Difference between Blasphemy and Satire and Their Punishments
Question:
I want to ask what does Islam say about people who write satire on Islam? Does it come under blasphemy? Also, if we apply Salman Rushdie's example to such matter, is it ok then to let the blood of a satirical writer run halaal for writing satire? How can a Muslim reader of literature draws a line between satire and blasphemy?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Answer:
There are no prescribed punishments for blasphemy or satire in Islam. The Hadiths and reports related to capital punishment for blasphemy or satire at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) are about a crime that belongs to a totally different category, related to the Sunnah of the Almighty with regard to the nations who are the direct addressees of His messengers. Based on this Sunnah, after making the message totally clear and removing any doubts about the truth, those who arrogantly reject the messengers will be punished. Among those who arrogantly reject the messenger of Islam (pbuh) were blasphemers and those who showed their arrogant attitude with satire. In other words, those people were punished at the time of the prophet (pbuh) due to the same reason that the nation of Noah (pbuh) or Lot (pbuh) were punished. These punishments were not part of the shari'ah of the nations, but were part of the sunnah of the Almighty, as detailed in the Qur'an and the Old Testament.
What is important to understand is that this punishment does not apply to those nations who were not the direct addressees of the messengers. In other words, such punishment does not apply to our era.
The implication of the above is that at our time we can not punish a person for blasphemy or satire claiming that we are following a religious rule (Shari'ah). I personally do not see any fair basis for punishing blasphemy or satire, nevertheless a Muslim state (and in deed any state) may decide to introduce a punishment for blasphemy or unacceptable satire. Such punishment however can only be seen as a state law and not the law of Islam. Such punishment is legitimate as long as it is seen as fair by the conscious of the society and as long as it is not against the principles of penal law in Shari'ah. One of these principles is that capital punishment is only applicable for the cases of murder and creating anarchy in the land (5:32). Also such state punishment will only be applicable at the land where the state rules.
So to summarize, Islam has not prescribed any punishments for blasphemy or satire. A Muslim state may introduce such punishment if it is considered fair by the conscious of the society however this punishment has nothing to do with Shari'ah and also it cannot be capital punishment.
Accordingly drawing a line between blasphemy and satire is irrelevant, as far as the Shari'ah concerns. It will be the responsibility of the state to define this line if it has introduced punishments for blasphemy or satire.
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Based on what I wrote above you will appreciate that not only there is no basis in Shari'ah to consider execution of the writer that you mentioned, this in fact will be against the penal law of Islam.
Those who propagate killing others for their writings (no matter how disrespectful these writings are) are guilty of three serious crimes: "going against the Qur'an (5:32)", "contributing in an unjustified murder" and "providing a false image of Islam". If what they are doing is against the law of the land in which they reside then they are also guilt of a fourth crime, that is "breaking contracts" by going againsg the law.
Also since the writer is a resident of a non Muslim country, there will be absolutely no meanings for a Muslim state to instruct punishments for him.
Please do let me know if any of the above need further clarification.
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Related Topic:
- Dua, Blasphemy
- Revisiting the Jihad of the companions after the demise of the Prophet (pbuh)
----------------
July 2013
I want to ask what does Islam say about people who write satire on Islam? Does it come under blasphemy? Also, if we apply Salman Rushdie's example to such matter, is it ok then to let the blood of a satirical writer run halaal for writing satire? How can a Muslim reader of literature draws a line between satire and blasphemy?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Answer:
There are no prescribed punishments for blasphemy or satire in Islam. The Hadiths and reports related to capital punishment for blasphemy or satire at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) are about a crime that belongs to a totally different category, related to the Sunnah of the Almighty with regard to the nations who are the direct addressees of His messengers. Based on this Sunnah, after making the message totally clear and removing any doubts about the truth, those who arrogantly reject the messengers will be punished. Among those who arrogantly reject the messenger of Islam (pbuh) were blasphemers and those who showed their arrogant attitude with satire. In other words, those people were punished at the time of the prophet (pbuh) due to the same reason that the nation of Noah (pbuh) or Lot (pbuh) were punished. These punishments were not part of the shari'ah of the nations, but were part of the sunnah of the Almighty, as detailed in the Qur'an and the Old Testament.
What is important to understand is that this punishment does not apply to those nations who were not the direct addressees of the messengers. In other words, such punishment does not apply to our era.
The implication of the above is that at our time we can not punish a person for blasphemy or satire claiming that we are following a religious rule (Shari'ah). I personally do not see any fair basis for punishing blasphemy or satire, nevertheless a Muslim state (and in deed any state) may decide to introduce a punishment for blasphemy or unacceptable satire. Such punishment however can only be seen as a state law and not the law of Islam. Such punishment is legitimate as long as it is seen as fair by the conscious of the society and as long as it is not against the principles of penal law in Shari'ah. One of these principles is that capital punishment is only applicable for the cases of murder and creating anarchy in the land (5:32). Also such state punishment will only be applicable at the land where the state rules.
So to summarize, Islam has not prescribed any punishments for blasphemy or satire. A Muslim state may introduce such punishment if it is considered fair by the conscious of the society however this punishment has nothing to do with Shari'ah and also it cannot be capital punishment.
Accordingly drawing a line between blasphemy and satire is irrelevant, as far as the Shari'ah concerns. It will be the responsibility of the state to define this line if it has introduced punishments for blasphemy or satire.
**********
Based on what I wrote above you will appreciate that not only there is no basis in Shari'ah to consider execution of the writer that you mentioned, this in fact will be against the penal law of Islam.
Those who propagate killing others for their writings (no matter how disrespectful these writings are) are guilty of three serious crimes: "going against the Qur'an (5:32)", "contributing in an unjustified murder" and "providing a false image of Islam". If what they are doing is against the law of the land in which they reside then they are also guilt of a fourth crime, that is "breaking contracts" by going againsg the law.
Also since the writer is a resident of a non Muslim country, there will be absolutely no meanings for a Muslim state to instruct punishments for him.
Please do let me know if any of the above need further clarification.
-------------
Related Topic:
- Dua, Blasphemy
- Revisiting the Jihad of the companions after the demise of the Prophet (pbuh)
----------------
July 2013
