Islamic cleric and National Chairman of the Council of Ulama, Dr. Ibrahim Jalingo, has sparked major controversy after declaring that Muslims who renounce their faith deserve the death penalty.
In a viral Facebook post on Thursday, Jalingo defended a Hadith that prescribes capital punishment for apostates and dismissed critics questioning its compatibility with the Qur’an as “compound ignoramuses.” He claimed the Hadith—“Whoever changes his religion, kill him”—is divinely revealed and consistent with Quranic teachings.
The cleric further asserted that the Qur’anic verse advocating freedom of religion—“There is no compulsion in religion”—has been abrogated by later verses calling for the killing of polytheists and apostates. He cited several verses from Surahs At-Tawbah and An-Nisa’ to support his claims.
Jalingo’s comments, which included personal attacks on critics, have sparked a firestorm online, with some hardliners applauding his stance, while many Muslim voices and human rights advocates have condemned the remarks as dangerous, extremist, and contrary to peaceful Islamic teachings.
