Blasphemy in Islam and Christianity

What is Blasphemy?

Acts insulting the Prophet or denying God’s existence are deemed apostasy, without a separate blasphemy category defined.

In Islam, blasphemy denotes impious words or actions towards God, broader than English usage, encompassing mockery of Islamic attributes and denial of core beliefs.

Examples include rejecting the Quran’s divine revelation, denying Prophethood, insulting an angel, or asserting God had a son.

Blasphemy in Islam

Apostasy in classical Islam entails voluntarily renouncing the faith, including converting to another religion and severing ties with Islam.

Apostasy necessitates adult age, sanity, and explicit acceptance of Islam. It can manifest through beliefs, actions, or utterances. Examples of apostasy include denying God’s divinity. Also, associating partners with God, rejecting Nabiy Muhammad’s prophethood, claiming to be a prophet, repudiating the Qur’an, or asserting the createdness of the Qur’an.

Acts often considered blasphemy in general terms fall under the category of apostasy in classical Islamic law. This means that insulting the Prophet or denying God’s existence are seen as acts of apostasy, without a distinct classification for blasphemy.

Disbelief (kufr) and the act of pronouncing a Muslim an unbeliever (takfīr) are related concepts. Takfīr, the declaration of unbelief. Which carried significant consequences, and unsubstantiated accusations of apostasy are heavily condemned due to their potential negative impact on the unity of the Muslim community and their potential for misuse.

Blasphemy in Christianity

Blasphemy, an act widely witnessed in the Old Testament, holds a prominent place in passages like Leviticus 24:10-16. These verses find their roots in the fundamental command stated in Exodus 22:28. Which unequivocally forbids the reviling of God and the cursing of rulers.

The gravity of this offense is evident from the prescribed punishment of death. Reviling God or questioning the authority of those appointed by Him strikes at the very heart of His integrity and holiness. Consequently, such a disposition cannot be tolerated within the community.

The cohesion of the covenant people is jeopardized by disobedience within their ranks, much like the infamous sin of Achan chronicled in Joshua 7.

Sin is not an isolated event but has far-reaching consequences that permeate the entire community. Blasphemy operates on a similar principle.

Broad Review

Sin is not an isolated event but has far-reaching consequences that permeate the entire community.

Blasphemy operates on a similar principle. Allowing a member of the community to openly revile God or the leaders chosen by Him poses a severe risk to the collective well-being of the entire community.

The repercussions of such behavior extend far beyond the individual. It endangers the very purpose of the people of Israel among the nations.

Islamic Ruling on Blasphemy

In Islam, there is no punishment for blasphemy as it is not prescribed in the Quran or Prophet Muhammad’s(sa) traditions.

Islam emphasizes respect for all religions, promoting peace in society, but does not impose penalties for blasphemy, despite the offense it may cause to believers.

We can find evidence in the traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa) where Abdullah bin Ubayyee, the Chief of the hypocrites, consistently insulted and opposed the Prophet (sa) in Madinah.

However, when Abdullah passed away, the Prophet (sa) offered funeral prayers for him. This is despite objections from one of his companions who highlighted Abdullah’s derogatory statements and his hypocrisy.

The Prophet (sa) chose to ignore these remarks and instead prayed for the deceased. This example clearly demonstrates that the Prophet (sa) never ordered any form of punishment for those who insulted or abused him or God.

On the contrary, he prayed for their guidance. Extensive literature has been written on this subject, and for further details, please refer to the book ‘Murder in the Name of Allah.’

Additionally, if someone uses offensive language against a holy person or teaching, Islam advises maintaining distance from such individuals.

Blasphemy in Islam contains serious implications.

Blasphemy During Prophet Time

During his lifetime, Muhammad (d. ah 10/632 ce), the prophet, faced vehement opposition from the leaders of Mecca’s Arab clans.

These leaders vehemently rejected and ridiculed the Quranic teachings on monotheism and the resurrection.

Their opposition primarily manifested as verbal disputes and abusive language, aimed at discrediting Muhammad’s claim as an inspired prophet. They accused him of various things, including being possessed, a soothsayer, a magician, a poet, or a power-seeker lacking integrity.

The Quran documents that the blasphemous rhetoric of Muhammad’s opponents centered around labeling divine revelation as falsehood (takdhīb). Insulting the Prophet carried grave implications, as Muhammad served as the conduit for that revelation.

Among his adversaries, the Quran (Surah 111) specifically singles out Abu Lahab. He is destined for punishment in hellfire, and turns his own curses against Muhammad back upon him.

The followers of Muhammad considered satirical writings against the Prophet as blasphemy, resulting in the killing of two poets.

The Quran emphasizes the opposition faced by previous prophets. Such as the pharaoh who denied Moses’ revelation, arrogantly claiming, “I am your highest Lord” (79:24).

This statement, rejecting divine lordship, regard as the pinnacle of blasphemy. Even within the early Islamic community, the “hypocrites” (munāfiqūn) engaged in blasphemous jests targeting God and the Prophet (9:65–66).

Such mockery constituted a betrayal of faith (kufr) after professing belief (īmān) and rendered their previous good deeds invalid (5:5).