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Close Topic OptionsCan A Muslim Lose Membership?
Can Muslim Lose Membership - Studies of Islam - Posted: 9th Aug, 2006 - 5:09am
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Post Date: 9th Aug, 2006 - 5:09am / Post ID: #
Membership Lose Muslim Can
A muslim can lose membership, but a certain set of conditions must occur first in order for this to take place.
| QUOTE |
This declaration may be made if the alleged Muslim in question declares himself a kafir. However, more usually it applies to the judgement that an action has been taken that clearly indicate knowing abandonment of Islam. Which actions constitute sufficient justification for takfir is disputed between different schools of religious thought. The orthodox Sunni position is that sins do not in general prove that someone is not a Muslim, but that denials of fundamental religious principles do; thus a murderer, for instance, may still be a Muslim, but someone who denies that murder is a sin must be a kafir, as long as he is aware that murder is a sin in Islam. An extreme case is exemplified by the early Kharijites, some of whom concluded that any Muslim who sinned ceased to be a Muslim, while others concluded that any major sin could cause that. The opposite extreme was taken by the Murjites, who argued that anyone who called themselves Muslim should be considered Muslim. The Mu'tazilites (followed by the Zaydis) advocated what they saw as a middle way, whereby grave sinners were categorized neither as believers nor as kafirs. The sentence for apostasy (irtidad), under Sharia law as traditionally interpreted, is execution. For this reason, orthodox Islamic law normally requires extremely stringent evidence for such accusations, in many cases, requiring an Islamic court or religious leader (see mullah, ayatollah) to pronounce a fatwa (legal judgement) of takfir on an individual or group; however, certain extremist movements have been much readier to practice takfir, for which they have been condemned by more mainstream Muslims. This practice is taken to its logical extreme by the earliest medieval Kharijites and by modern groups such as Takfir wal-Hijra and the GIA, who regard virtually all self-styled Muslims as kafirs whose blood may legitimately be shed. |
So it looks as though the only definitive way a muslim can be ex-communicated is to verbal state that they are not a muslim. In fact, research on the subject has shown there to be very few people ever excommunicated from Islam, its just not that common.
TOPIC: Can A Muslim Lose Membership?