What is the religious stance regarding the writer Hamed Abdel-Samad, who some have described as an apostate after reading his novel "Goodbye, Heaven"?
The novel demonstrates the author's liberation from the rulings of Sharia and custom, his aversion to religious environments, and his inclination towards permissive societies. This is evident in his twisted skepticism concerning the foundational principles of religion and his attack on its rituals, such as his statement: "Why can I not be convinced that there is nothing more than what I see and touch around me—no soul, no unseen, and no God?" And his statement about prayer: "I tried to return to prayer, but I could not this time, so I threw the prayer rug in the garbage bin." He also attacked circumcision and the niqab, and criticized the proliferation of religious books. The second theme is the frequent incitement of lusts and the spread of immorality. The author has uttered blasphemy.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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