Apostasy: No punishment in the Quran

By Syed Akbar Ali

 Muslims say that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet. Muslims also say that the Quran represents the true teachings of the Prophet. So here is a true teaching of the Prophet in the Quran :

Surah 4:137 "Surely, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then plunge deeper into disbelief, Allah will not forgive them, nor will He guide them in any way."

This true teaching of the Prophet in the Quran proves that there is no punishment of any sort for apostasy in the Quran. If it is any punishment Allah will not forgive or guide such a person. The verse describes a person who believes, then disbelieves, then believes, then disbelieves and then continues in disbelief.  

There cannot be a death penalty because he or she can only move in and out belief like this if he is alive throughout this process.   There is no death penalty for apostasy mentioned in this verse or anywhere else in the Quran.

The punishment of death for apostasy is written in the Old Testament of the Bible (which I know modern day christians do not follow anymore). Here it is :

Deuteronomy 13:6-11 

“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones.."
 

The Muslims say that the christians are the Ahli Kitab or People of the Book. Quite obviously because the christians read the Kitab aka the Bible. 

About the people of the Book (Ahli Kitab) the Quran warns the Muslims : 

Surah 3:100-101  "O you who believe, if you obey some of those who received the scripture, they will revert you, after having believed, into disbelievers.  How can you disbelieve, when these revelations of Allah have been recited to you, and His messenger has come to you? Whoever holds fast to Allah will be guided in the right path."
So Muslims, "how can you disbelieve, when these revelations of Allah have been recited to you"?

What revelations ?

Surah 4:137 "Surely, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then plunge deeper into disbelief, Allah will not forgive them, nor will He guide them in any way."