حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ غَيَّرَ دِينَهُ فَاضْرِبُوا عُنُقَهُ " . وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِيمَا نُرَى - وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ - " مَنْ غَيَّرَ دِينَهُ فَاضْرِبُوا عُنُقَهُ " . أَنَّهُ مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ مِثْلُ الزَّنَادِقَةِ وَأَشْبَاهِهِمْ فَإِنَّ أُولَئِكَ إِذَا ظُهِرَ عَلَيْهِمْ قُتِلُوا وَلَمْ يُسْتَتَابُوا لأَنَّهُ لاَ تُعْرَفُ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسِرُّونَ الْكُفْرَ وَيُعْلِنُونَ الإِسْلاَمَ فَلاَ أَرَى أَنْ يُسْتَتَابَ هَؤُلاَءِ وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُمْ قَوْلُهُمْ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ وَأَظْهَرَ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّهُ يُسْتَتَابُ فَإِنْ تَابَ وَإِلاَّ قُتِلَ وَذَلِكَ لَوْ أَنَّ قَوْمًا كَانُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ رَأَيْتُ أَنْ يُدْعَوْا إِلَى الإِسْلاَمِ وَيُسْتَتَابُوا فَإِنْ تَابُوا قُبِلَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا قُتِلُوا وَلَمْ يُعْنَ بِذَلِكَ فِيمَا نُرَى وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ إِلَى النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَلاَ مِنَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ إِلَى الْيَهُودِيَّةِ وَلاَ مَنْ يُغَيِّرُ دِينَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الأَدْيَانِ كُلِّهَا إِلاَّ الإِسْلاَمَ فَمَنْ خَرَجَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ وَأَظْهَرَ ذَلِكَ فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي عُنِيَ بِهِ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ .
Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Ifsomeone changes his deen - strike his neck!" The meaning ofthe statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,in our opinion and Allah knows best, is that "if someone changes hisdeen, strike his neck!" refers to those who leave Islam for other thanit - like the heretics and their like, about whom it is known. Theyare killed without being called to tawba because their tawba is notrecognised. They were hiding their kufr and publishing their Islam, soI do not think that one calls such people to tawba, and one does notaccept their word. As for the one who goes out of Islam to somethingelse and divulges it, one calls him to tawba. If he does not turn intawba, he is killed. If there are people in that situation, I thinkthat one should call them to Islam and call them to tawba. If theyturn in tawba, that is accepted from them. If they do not turn intawba, they are killed. That does not refer as we see it, and Allahknows best, to those who come out of Judaism to Christianity or fromChristianity to Judaism, nor to someone who changes his deen from thevarious forms of deen except for Islam. Whoever comes out of Islam toother than it and divulges that, that is the one who is referred to,and Allah knows best! Translation Not Available
Book Ref: Muwatta Imam Malik Book 36 Hadith 1419
Web Ref: Muwatta Imam Malik Book 36 Hadith 15