The advocates of apostacy being treated as a capital offence, or at least a serious offence, have recourse to all sorts of arguments which merely emphasize their helplessness and frustration. For instance, they argue that even simple apostacy amounts to rebellion and is thus a capital offence. But they fail to explain against whom is apostacy a rebellion. Is it rebellion against the state within whose jurisdiction the apostate resides, or is it rebellion against God? If it is rebellion against God, He would deal with it at His own time and in His own way. No one else has the authority to deal with such a case. If it is rebellion against the state in which the apostate resides, then how would it be dealt with if that state should not be a Muslim state? Is it meant that Islam prescribes a penalty for simple apostacy in the case of an unfortunate one who resides within the jurisdiction of a Muslim state, but does not prescribe any penalty for apostacy in a case where the apostate resides within the jurisdiction of a non-Muslim state? The absurdity of the argument is patent. In any case, what is the authority for affirming that simple apostacy from Islam is rebellion, or is any other punishable offence?