The death penalty for apostasy is part of Islamic law. It’s based on the Qur’an: “They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper.” (Qur’an 4:89)
A hadith depicts Muhammad saying: “Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him” (Bukhari 9.84.57). The death penalty for apostasy is part of Islamic law according to all the schools of Islamic jurisprudence.
This is still the position of all the schools of Islamic jurisprudence, both Sunni and Shi’ite. Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the most renowned and prominent Muslim cleric in the world, has stated: “The Muslim jurists are unanimous that apostates must be punished, yet they differ as to determining the kind of punishment to be inflicted upon them. The majority of them, including the four main schools of jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali) as well as the other four schools of jurisprudence (the four Shiite schools of Az-Zaidiyyah, Al-Ithna-‘ashriyyah, Al-Ja’fariyyah, and Az-Zaheriyyah) agree that apostates must be executed.”
Qaradawi also once famously said: “If they had gotten rid of the apostasy punishment, Islam wouldn’t exist today.”
“A Christian Convert Arrested in Southwest of Iran,” NCRI, October 24, 2017 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
NCRI – The intelligence agents arrested another Christian convert in Dezful (southwest of Iran) after he was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence. The newly Christian convert, Abdolali Pourmand, known as “Ehya” was one of the servants of “Payam-e-Aramesh” church in Dezful who has been arrested on Thursday, October 2017 by the Intelligence agents and transferred to Ahvaz.
According to the released reports, the agents have raided his house; however, the Christian convert was working on his farmland far from home. After careful inspection, the intelligence agents found some holy bibles, pamphlets, and CDs in his house. The agents summoned him on a telephone call and asked him to go to the Ministry of intelligence’s headquarters in Dezful. He was then arrested on the same day after his visit to the headquarters.
Three days after his arrest, the newly Christian convert, Abdolali Pourmand was allowed to have a brief telephone conversation with his family about his situation on Saturday, October 21. He told his family that the interrogators have promised his release. It is noteworthy that Abdolali Pourmand has been arrested only two months after his marriage.
According to a report published on the website of Mohabat News, three Christian converts have been arrested, summoned, or beaten up in the past few days. They have been threatened to either repel or deny Christianity and repent or to leave the country. The plainclothes agents have intimidated them of beating and killing as well….