Helping Pakistan change their Biblical Blasphemy laws

If you want a blasphemy law, convert to a religion that has one

 Dear Sir

The definition of blasphemy or ‘sab-o-shitam’ is unclear and the severe penalties provided by the legislation do not find any reference in the Qur'an or Hadith. In the Quran there is no ayat that justifies saza on tauheen e risalat, not to say that it is condoned and pardoned.

"...But they uttered blasphemy ... if they repent, it will be best for them, but if they turn back, Allah will punish them...." [Holy Qur'an 9:74]

Blasphemy is to be judged and punished by Allah (S.W.T) and not by us.

In fiqh, all muslim scholars have different views, to think that all say the same is incorrect. All the sources for legislating blasphemy laws in fiqh are not derived from Quran or hadith BUT from biblical laws, which stand redundant (as claimed) after Qur'an.

Following are the sources of biblical laws of blasphemy

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying ... he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Leviticus 24:13-16

Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die ... And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick ... And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. 2 Samuel 12:14-18

All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men ... whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Matthew 12:31-32

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness Mark 3:29

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. Luke 12:10

Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 1 Timothy 6:1

Teach the young women to be ... obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:4-5

I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2:9

I stood ... saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. Revelation 13:1

regards
Adnan

That is a very well written article. It clearly shows that laws and punishment for blasphemy are from biblical law. Those laws are not only crystal clear, they are mentioned over a dozen times. You have to know Jewish history to know why they were needed, and used. You can’t just steal Jewish law and claim it as Quran law. Jewish law involved a bloodline. Muslims have no claim to a Jewish bloodline. Instead, the Quran is a book of New Rules, which is why it says this;

Any message which, We annul or consign to oblivion We replace with a better or a similar one. Dost thou not know that God has the power to will anything? 2:106
Is this a lie?
Some believe the Qur'an does have laws for blasphemy, such as 5:33
But what does that verse say?
The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom; 5:33
So who was the messenger/prophet that is written here? Go back 10 verses and see.
And remember when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Remember Allah's favor unto you, how He placed among you Prophets, and He made you Kings, and gave you that (which) He gave not to any other of His creatures.  5:20
Moses! He brought Jewish Laws! And the story continues…..in order.
O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you. Turn not in flight, for surely ye turn back as losers: 5:21
They said: O Moses! Lo! a giant people dwell therein, and lo! we go not in till they go forth from thence. When they go forth, then we will enter not till then. 5:22
Then outspake two of those who feared their Lord, men unto whom Allah had been gracious: Enter in upon them by the gate, for if ye enter by it, lo! ye will be victorious. So put your trust in Allah if ye are indeed believers. 5:23
They said: O Moses! We will never enter the land while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here. 5:24
He said: My Lord! I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the wrongdoing folk. 5:25
Their Lord said: For this the land will surely be forbidden them for forty years that they will. wander in the earth, bewildered. So grieve not over the wrongdoing folk. 5:26
Then the story goes back in time to a shorter story of the sons of Adam.
But recite unto them with truth the tale of the two sons of Adam, how they offered each a sacrifice, and it was accepted from the one of them and it was not accepted from the other. The one said: I will surely kill thee. The other answered: Allah accepteth only from those who ward off evil. 5:27
Even if thou stretch out thy hand against me to kill me, I shall not stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee, lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. 5:28
Lo! I would rather thou shouldst bear the punishment of the sin against me and thine own sin and become one of the owners of the Fire. That is the reward of evil doers. 5:29
But the other's mind imposed on him the killing of his brother, so he slew him and became one of the losers. 5:30
Then Allah sent a raven scratching up the ground, to show him how to hide his brother's naked corpse. He said: Woe unto me! Am I not able to be as this raven and so hide my brother's naked corpse? And he became repentant. 5:31
And then it goes back to Moses and the Jews.
For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if be had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs of Allah's sovereignty , but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth. 5:32
The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger (Just a side note here, not ALL the messengers were Muhammad) and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom; 5:33

Even if you make war with God and a messenger/prophet, it still does not call for murder, there are choices. Only the barbaric would call for the barbaric rewards.

