An Islamic cleric, Dr. Ibrahim Jalingo, who also serves as the National Chairman of the Council of Ulama, has ignited a firestorm of reactions after declaring support for the death penalty for those who renounce Islam.
In a controversial post shared in Hausa via his official Facebook page on Thursday, April 10, Jalingo cited a Hadith which states, “Whoever changes his religion, kill him,” asserting that the directive is divinely inspired and aligns with Qur’anic principles.
His comments were aimed at critics challenging the authenticity of certain Hadiths, whom he labelled as “compound ignoramuses.”
Jalingo’s post was reportedly a direct response to a circulating list titled “100 Hadiths that contradict the Qur’an.”
He singled out one Issiyaku Abdulkadir for presenting the list to him and used the opportunity to launch a theological rebuttal.
He argued that Hadiths are as divinely revealed as the Qur’an and often serve to expand on its messages.
Backing his stance with verses from Surah At-Tawbah and Surah An-Nisa’, Jalingo claimed that calls for religious freedom in the Qur’an had been abrogated by later verses advocating combat against disbelief and apostasy.
He stated that claims suggesting a contradiction between Hadith and the Qur’an stemmed from ignorance and deliberate misinformation.
He concluded by sharply criticizing his opponents, describing them in derogatory terms, and accusing them of trying to undermine Islamic teachings.
His remarks have since gone viral online, triggering a wave of backlash and support.
