When people began to tag me to this man’s video, I knew I had to tread carefully. I have been wary of his rhetoric before, but I couldn’t just jump to it like many people wanted me to do because I had a long day yesterday. So I needed to go watch the full podcast to understand the complete picture.
More importantly, when non-Muslims share cut and join videos of Muslims on the timeline, do not take those clips at face value. Most times, it is done with malicious intent to paint Islam in the worst possible light.
Having understood the full context, my refutation is based on the full truth of his interview, not just this viral snippet. NB: This is a long piece.
What this viral video did not show you is that he was speaking hypothetically. He was framing his answers based on what he would do if he were a Muslim leader operating within a pure Islamic state.
However, knowing this full context does not validate his claims. In fact, it only shifted his error from street vigilantism to tyrannical extremism. Even as a hypothetical Head of State, his understanding of Shari'ah is severely broken.
To break this down, we must first look at the foundational ruling on apostasy. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in a Hadith reported by Ibn Abbas and recorded in Sahih Bukhari:
من بدل دينه فاقتلوه
"Whoever changes his religion, execute him."
To understand this text, we must understand the context of the man who said it. Imam Ash-Shatibi explained in his foundational work Al-Muwafaqat that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not act in one single capacity throughout his life. His actions fell into three distinct stages.
First, he acted as a Messenger, conveying divine revelation and spiritual guidance. Second, he acted as a Mufti, giving specific religious verdicts to people who came with personal questions. Third, he acted as an Imam, meaning the Head of State, Commander in Chief, and Supreme Judge.
We must state firmly here that when the Prophet gave the ruling on apostasy, he was acting strictly in his third capacity as the Head of State. By implication, this was a decree of state policy.
And when we look at it critically, the policy is justified. You know why?
Early Islamic Medina was not a mosque or a social club. It was a nascent sovereign state surrounded by existential threats. They were dealing with the hostile Quraysh, hypocrites sabotaging them from within, rebellious tribes, and massive military superpowers like the Roman and Persian empires.
In that era, religion and citizenship were the same thing. Leaving Islam did not mean you stopped praying in your bedroom like many people think it is today. It meant you formally defected to the enemy army to wage war against the state of Medina. It was political and military betrayal.
Let’s bring it home. Under the Nigerian constitution or US federal law, the highest crime a citizen can commit is high treason.
If Nigeria is in a state of war, and you as a citizen cross the border and join the enemy camp, whether you leak military secrets or not, the mere fact that you join the enemy camp makes you a target. The penalty is death. The Islamic state views this defection through the very same lens. It is a matter of national security and active sabotage.
Here, people can argue that what if a person just denounces Islam and walks away quietly without leaking state secrets or joining an enemy army? Does the treason analogy still hold?
If we look at the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), his approach was even softer and more restrained than what modern nations practice today.
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I want to say something to you single ladies above 25 but below 30.
But I know that you'll not listen.
You see all these single men above 35? Many of them are not serious.
I've said this before, and I'm saying it again.
These men have buried themselves in their jobs, lost touch of what it means to be in a committed relationship, & cannot give you the attention that you desire.
Men below 35 are far better.
Even if they're still trying to find their feet.
Check again...
Most married men got married before they were 35.
When you meet a young man of 28 to 34, to you, they may be acting "immature", but this is common amongst their age grade.
And it's not even as if they're truly immature. The problem is that you young ladies have been exposed to much older men; either in real life, or through social media.
I'll use myself as a example.
I'm in my 40s, inching to 50.
When some of you read from me, you subconsciously think that the younger men that you're meeting, should be thinking like me.
You're wrong.
When I was in my late 20s and 30s, I was like most of the men that you're meeting today; if not worse.
You read from much older and experienced men from social media, and start to imagine that your late 20s and early 30s men should be like us.
An opportunity that people like my lovely wife didn't have, when she was in 20s.
She didn't have the type of social media or internet exposure that you have today.
Men who want to be committed to you, are not mostly men who are in their late 30s.
They either do not have the time, emotional intelligence or the patience to date you properly.
And alot of them that have achieved some level of financial stability or career success, would be looking down on you.
Because most of you young ladies are just starting life.
A man who truly wants to build a family, be there for his wife and family, and be the main provider, will start early.
He will start small, but not empty.
His years of experience in marriage with you, will teach him many things.
And as both of you keep growing and waxing in it, you'd be noticing changes in his character, ways of thinking, and emotional intelligence.
You may not like what I have said, but I see single men above 35 as potential red flags.
Of course, there would be exceptions.
But it's always better to be with men who are not too far ahead of you in life and exposure.
Give younger men a chance.
Ignore their obvious imperfections, and watch them grow into maturity, and into men that you would be proud of.
I have given you this advise with all sincerity of purpose, and like a father.
If you don't want to listen now, you'll understand much later.
I hope you won't regret it.
End.