Explainer: No, Sahih al-Bukhari Book 88, Hadith 5 Does Not Mandate Killing Apostates; Understanding Apostasy, Hadith Interpretation, and the Viral TikTok Misinfo
By Mustapha Lawal
A viral TikTok video posted by user @Deborahs_heir has reignited a long-standing and often misinterpreted theological debate.
The video features a dramatized scene with the tag: “POV: your Muslim friend calls to ask for prayers because if their family finds out they are now Christian, they qualify to be killed under apostasy law.”
The user then cites Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 88, Hadith 5, as caption and writes: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.” The caption ends with: “May the blood of Christ protect the ex-Muslim brothers and sisters that are leaving Islam.”
The video has gained traction amidst sensational online narratives, especially following a debunked claim that a woman named Zainab Muhammadu was being tried for apostasy under Sharia law in Zamfara State, Nigeria.
FactCheckAfrica’s investigation revealed that the woman in the circulating images is actually Aalia Reeves, a U.S.-based model and YouTuber, not a Nigerian on trial for converting to Christianity.
But what does Islamic tradition really say about apostasy? Does it call for execution, as claimed in the video? And what exactly does Sahih al-Bukhari Book 88, Hadith 5 say?
FactCheckAfrica explores the context, theology, and facts.
- What is Apostasy in Islam?
Apostasy, or “ridda” in Arabic refers to the act of leaving or renouncing Islam. Historically, this issue has been the subject of heated debate in Islamic jurisprudence.
Like the issues of stoning and hand chopping, apostasy in Islam can only be understood if one is willing to look beyond provocative headlines and understand the nature of how jurisprudence developed in the pre-modern world and in Islam in particular.
There are three main lenses through which apostasy is viewed:
- Theological: Concerns whether someone who abandons Islam still has a place in the community of believers.
- Legal: Involves questions about worldly punishment (if any), and whether it is the state’s responsibility to intervene.
- Social and political: Apostasy, especially during the early days of Islam, was often linked to rebellion or political betrayal.
In early Islamic history, apostasy often had political dimensions, such as during the Ridda Wars after the death of Prophet Muhammad, when some tribes renounced Islam not as a theological decision, but as a form of political secession from the Muslim state. In such cases, punishment (including execution) was linked to rebellion and sedition, not personal belief.
According to James A. Bishop, a religion scholar and PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town, the death penalty for apostasy is largely drawn from certain Hadith texts and not from the Qur’an itself.
In his article Does Islam Command Apostates to Be Killed?, Bishop explains that while “many Muslim argue that no one is to be forced or compelled to accept Islam” and that “there is no clear evidence in Islam to say that a person who leaves Islam has to be killed,” some classical scholars have cited prophetic traditions to justify executions for apostasy.
However, Bishop clarifies that “the Qur’an conveys that apostates commit a severe sin and will experience Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection” but “nowhere in the Qur’an is it commanded that apostates must be put to death.”
He notes that the command for execution is found in some Hadiths, such as Sahih al-Bukhari (Vol. 9, Book 84, Hadith 57), but these must be understood within their historical context, which often involved political rebellion or threats to communal unity rather than individual belief.
Bishop further documents how interpretations have varied, with some rejecting the association of apostasy with capital punishment entirely, while others uphold it as divine law. His work underscores the diversity of opinion within Islamic scholarship and the danger of relying on decontextualized texts to advance blanket conclusions.
- What Does Sahih al-Bukhari Book 88, Hadith 5 Actually Say?
Contrary to the claim in the TikTok video, Book 88, Hadith 5 of Sahih al-Bukhari does not contain the phrase “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.”
This hadith instead refers to signs of the end times and the emergence of Dajjal (the Islamic antichrist figure), among other calamities. There is no mention of apostasy or a directive about killing those who leave Islam.
The statement “Whoever changes his religion, kill him” does appear in a different narration: Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 84, Hadith 57.
This narration is attributed to Prophet Muhammad and is among the most controversial in the hadith corpus. However, this statement is often taken out of context and requires interpretation within historical, legal, and political frameworks, not as a standalone, absolute rule.
- Is the Death Penalty for Apostasy an Islamic Universal?
No. While some schools of classical Islamic jurisprudence upheld the death penalty for apostates, particularly when linked to treason or rebellion, many contemporary Islamic scholars and jurists disagree.
Key Points:
- No Compulsion in Religion
The Quran states in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:256): “There is no compulsion in religion. The right path has become distinct from the wrong.”
This verse is often cited by scholars and reformists to highlight Islam’s inherent recognition of freedom of belief, suggesting that religious conversion or rejection is a matter of conscience.
- Scholarly Disagreement
Even within the four major Sunni schools of thought, scholars differ on how apostasy should be treated:- Hanafi and Maliki schools tend to uphold capital punishment for public apostasy that threatens public order.
- Shafi’i and Hanbali schools support execution but with conditions and opportunities for the apostate to return to Islam.
- Modern reformist scholars (e.g., Tariq Ramadan, Javed Ghamidi, Mohammad Hashim Kamali) argue that execution is an outdated interpretation, relevant only in specific historical contexts.
- Contemporary Legal Practices
The Shari’ah consists of some laws that remain the same regardless of changing circumstances and others that change with them. Most of the Shari’ah is up to individual Muslims to follow in their own lives. Some are for judges to implement in courts. Finally, the third set of laws is for the ruler or political authority to implement based on the best interests of society.
The Shari’ah ruling on Muslims who decide to leave Islam belongs to this third group. Implemented in the past to protect the integrity of the Muslim community, today this important goal can best be reached by Muslim governments using their right to set punishments for apostasy aside.
In many Muslim-majority countries, apostasy is not a crime (e.g., Turkey, Indonesia). In others, it is criminalized but rarely enforced (e.g., Jordan, Malaysia). Only a handful of countries, like Saudi Arabia and Iran, treat apostasy as a capital offense.
In Nigeria, Sharia law is applicable only in the criminal legal systems of some northern states, but even there, apostasy is rarely prosecuted and generally not punishable by death. The Zamfara claim, which included the possibility of the death penalty, has no supporting legal evidence and was based on false identity attribution.
- The False Claim of Apostasy Trial in Zamfara
The TikTok video gained momentum after articles from Sahara Reporters, The Guardian and other blogs claimed a woman named Zainab Muhammadu was facing a death penalty in Zamfara for leaving Islam.
FactCheckAfrica traced the images used in those stories to Aalia Reeves, a U.S.-based Christian influencer, who has never lived in Nigeria and is not under any religious persecution. The story is fabricated.
- Sensationalism and Harmful Consequences
Spreading misinformation on such a sensitive issue not only distorts religious understanding but also fuels: Inter-religious tension, Islamophobia and Unnecessary fear among converts or religious minorities
Moreover, attributing absolute rules of violence to any faith without accurate interpretation or context undermines religious scholarship, fosters stereotypes, and creates distrust within communities
Conclusion
The TikTok claim is misleading and based on misrepresented theology. Sahih al-Bukhari Book 88, Hadith 5 does not state that apostates must be killed.
While such a statement exists elsewhere in the hadith corpus, it is the subject of ongoing debate, contextual reinterpretation, and legal variation across the Muslim world. Likewise, the Zamfara apostasy case is fabricated and based on false identity. No credible Nigerian authority or religious court is prosecuting such a case.
Religious texts must be interpreted with historical context and scholarly rigor. Viral videos on platforms like TikTok should not replace informed dialogue or religious education. Misinformation spreads fear, fosters division, and undermines the truth.
