Islamic Cleric Endorses Death Penalty for Those Who Change Religion

Islamic cleric and National Chairman of the Council of Ulama, Dr. Ibrahim Jalingo, has sparked significant controversy after voicing support for the de@th penalty for those who renounce their religion.

In a statement written in Hausa and shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday, April 10, Jalingo staunchly defended a Hadith that prescribes capital punishment for apostasy. He also slammed critics of Hadith literature, branding them as being in a state of “compound ignorance.”

According to Tribune, Jalingo’s post was a direct response to growing criticisms surrounding the authenticity of a particular Hadith that many believe conflicts with the Qur’an’s teachings.

In his rebuttal, Jalingo accused his opponents of distorting Islamic traditions and attempting to undermine foundational religious texts.

“Today, I came across the first Hadith among the supposed ‘100 Hadiths’ which the fabricators claim contradict the Qur’an. They assert that Muslims who believe in both the divine revelation of the Hadith and the Qur’an cannot respond to them! The Hadith in question is: ‘Whoever changes his religion, kill him.’ The person who presented this statement by the fabricators to me is someone named Issiyaku Abdulkadir.

Here is what I wrote in response to the claims of these fabricators: First, I thank you for starting to bring me what this compound ignoramus refers to as ‘100 Hadiths that contradict the verses of the Qur’an.’ This will, God willing, give me the opportunity to expose his ignorance to the world.”

Jalingo argued that the Hadith is divinely inspired and should not be regarded as merely interpretative:

“Second: It should be made clear to everyone that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never said: ‘The role of Hadith is to interpret the Qur’an.’ However, the Prophet said: ‘Indeed, I was given the Qur’an and something like it alongside it.’ What is true is that the Qur’an is a revelation from Allah, and so is the Hadith a revelation from Allah. Often, the Qur’an addresses a matter in a summarised or brief way, and then the revelation of Hadith comes to elaborate on that matter.”

He went on to support the Hadith with several Qur’anic references, asserting that it aligns with, rather than contradicts, the teachings of the Qur’an.

“Third: The Hadith you cited—’Whoever changes his religion, kill him’—is authentic and does not contradict the Qur’anic revelation. This is because Allah says in Surah At-Tawbah, verse 5: ‘Then, when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them.’”

Jalingo also referenced verses from Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah An-Nisa’ to bolster his position.

“Fight them until there is no more fitnah (disbelief and oppression) and religion is for Allah alone.’ Meaning: fight them until they accept Islam. And in Surah An-Nisa’, verse 89: ‘Kill them wherever you find them.’ And again in Surah An-Nisa’, verse 91: ‘Kill them wherever you confront them.”

The cleric rejected the widely cited verse promoting freedom of religion, claiming it is no longer applicable.

“You see, unless someone is completely ignorant like the fabricators, no one would claim that the Hadith which says ‘Whoever changes his religion, kill him’ contradicts the Qur’an—because the Qur’an itself goes even further. It does not only permit the killing of apostates, but all polytheists in certain contexts.

“Fourth: You should also know that the verse ‘There is no compulsion in religion’ (La ikrah fi ad-deen) has had its ruling abrogated (naskh) by the verses we’ve just quoted, as well as by the very Hadith you brought: ‘Whoever changes his religion, kill him.’ And abrogation is a well-established concept within the revelation of the Glorious Qur’an.”

Jalingo ended his post with an attack on his critics

“This is a brief response to the compounded ignorance of this individual—whose approach and manner resemble that of prostitutes and effeminate men—i.e., the so-called fabricators.”

The cleric’s remarks have since gone viral across social media platforms, attracting both support and condemnation.