Thank you for this response!
It was a little shocking to see the extreme conservative interpretation, so I hoped we would see other interpretations highlighted in the thread as well. <3
This seems to me a lot more harmonious with the world, and a lot less murderous and callous than other interpretations that were posted. It's shocking to me that people would believe those other interpretations and call them good.
It is mind boggling to me that anyone claiming to be a Muslim would believe their God directed them to kill apostates when their primary doctrine (Quran) consisting of 114 chapters does not mention that at all. In fact, it does the opposite. It mentions - "
there is no compulsion in religion".
If common sense prevailed - anyone wishing to believe such a thing should ask - why would their God forget to mention this huge controversial thing in a book that he claimed is a complete revelation?
Furthermore,
what is the selling point in this - if Muhammad really practiced it? How do you tell people to accept a religion and if they leave then they will be eliminated? Who would accept such a concept if Muhammad really attempted to advocate that? It is shocking that some Muslims and their clerics don't possess common sense to understand this simple thing and yet somehow decided to believe in a vague Hadith that clearly conflicts with Quran. How do they justify it?
The link that was provided by a Muslim from the Sunnah site is based on a Hadith that was collected by a Turkish guy over 234 years after Muhammad passed away and it seems to be from caliph Ali's time who was the 4th ruler after Muhammad passed away. Similar Hadith may be out their from earlier times but none of the Ahadith were collected prior to at least 214 years after Muhammad was long gone!
Anyhow, according to wiki - it seems only a handful of Muslim countries had adopted this flawed concept at some point or other but none really implementing it. Only four people were charged in the years from 1985- 2006. All four had other political charges against them. So, it seems they use it as a tool sometimes to justify political killings. Those selected few claim it to be part of their religion based on a Hadith that is most likely fabricated IMO! There is a vague story mentioned somewhere about one particular Christian guy accepted Islam and he got the job to act as an amanuensis to Muhammad and his job was to write down verse for Muhammad after Muhammad claimed God revealed it to him. Since Muhammad couldn't write himself - he used to narrate it and that guy and a few others used write it down to preserve them for the next generations. That particular amanuensis reverted to Christianity and started spreading rumor that verses were not really from God. He met with a sudden death but not sure who or what took him out. I am not sure if the whole misconception begin from this incident but I am doubtful as there is no evidence that Muhammad gave any such order even in this particular case. In a barbaric world where people believed in "blood for blood" concepts (nothing to do with religion though) - I am not sure how strong the code of ethics were among all of Muhammad's men. Some of his close followers had bad history before accepting Islam.
Quran mentions that even Muhammad was not allowed to come up with anything new on his own. What Muhammad delivered was from his God. So, in my opinion no Muslim should adopt anything new especially if it contradicts with Quran. I think they should follow Ahadith only if it collaborates with their primary doctrine (Quran). Ahadiths were collected by individual at least 214 years after Muhammad. So, common sense should prevail that not all can be truly Muhammad's words or his actions.
Bottom-line - my opinion is - many ahadith are based on cultural practices from those times and most likely innovations by certain clerics to satisfy their way of life and way of thinking and it should be ignored by true believers of this faith.
No religion has shaken off cultural diffusion but since Quran claims to be unaltered - I was under the impression - it's believers would have more faith in its primary teachings. However reading some posts here - it seems some believers have their faith in faith altering secondary sources.
[Quran 28:56] You surely cannot guide whoever you like ˹O Prophet˺, but it is Allah Who guides whoever He wills, and He knows best who are ˹fit to be˺ guided.
So, it seems not everyone is fit to be guided!
