37/14. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4059 — Whoever Changes His Religion
The Ruling on Apostates
Whoever Changes His Religion Hadith: Text and Core Meaning
Sunan an-Nasai : 4059
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4059
أَخْبَرَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4059In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 94English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4064
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4059
This brief hadith from Ibn Abbas reports the words: whoever changes his religion, kill him. The core topic is apostasy, and the wording is a short legal statement without details about procedure, evidence, authority, or circumstances. Because the text concerns taking life, it must not be treated as a command for individuals. According to Islamic scholars, criminal rulings of this kind belong to lawful authority and a proper judicial process, with the required conditions and proof. The safest explanation is to quote the meaning accurately and avoid inventing extra events around it. It is also helpful to read it alongside other narrations that discuss protected Muslim blood and formal legal exceptions. The main search phrase is whoever changes his religion hadith.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration gives a brief legal statement about changing one’s religion.
- The text itself does not explain procedure or evidentiary conditions.
- It cannot be used as permission for private violence.
