I've become muslim almost ten years ago.
lol, someone who decides to be muslim and understands islam would never leave islam. Islam has a very distinct set of beliefs that no other religion has, it is a complete way of life. Not just a set of minor beliefs and set of rituals. It encompases the whole of the human being and of mankind.
If a person claimed to have accepted islam and didnt full understand islam to begin with but just kind of went with it, they never really truly embraced Islam. People with little knowledge can whimper and go into anything like a palm tree in the wind, any way the wind blows they go.
That's why you'll hear of all these different people talking about how they were ex-muslims like ali hirsi in this video, but, when they talk they know NOTHING... just hearsay like most non-muslims that have not actually spent the time to learn about Islam.
The hudood (punishment) for apostacy is indeed death. However, it too has it's context. The ruling came because there were hypocrites who literally wanted to undermine islam. So they wanted to demoralize the muslims who were already in a bad situation being persecuted. So they would over day and night, join islam, leave islam, join islam, leave islam, in repetitive fashion. So the ruling came.
There is no compulsion in Islam as the quran says. In other words, to SUBMIT yourself to God almighty no one can literally put a sword to your neck and say 'believe'. It is YOUR SOUL and YOUR HEART that is towards God... and no one can take that away from you. That is part of what it means to be Muslim. To submit yourself alone to God alone. The prophets and messengers on the other hand were sent for mankind by God, people amongst the people chosen so that their people would understand them and not be in fear of something they do not understand or cannot grasp. Ironically Christians used to do this to jews, muslims and everyone else -- baptize or die as charlamange used to say and do.
So this ruling really more so refers to these types of hypocrites who try to harm muslims. Yes I do not deny it and it is what it is.
The so called ex-muslims that may be ethnically pakistani, arab, whatever, and hear about something else other than islam and have no knowledge of islam, they embraced something while being in a muslim environment without knowing about islam. They were like someone who was not a muslim to begin with. Being 'muslim' in name is meaningless. To be muslim is literally to submit yourself to God, not men, not whims and desires but to God. Understanding that we are on this earth for a limited time, being tested and trialed by our deeds and behaviour.
You will never find a person who was trully practicing and understanding of Islam to leave Islam. As every other religion is corrupted by mankind. With Islam, it reaffirms what was before and it is retained, so that even if muslims stray away, you can always go back to the source and fix it. Alot of these ex muslims will claim they were 'very religious' because they did what? They followed in prayer ritually... but did they know what they were saying, or doing, etc... or they would have worn a scarf (even if its a convertible one like alot of pakistanis and afghans do in the west), missing the whole point, because they are born into muslim families or environments but never spend the time to actually study islam, therefore they literally rely on hearsay of their fellow muslims and hearsay of non-muslims. It's a mess in that sense.
However because of such weak muslims, they pollute islam with customs, tribal crap, culture, traditions, etc... as if it was in a period pre-islam. A period that muslims call al-jahiliya (the time of ignorance). So there is both a misinformational misrepresentation of islam for muslims and non muslims because they get lost in this junky stuff.. instead of looking at what Islam actually says.
For instance, the one thing that makes me very angry are the so called 'honor killings' which always carries pointed fingers at Islam but in fact it has nothing to do with Islam. African christians do, Arab christians do it, Hindus in India do it and do it alot, etc...
As far as apostacy goes. Many countries have death penalties for treason.
