Question

In my country, Iran, my people are living under a dictatorship. The So-called Islamic republic is killing my people. Are these people true Muslims? Was Khomeini a true Muslim? Is stoning to death permitted under Islamic law?

Answer

Atrocities of the rulers shall be among the gravest of sins in the accounts of these rulers, on the Day of Judgment. Nevertheless, it is beyond our jurisdiction, even in the face of extreme atrocities, to declare someone a non-Muslim.

The most that a student of Islam like myself can offer are comments as to whether or not a particular action or a particular system is in accordance with the teachings of Islam. I can, in no case, judge either the intentions or the truthfulness or otherwise of a person’s faith and belief.

As for dictatorships, the political setup prescribed by Islam is one based on consultation among Muslims. No one person has the right to overrule the opinion of the majority of those living in the land. This point sufficiently refutes the opinion that a dictatorship is acceptable to Islam.

As for the punishment of stoning to death, I would request you to take a look at a few of my earlier responses to related questions¹.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Moiz Amjad
November 27, 2001

1. One of the relevant responses may be: ‘Stoning to Death‘. [↩]