Save those who repent before ye overpower them. For know that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 5:34
O ye who believe! Be mindful of your duty to Allah, and seek the way of approach unto Him, and strive in His way in order that ye may succeed. 5:35
Which makes my point. Violence is not the answer.
As to those who reject Faith, if they had everything on earth, and twice repeated, to give as ransom for the penalty of the Day of Judgment, it would never be accepted of them, theirs would be a grievous penalty. 5:36
Let God do God.
They will wish to come forth from the Fire, but they will not come forth from it. Theirs will be a lasting doom. 5:37
As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands. It is the reward of their own deeds, an exemplary punishment from Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise. 5:38
I end with this verse as this is not found in biblical law.

What is the punishment for theft in biblical law?

Exodus 22:1 - If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
Nothing about getting a hand or foot chopped off.

Exodus 21:16 - And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
But he could be killed for stealing a man and selling that man.

Exodus 21:24 - Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
If you gouge out an eye, your eye will be gouged out. If you damage or cut of his foot or hand, yours will be cut off. But this is not for theft.
In truth, this particular law was stolen from Hammurabi who was a pagan. Amusing, right?

Exodus 22:3-4 - If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
So under biblical law.
In this law, the theif has to pay back what he has stolen and if he can’t, then he can be sold as a slave.

Verse 33:57-61 is most commonly used in Islamic history to justify and punish blasphemers.

Those who annoy Allah and His Messenger - Allah has cursed them in this World and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating Punishment. 33:57
But no death
And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin.  33:58
Still no death
O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons when abroad: that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful. 33:59
I don’t know why this verse is included as it has nothing to do with blasphemy, but still no death.
Truly, if the Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbours for any length of time: 33:60

This is about the hypocrites, those who say they follow the Quran but they do not.

They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain without mercy. 33:61

And they will say: “O our Sustainer! Behold, we paid heed unto our leaders and our great men, and it is they who have led us astray from the right path! 33:67

Because the Quran does not explicitly mention any worldly punishment for blasphemy. Islamic god guys  of the sunni and shia sect decided it would be ok to treat Muslims like Christians and ancient Jews. The only real surprise is why Muslim let them get away with it

Both the Sunni and Shia sects declared different punishments for the biblical crime of blasphemy, which is also not a surprise as the Quran says over and over to not break into sects, but they did, so why not make other changes?? Why not make up your own religion?

The Quran says many times, in many ways, that it is complete. Only the hypocrites and those who practice sedition, mischief and corruption say it is not complete.

And they will say: “O our Sustainer! Behold, we paid heed unto our leaders and our great men, and it is they who have led us astray from the right path! 33:67

Here is what those leaders, and great men that you follow, made up.

The Hanafi  views blasphemy as synonymous with apostasy, and therefore, accepts the repentance of apostates. Those who refuse to repent, their punishment is death if the blasphemer is a Muslim man, and if the blasphemer is a woman, she must be imprisoned with coercion (beating) till she repents and returns to Islam. If a non-Muslim commits blasphemy, his punishment must be a tazir (discretionary, can be death, arrest, caning, etc.)
I flat out call this shirk. They are not gods, just brutal males.

Maliki views blasphemy as an offense distinct from, and more severe than apostasy. Death is mandatory in cases of blasphemy for Muslim men, and repentance is not accepted. For women, death is not the punishment suggested, but she is arrested and punished till she repents and returns to Islam or dies in custody. A non-Muslim who commits blasphemy against Islam must be punished; however, the blasphemer can escape punishment by converting and becoming a devout Muslim.
What religion is this?

Hanbali – view blasphemy as an offense distinct from, and more severe than apostasy. Death is mandatory in cases of blasphemy, for both Muslim men and women, and repentance is not accepted.
Why would they corrupt their religion like this?

Shafi’i – recognizes blasphemy as a separate offense from apostasy, but accepts the repentance of blasphemers. If the blasphemer does not repent, the punishment is death.
This is the mischief the Quran warns of

Ja'fari (Shia) views blasphemy against Islam, the Prophet, or any of the Imams, to be punishable with death, if the blasphemer is a Muslim. In case the blasphemer is a non-Muslim, he is given a chance to convert to Islam, or else killed.

For, indeed, many facets have We given in this Qur'an to every kind of lesson designed for the benefit of mankind! However, most men are unwilling to accept anything but blasphemy 17:89

It forces you to ask, if they prefer biblical law, then what was the point of the Quran?