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Muslims have no authority to punish unbelievers
The Quran and the authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad describe the practice of showing disrespect or mockery to God and His messenger as acts of ignorance, deliberate provocation or hatred.
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Protesters’ mecca: Muslims gather near the National Monument in Jakarta on Friday, Dec. 2 2016, as they rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, whom the police have named a blasphemy suspect. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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here is no Holy Scripture that declares categorically that “there shall be no compulsion in religion” but the Holy Quran. Even though the Quran addresses the word “disbelief” more than 150 times, Muslims have never been given the authority to punish disbelievers.
The Quran says repeatedly in its verses that Muslims can only rebuke non-Muslims regarding religious matters. Because religious matters are never mentioned in the Holy Book as crimes to be dealt with via secular punishment, to what extent is blasphemy acceptable and punishable?
Blasphemy in Islam is a strange concept. The notion “blasphemy” stems from the old English word blasfemen, French blasfemer and Latin blasphemare, meaning “I harm.” Based on this meaning, rulers used laws to victimize nonmembers of the ruling group and their dissidents. Nation states that had a state religion used it frequently to serve the interests of the people in power.
The third Judaic book of Torah Leviticus 24:16 declares that those who speak blasphemy shall surely be put to death. In addition, the seven laws of Noah prohibit blasphemy. In Christianity, the Gospel of Mark 3:29 describes blaspheming the holy spirit as an unpardonable eternal sin.
Thomas Aquinas regarded blasphemy a major unforgiveable sin, more grave than murder. Meanwhile, blasphemy against God and the Church was a crime punishable by death in much of the Christian world.
The Quran and the authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad describe the practice of showing disrespect or mockery to God and His messenger as acts of ignorance, deliberate provocation or hatred.
Prior to his move to Medina, most people in Mecca opposed the Prophet as the Messenger of Allah; most of them opposed him, disgraced him, cursed or blasphemed him or even tried to kill him. Nonetheless, he preferred to exercise forgiveness and sought divine mercy for them.
