Apostasy is leaving and turning away from the religion of Islam. A Muslim who turns away from Islam is called an apostate. Apostasy is achieved by denying the existence of God, the truthfulness of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH), the religion of Islam, and the essentials of religion such as prayer and fasting, as well as by openly insulting religious sanctuaries such as the Kaaba. The religion of Islam has considered some punishments for the apostates which this article examines the reasons why the apostate is being punished.

It is obligatory for everyone to research the principles of religion to the best of their ability, and if after complete research they believe in a ritual other than Islam, they are excused. Because they have done their intellectual and religious duty, but they have gone in the wrong way. An error that does not subject them to the punishment of apostates in any case. But he/she shouldn’t express any kind of propaganda against Islam.

Propaganda and public expression of propositions against Islam is actually a form of rebellion against the existing socio-political system and is basically a security issue. Islam, in order to protect the domestic front from the harm of betrayals and conspiracies and to prevent the influence of enemies and hypocrites whose goal is to destroy the public order and system of the Islamic society and create chaos, the legislation of such a decree for apostasy is completely logical and justified. It is natural that every government and political system is sensitive to the important issues of their country, such as national security and maintaining public order, and if an individual or group targets it, would face the harshest punishments.[1]

Based on this reasoning, Imam Khomeini's historical judgment about Salman Rushdie can be justified, that Rushdie targeted the foundation of Islam by writing the "Satanic Book". Imam "Ra" protected the foundation of Islam with a fatwa, while the heads of other Islamic countries were helpless to do anything. Imam's fatwa introduced and established the position of "Wilayah" in the Islamic world. The recent Qur’an burnings are also in line with the Islamophobia policy of the Westerners, which under the guise of freedom of expression, have targeted the base of Islam. This is despite the fact that the Quran is a book of freedom of expression and opinion, where it says: "This is an expression for the people and a guidance and admonition for the pious”. [2] They do not know that by burning the Quran, in fact, they set fire to expression and freedom of expression.

Writing of “Satanic Book”, Burning Qur’an and the like, are example of hostilities which the heads of western countries are seeking in their policies against Islam. They find some traitors among Muslims and under the guise of freedom of expression, persuade them to take action against bases of Islam. Therefore, the Islamic State knows its inalienable right to consider punishments for such apostates in order to defend its National Security and Public Orders as well as defending the bases of Islam.