ARAYA Company is a company that provides guidance and training on Islam and arranges for new Muslims to enter Islam, both openly and discreetly, close to 200 people per year and increasing continuously, both online and offline.
However, over the past several years we have observed, through various media channels, that more Muslims have been leaving Islam, but doing so amid severe conflict within their families, mutual verbal abuse between religions, the making of clips defaming one another between religions, hurting one another’s feelings, and communication that leads to misunderstanding.
We believe that explaining an understanding of leaving Islam in a good way will help reduce the social problems that can arise in the future, while at the same time affirming the strong principle of Islam according to the word of Allah SWT, which says:
“There is no compulsion in religion (Islam)”
(Al-Qur’an 2:256)
Principles and Reasons
1. To affirm, according to the word of Allah SWT, that there is no compulsion to follow Islam.
2. To correct misunderstandings about Islam, such as matters concerning wife-beating and others, and to help those leaving Islam understand the true purpose of things.
3. To enable those leaving Islam to manage themselves in an organized manner, according to their own intent, and to reduce severe conflict within the family.
4. To ensure that leaving Islam is done peacefully, not out of hatred or physical, verbal, or emotional violence toward family members, and with mutual respect for one another.
5. To reduce the use of someone leaving Islam as a means to attack Islam or make negative accusations against Islam by organizations that may not have good intentions.
6. To give those who have left Islam a channel to return to Islam again, with a warm and non-judgmental welcome.
7. To help society understand Islam as it truly is, and to lead to greater learning about Islam.
How should the process for leaving Islam in a good way be carried out? (The preliminary steps may be subject to change)
1. Contact ARAYA Company to request to leave Islam. Only those who have reached legal adulthood (a full 20 years of age) will be accepted.
2. Staff will arrange an appointment at the designated place.
3. Attend a course to refresh understanding of Islam once more, taking 2 hours (to help understand another perspective, and to adjust one’s understanding of Muslim society, including both its appealing and unappealing sides, honestly, before leaving Islam).
4. State the words of leaving Islam in front of witnesses, and have it recorded.
5. Sign to confirm leaving Islam, along with any related documents, such as a letter of voluntarily and amicably leaving Islam, wishes regarding funeral arrangements in the desired form if any, and a letter to the family.
6. In the case of wishing to enter Islam again, one may contact us at no charge.
Steps for leaving Islam in a good way
If one day you have lost your faith in Islam and wish to leave the religion in a good and smooth manner, what should you do and what are the steps involved? Today we will walk through the various steps.
1. Have correct knowledge and understanding of what it means to be Muslim
In Islam, being Muslim does not depend on being born into Islam, being ethnically Malay, following the religion of one’s parents, or even marrying a Muslim. Being Muslim rests on the true state of faith within the heart of the person who is Muslim — that is, one who testifies that Allah SWT is God and that the Prophet Muhammad SAW is the Messenger of God. Whether one is Muslim therefore depends on whether, at present, we still maintain that state of faith and that relationship or not. Conversely, if a person no longer holds this faith, that person is no longer Muslim, even if they continue to dress as a Muslim. Leaving Islam is therefore not a matter concerning other people, but concerns the relationship between you and Allah SWT. It does not require a witness, and it does not require anyone’s confirmation — just as when you entered Islam, no one’s confirmation was required either.
2. Have knowledge and understanding about leaving Islam in a good way
When it comes to entering Islam or leaving Islam, Islam has laid down the foundation that this matter does not need to rely on any other human being at all — you simply need to settle your own thoughts calmly, and that is enough. However, leaving Islam in a social and legal sense is another matter, since being Muslim involves society in matters of daily life just as with other religions, such as funeral arrangements upon death, inheritance, matters concerning children, wives, family, and so on. Therefore the process of leaving Islam, in its social aspects, naturally requires appropriate steps, along with notifying those concerned, including managing communication so that everything proceeds smoothly and does not escalate.
3. Focus on good communication, and not hurting one another’s feelings
Leaving Islam often leads to mistakes and turmoil through mutual verbal abuse back and forth when changing religion. From the opportunity to exchange views, some who have left Islam decided to do so because of a bad experience with the moral teaching they received according to a particular local culture. However, the teachings of Islam commonly practiced in society sometimes come from local culture, sometimes from personal opinion, sometimes from village institutions, and sometimes from a variety of sources. Even though Muslims may insist that this information is correct, in reality even the details of prayer are not entirely consistent among them. Therefore, once you have left Islam, there is no need to express hatred, because sometimes the thing you hate may in fact be a misunderstanding arising from the particular interpretation of Islamic principles commonly used in that society.
4. Handle documentation properly once you have decided to leave Islam
Make your intention known not merely by word of mouth, but through proper documentation — updating your national ID card, writing clear letters and confirmation documents covering matters such as funeral arrangements, children, and other matters — so that those around you and those left behind after you pass away can carry things out appropriately, in accordance with the wishes of the person who left Islam.
5. Even after no longer being Muslim, continue to show mutual respect
In this vast world of knowledge, we may think we understand fully, but we may in fact only know one side of it. We therefore have nothing to gain by taking our own understanding of life and our own circumstances and using it to accuse or defame other communities around us that we have never actually experienced. Manners are a basic moral foundation for both those who follow a religion and those who do not; having manners reflects that we will not project our own desires onto other people. Once you have decided to leave Islam, please leave peacefully and with mutual respect. In this way, no turmoil will arise in society, and you will be able to live the life you want without being disturbed by unpleasant people.
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