I am not here to bash or belittle any religion, i just want to know what is the stand of the quran/islamic belief on this issue. I have been hearing stories of where muslims miam and kill people that desecrate their holy books. Infact, about two days ago i watched the news on aljizeera where muslims in a pakistani village attacked a police station where a man who was accused of burning copies of the quran is been detained. The villagers broke into the station, brought out the man and burnt him to death chanting and singing "Allahu akbar" and making some islamic comment. My question is, "is this what the quran teaches or is it the people that is taking laws into their hands?"...(which i doubt cos such incidence have happened several times and indifferent countries)... Thanks.

This thread should make the frontpage.

jaymichael: This thread should make the frontpage.

Absolutely. I would really love to get the facts straight. Can any moslem out there help?

jaymichael: This thread should make the frontpage.

Am not even after the frontpage. I just want to get the right view from muslims before it turns into an argument.(when it makes the frontpage)... Well its left for the mods to decide.

I believe what you are asking about is ''BLASPHEMY''...it comes in all forms but to the best of my knowledge, the glorious Qur'an gave four options for such people;

Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment,

Except for those who return [repenting] before you apprehend them. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.(Surah Al-maidah :33-34)

However, the path to which the Pakistani people have exercised the penalty is not Islam as it ridicule the call for witnesses or evidences (daleel) in islam. What if the man was innocent of the charges. Take for example the case of the girl recently accused of burning the Qur'an in Pakistan. If there were no investigations, they would have wronged a soul. Investigation later revealed that the evidences were planted and that she did not commit such act.
In other to exercise these penalties, the proper course have to be followed which is the provision of witnesses and or evidencies.

Anybody can not just exercise these penalties like the way the Pakistani people did. We have laws and those in charge of upholding it!
If you were to catch a thief, your duty is only to report to the proper authorities who will then look for witnesses and evidences to charge him..

Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.(An-nisa: 58-59)

Bear in mind that the above is just my view. I may be correct or wrong. I am only a learner and Allah knows all!

@bigmanamed... Thanks for your response. From your post, i can deduce two points though i stand to be corrected .
1) is that, the qur'an supports a heavy punishment on someone who blasphem against the qur'an (which includes its burning)... if there is a witness.
2)Its wrong for the muslims to just carry out the punishment without proper investigation which include hearing from a witness.
I dont want to talk about point number 1 cos its islamic teaching so, i dont think it realy matter now. But on point number 2, why are muslims(i dont mean all of them) still hasty to pass out judgement (esp the death penalty)on people that blasphem even without investigation, know fully well that the qur'an kicks against it like you just said. Thanks.

There is nothing wrong in asking questions about others beliefs if you dislike them but abusing their beliefs is wrong and that is abuse of freedom of speech.
You know that Muslims are against abuse of their beliefs and yet you kept on abusing it? That is just outright insanity. What pleasure do you gain in hurting others beliefs?
If you were to do the same to the Jews, you would become anti semitic and you are lucky if they do not prosecute you....
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/europe/2013/01/20131816135089802.html
The people are just trying to provoke Muslims but that does not also justifies the actions of the Pakistanis
The blasphemy laws have been put in place just like any other law which is aimed at prevention..
ABUSING OTHER PEOPLES BELIEFS CREATE ENEMITY AND DESTROYS A SOCIETY. It should not be condoned in any manner. There are many other ways to express your dislike for a particular thing and abuse is not one of them!

FYI:I HAVE HEARD PUNNISHMENT WITH FIRE IS PROHIBITTED IN ISLAM!! I can not verify, maybe someone here can?

Rich4god: @bigmanamed... Thanks for your response. From your post, i can deduce two points though i stand to be corrected .
1) is that, the qur'an supports a heavy punishment on someone who blasphem against the qur'an (which includes its burning)... if there is a witness.
2)Its wrong for the muslims to just carry out the punishment without proper investigation which include hearing from a witness.
I dont want to talk about point number 1 cos its islamic teaching so, i dont think it realy matter now. But on point number 2, why are muslims(i dont mean all of them) still hasty to pass out judgement (esp the death penalty)on people that blasphem even without investigation, know fully well that the qur'an kicks against it like you just said. Thanks.

Burning is not a part of punishment in Islam....at least not in this world. Punishment with fire is left to God and that is in the hell
Why people hastily pass punishment?I don't know? It just goes on to show the ignorance in them

bigmanahmad:
Burning is not a part of punishment in Islam....at least not in this world. Punishment with fire is left to God and that is in the hell
Why people hastily pass punishment?I don't know? It just goes on to show the ignorance in them

Thanks for your response. I think i now have a better understanding on the stand of islam with regards to this issue.

Today there is virulent propaganda against Islam in the international media, in international newspapers and magazines, on radio broadcast stations and satellite TV channels. A section of the media is attacking Islam, and this has reached epidemic levels especially after eleventh of September, 2001.

This is not the first occasion where the media has been used as a tool to malign Islam.

On the 30th of September 2005, one of the Danish newspapers (Jyllands - Posten) published 12 defamatory caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which included images of the Prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse and showed him as a knife-wielding nomad surrounded by veiled women. These drawings were later reprinted on January 10, by a Norwegian evangelical newspaper “Magazinet” in the name of defending “free expression”.
More recently is the controvercial movie that sparked boycotts and demonstrations against these acts throughout the Muslim world. Islam prohibits any depiction of the prophet (pbuh), even if it is done in the right spirit, as such images could possibly lead to idolatry.
My question:What do they gain in provoking others all in the name of ''freedom of expression''?

Recently, an interesting article appeared in the ‘Guardian’ (weekly newspaper of the UK) on Monday, February 6, 2006. Three years ago in April 2003, a Danish illustrator Christopher Zieler submitted a series of unsolicited cartoons dealing with the resurrection of Christ, to Jyllands-Posten. However, the cartoons of Christ were turned down by Jyllands-Posten on the grounds that they could be offensive to readers and were surely not funny.
If for xtians, these cartoons were rejected in other not to hurt them, why did they allow hurting of Muslims?

A British historian David Irving was recently given a three-year sentence on charges stemming from two speeches he gave in Austria in 1989 in which he was accused of denying the Holocaust. (The Times of India, February 24, 2006). The report urges us to contemplate why is “freedom of expression” conveniently forgotten when it comes to topics that may hurt a section of this world?

@bigman... I fully understand your post and your grievances. But i want to let you know that its not only islam that is being attacked. Its just that muslims tend to react to such act that is why any islamic attack by the media doesnt go unnoticed. Am not in any way supporting such media act, but there are so many instances where the media publish cartoons that ridicule the christian faiths... Even films have been produced that totaly tarnish the image of christianity. But why most people dont notice it is that christians turn a blind eye towards it.