islam willingly knows full well there can be no return to non-Islam due to the death penalty - This cements the need for intellectual conviction. It also prevents those who would seek to publicly become Muslim then publicly apostate in order to bring doubt in the ideology. No ideological state would allow its basis to be openly questioned in society as this would lead to the weakening and possible removal and replacement of the ideology by another. No ideology will allow itself to be undermined by another the Cold War is the best example of this; the defence of the ideology included the McCarthyism purges aswell as anti-communist propaganda.

6. The khilafah is not a totalitarian state. It does not monitor the lives of its citizens in their private spheres i.e. in their homes. Hence in the Khilafah, all citizens are free to do and think as they please within the confines of their own homes. It is not permitted for the khilafah to imitate Britain who currently brands all those who oppose ‘British values’ as dangerous, extremist, radical, fundamentalist, a potential terrorist and a national security threat. As a result it is seen as perfectly legitimate for the state police to monitor Muslims by bugging their phones, monitoring their histories, tracking their movements abroad and arresting them with mere suspicion even though they have not actually committed a crime, but just hold certain views which are different to those held in wider society. Thus in the khilafah if one was to apostatize but kept this secret or was to leave the khilafah, the state does not carry out assassinations as such an individual never publicly undermined the Islamic ideology.

7. It must be made absolutely clear the implementation of any system is undertaken by a state. It is not for any individual to unilaterally undertake actions which belong to the state infrastructure. For those who live in the future khilafah, they all become citizens of the state and enjoy all the rights afforded to its citizens such as security, protection and provisions. Non Muslim citizens of the khilafah are not required to swear allegiance to the basis of the state, rules, state architecture, flag or its values. They are required to abide by the public rules due to the functioning of society. So apostasy is really a question of what kind of person would openly and publicly abandon Islam with full knowledge that they will be killed for it, rather than either keeping it to themselves or leave the khilafah. Hence, the death penalty only applies on those who in the khilafah openly leave Islam, and choose to remain in the state despite knowing the law; this is considered an open attack on the basis of the state which is Islam, essentially it is viewed as treason and a political attack on the khilafah in order to undermine it. No ideology would tolerate this.

8. It is understood from surveying the Islamic evidences, the actions of Muhammad (SAW) and the actions of the generations after him (the sahabah) those who chose to leave the fold of Islam require vigorous debate and discussion, where rational proofs are presented in the best way. It would be against the teachings of Islam to bully or use violence to force someone to remain in Islam. It is the state that organises the collection of taxes, custom duties, the rules for housing, domestic policy and the implementation of criminal justice. Hence it is not from Islam for any Muslim to kill an apostate, bully or intimidate them as this is the function of the khilafah. It is the duty of the khilafah to manage its criminal justice system and it is not for any individual to unilaterally carry out any functions of governance within or outside the khilafah.

9. Capital punishment is not something specific to Islam. Capital punishment in the United States is officially sanctioned by 38 of the 50 states. In the US, surveys have long shown a majority in favor of capital punishment. An ABC News survey in July 2006 found 65% percent in favor of capital punishment, consistent with this other surveys since 2000 have shown half the American public believing ‘the death penalty isn't imposed frequently enough.’ In Britain in 1998, the House of Commons voted to ratify the 6th Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibiting capital punishment except "in time of war or imminent threat of war." Today mutiny and treason remain punishable by death in Britain.

The issue of apostasy form part of the rules to do with the defence of the ideology. It can be seen both capitalism and communism had mechanisms in place to protect their respective ideologies and dealt with any undermining by its own citizens very harshly. It is in this context the Islamic rules of apostasy need to be understood. It must also be very clear there exists no khilafah today but 52 so called Islamic nations which were created after WW1 by the colonial powers in order to divide the Muslims. Rulers were appointed over these lands to maintain the status quo where some aspects of Islam were applied s the rulers would never face an uprising. Such nations have no intention of ever implementing all of Islam and for some reason view Islam as only being composed of its punishment system. Such rulers undermine Islam as they refuse to apply all of Allah’s deen then boast about their defence of Islam by killing individuals that abandon Islam. It is no wonder many Muslim leave Islam as they have a confused understanding of the deen due to conflicting rules existing in society leading them to conclude Islam cannot work.

Islam is not just a punishment system but has an economic system, social system as well as a ruling system. Our history shows when all of Islam is applied the Muslims have prospered and become the leading nation in the world. The question for aware Muslims is why would one want to leave Islam when the justice of the Islamic system will be witnessed when all of Islam is applied under the khilafah, in such a scenario the rules of apostasy would be made redundant because Islam will be applied in a way were no rule contradicts another. This is why very little literature exists in regards to apostasy because when Islam is applied it was rare for anyone to leave Islam.

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