The “Freedom Pledge” references this opinion on apostasy from the authoritative Al Azhar University.  The Pledge states:

Head of the Fatawa Council of Al-Azhar, Abdullah al-Mishadd, Al-Azhar University, the pre-eminent Shariah legal authority, fatwa issued  23rd September 1978: “This man has committed apostasy; he must be given a chance to repent and if he does not then he must be killed according to Shariah.  As far as his children are concerned, as long as they are children they are considered Muslim, but after they reach the age of puberty, then if they remain with Islam they are Muslim, but if they leave Islam and they do not repent they must be killed…”*

The original fatwa, which appears to be genuine as best we can determine, is below, from the German wikipedia source.

Al-Azhar University: described as “the Vatican of Islam”

This Fatawa describes how an Egyptian man turned apostate and the subsequent punishment prescribed for him by the Al-Azhr Fatawa council. The following translation is a rough guide:

In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficient the Most Merciful.
Al-Azhr, Council of Fatawa.
This question was presented by Mr. Ahmed Darwish and brought forward by [name obscured] who is of German nationality.
A man whose religion was Islam and his nationality is Egyptian married a German Christian and the couple agreed that the husband would join the Christian faith and doctrine.
1) What is the Islamic ruling in relation to this man? What are the punishments prescribed for this act?
2) Are his children considered Muslim or Christian?
The Answer:
All praise is to Allah, the Lord of the Universe and salutations on the leader of the righteous, our master Muhammed, his family and all of his companions.
Thereafter:
This man has committed apostasy; he must be given a chance to repent and if he does not then he must be killed according to Shariah.
As far as his children are concerned, as long as they are children they are considered Muslim, but after they reach the age of puberty, then if they remain with Islam they are Muslim, but if they leave Islam and they do not repent they must be killed and Allah knows best.
Seal of Al-Azhar
Head of the Fatawa Council of Al-Azhar.
Abdullah al-Mishadd (عبد الله المشد‎)
23rd September 1978.

 

Click here for original Arabic letter.

[H/T Atlasshrugs.com]

10 Responses to Al-Azhar Fatwa

  1. […] and Shiite alike, to this day. (For irrefragable examples, see these contemporary Sunni rulings by Al Azhar University, in Cairo, Egypt, the Mufti of Lebanon, and IslamonLine [here; here], website of the mainstream, […]

  2. […] and Shiite alike, to this day. (For irrefragable examples, see these contemporary Sunni rulings by Al Azhar University, in Cairo, Egypt, the Mufti of Lebanon, and IslamonLine [here; here], website of the mainstream, […]

  3. […] outright. It then goes on to cite 1978 and 1989 religious rulings — from the Fatwa Council at Al Azhar University, the closest Muslim equivalent to the Vatican, and the Mufti of Lebanon, each, respectively […]

  4. […] outright. It then goes on to cite 1978 and 1989 religious rulings — from the Fatwa Council at Al Azhar University, the closest Muslim equivalent to the Vatican, and the Mufti of Lebanon, each, respectively […]

  5. […] outright. It then goes on to cite 1978 and 1989 religious rulings — from the Fatwa Council at Al Azhar University, the closest Muslim equivalent to the Vatican, and the Mufti of Lebanon, each, respectively […]

  6. […] International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), and other prominent, mainstream Muslim clerics in Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Malaysia, has also mandated lethal punishment for apostates from Islam. […]

  7. […] International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), and other prominent, mainstream Muslim clerics in Egypt [27], Lebanon [28], Iran [29], and Malaysia [30], has also mandated lethal punishment for apostates […]

  8. […] International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), and other prominent, mainstream Muslim clerics in Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Malaysia, has mandated lethal punishment for apostates from Islam. These […]

  9. […] International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), and other prominent, mainstream Muslim clerics in Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Malaysia, has mandated lethal punishment for apostates from Islam. These […]

Leave a Reply