Sheikh Dr. Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo, National Chairman of the Council of Ulama’ Jibwis Nigeria, has triggered a heated debate with recent statements he made regarding apostasy, calling for the death penalty for anyone who renounces Islam.
In a Facebook post published on Thursday, Jalingo — a well-known religious authority in Nigeria — revisited a long-standing and controversial topic in Islamic discourse: how those who abandon the faith should be treated.
Writing in Hausa, Jalingo quoted a Hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), stating: “Whoever changes his religion should be killed.” This comment was in response to a social media user named Masussuka, who challenged the authenticity of the Hadith and claimed it was inconsistent with the Qur’an.
The Hadith — “Whoever changes his religion, then kill him” — has been the subject of significant scholarly discussion, with many Islamic scholars offering varied interpretations, particularly in light of modern principles of religious freedom.
However, Sheikh Jalingo stood firm in his view, asserting that the Hadith aligns with the Qur’an. He referenced verses such as Surah At-Tawbah (9:5) and Surah An-Nisa (4:89), which he believes validate the punishment for apostasy and justify broader violence against polytheists.
“The Qur’an itself not only permits the killing of those who commit apostasy but even allows the killing of all polytheists,” he declared.
In addition to his theological argument, he dismissed Masussuka’s opposition, saying: “Only an ignorant person like Masussuka would claim that the Hadith contradicts the Qur’an.”
Jalingo also addressed the oft-cited verse from the Qur’an that promotes religious freedom — “There is no compulsion in religion” — claiming that this had been superseded by other verses and the Hadith itself. He invoked the doctrine of “naskh” (abrogation), which in Islamic jurisprudence allows certain earlier revelations to be overridden by later ones.
His criticisms of Masussuka became personal and scathing as he attacked the individual’s moral character and religious understanding, describing him as a “deeply ignorant and morally depraved individual.”
In the post, Jalingo wrote:
“TODAY I HEARD A STORY FROM THE COUNTRY:
Alhamdulillah, today I heard the first of a hundred hadiths that the disbelievers claim contradict the Quran, and Muslims who believe in the revelation of the Hadith and the revelation of the Quran cannot answer them!! This hadith is: من بدل دينه فاقتلوه ((Whoever changes his religion, kill him)).
The person who brought me this speech by Masussuka was someone named: Issiyaku Abdulkadir.
Here is what I wrote to answer Masussuka’s claim: First of all: I thank you for first bringing me what this ignorant and confused person calls: 100 hadiths that contradict the verses of the Quran; because this will give me the opportunity to expose his ignorance before the world, God willing.
Second: The whole world should know that: Nowhere did the Prophet, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, say: “The work of Hadith is to interpret the Quran.” But the Prophet said: “Indeed, I was given the Quran and its equivalent along with it.” What is certain is: The Quran is a revelation from God, and Hadith is also a revelation from God. Many times the Quran will speak about an issue in a nutshell or briefly, and then the Revelation of Hadith comes to expand on the issue.
Third: The Hadith you mentioned where the Prophet said: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him” is true and does not contradict the Quranic revelation; because Allah says in At-Tawbah verse 5: “And when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them.” And He says in Al-Baqarah verse 193: “Fight them until there is no more trial and the religion is for Allah alone.” Meaning, fight them until they become Muslims. And He says in An-Nisa verse 89: “Fight them wherever you find them.” He also said in the verse 91 of An-Nisa’i: “And kill them wherever you find them.” You see, except for an ignorant person like Masusuka, no one would say that the revealed Hadith which says: “Whoever changes his religion, kill him” contradicts the Quran; because the Quran also says that and more; because the Quran does not only say that apostates should be killed, but it also makes it permissible to kill all polytheists.
Fourth: You should know that Allah has abrogated the verse “There is no compulsion in religion” with these verses that we have just mentioned and the revelation of the Hadith itself that you have brought: “Whoever changes his religion, he should kill him” and this is a clear fact in the revelation of the Glorious Quran. This is a brief response to this complex, blatant ignorance like that of prostitutes and prostitutes, i.e., the Masussuka.”
