Abstract
Apostasy or blasphemy is a jurisprudential term which means committing "infidelity against Islam".
The blasphemy is the denial of Islam itself, the rejection of the authority of the divine region, and committing a type of infidelity.
Jurists from Shia school of thought and other Islamic sects have pointed out various causes and types of blasphemy and its main indicators are as under:
- The rejection of the principle of God’s existence
- Denial of the monotheism or oneness of God
- Denial of the holy prophet and rejection of his divine mission
- Denial of the divine religion
- Insulting divine essence, the Messenger of God and the truthful religion
- Insulting the sanctities and sanctities of Islam as a cultural warrior and corruptor on earth
In order to prove blasphemy, Islamic teachings also mention the five ways for confession and those are the witnessing of the just, the believers of transgression, blasphemous behavior or speech, and the knowledge of the judge.
Therefore, it could be conculded Imam Khomeini's ruling on the execution of Salman Rushdie has the been in accordance with various jurisprudential principles;
The decree has had also support of other principles such as the punishment for those who insult to the divine religion or prophets, become corruptor on the earth or turn into cultural warrior
In addition to all that, Imam decree could also be considered a ruling of the government. It is because in the absence of the infallible Imam of the time, the issuance of such rulings is within the authority of the Islamic establishment or ruler.
The decree has also an abundance of support from the Quranic and Hasith sources
Also citing from the practical behavior and conduct of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH), Ahl al-Bayt , and the biography of Muslim scholars indicate that such rulings or decrees have been issued on various occasions throughout the history of Islam,
What prompted the issuance of such a ruling against Rushdie was the publication of a book by him that, in the form of a novel, denies the monotheism of God and the mission of the Prophet of Islam. Rushdie had committed several insults to religion, prophets and denied divine revelation. So he had become subject to such a decree or ruling.