Should people who Insult Prophet Mohammad be Put to death?even if they apologize

[Monys]

assalyum alekum
Is this really true?
Some Muslim Scholars agree on that
and mohammad pbuh killed people who Insulted him?

[AhmadFarooq]

(As far as I know) only those scholars who support death penalty for blasphemy.
For example, they give the example of Ka'ab (or whatever his name was) who used to insult and lie about the Prophet. He was given the death penalty by Prophet Muhammad at the conquest of Makkah. These particular "scholars" use this to prove the punishment of death for blasphemers.

A more detailed look at the events shows us that Ka'ab (again not sure about the exact name) was first a Muslim, then he got angry with his slave, murdered him, apparently fearing retribution from the Muslims, he joined the Makkans and also instigated them to fight the Muslims.

Therefore, depending on the conclusion/agenda a group of "scholars" want to push forward, the same event is looked upon from different angles.

I personally have not come across a single reliable narration that unequivocally shows that a person was given the death penalty specifically for only insulting the prophet. While on the other hand, there are many occasions that we know of, when the blasphemers were not prescribed the death penalty. The forgiveness of the whole city of Makkah - which included many who, forget about insulting, actually fought the Prophet - is an interesting event in this regard. The argument that these "scholars" are apparently giving is that trying to actually murder the Prophet is something for which forgiveness can be asked for (and given) but not insulting him. Additionally, it isn't as if the Kuffar tried to kill the Prophet but insulting him was where they drew the line. It is very much likely, they insulted the Prophet too. So, according to the death penalty supporters, fighting or fighting+insulting the Prophet is forgivable but when the Prophet is just insulted, it is unforgivable.

[Monys]

So this is another Mainstream wrong thing Scholars promote ?

[submit]

It depends on whether the ruler of the Muslim nation chose to forgive or still carry out the punishment based on the degree of insult.

http://www.muslimconverts.com/insulting/punishment_for_those_who_insult_prophet.htm

[AhmadFarooq]

The following is from my personal knowledge and understanding which could be faulty.

Regarding the "...scholars are unanimously agreed that a Muslim who insults the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) becomes a kaafir and an apostate who is to be executed." The punishment was judged because of the Muslim's apostasy and not because blasphemy was unanimously considered a capital offence. The issue of apostasy is a different subject discussed at some other place on this forum.

Regarding the woman who was strangled and no blood money was prescribed for her murderer, although this is, as far as I know, the strongest evidence for prescribing the capital punishment, it still falls short because of the fact that nowhere in the narration, is the Prophet or the companions commanding the punishment. The incident happened and the issue was what is to be done now, not whether the incident was right or wrong.

I haven't come across the opinions of critics regarding the Sunan al-Nasaa’i narration and not being a scholar I will try not to make any conclusions on it, although I do have reservations on deriving Sharia commands, especially as significant as Hadd punishments, from such indirect events.
Regarding, "It may be noted from this that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had the right to kill whoever insulted him and spoke harshly to him, and that included both Muslims and kaafirs." in my humble opinion, this is a fallacious (non-sequitur) conclusion.

Regarding the Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas event, this event is used to support the death penalty for both apostasy and blasphemy. Supporters of the death penalty believe that apostasy and blasphemy are part of Sharia as Hadd punishments i.e. their punishment cannot be lessened, divinely ordained by God, it has to exist until the day of judgement and no one can ever be pardoned from this punishment. Critics use this same narration to argue against the Hadd status of these crimes, by pointing out how the Prophet clearly forgave those crimes. The supporters, from their point-of-view, resolve this discrepancy by arguing that Prophet Muhammad had the special God-given right to forgive even Hadd punishments. Critics do not accept this understanding.

See the following links for a different understanding even by some classical scholars,
www.dawn.com/news/1154856
www.dawn.com/news/1149558
defence.pk/threads/the-lies-of-the-clergy-on-blasphemy-and-295-c.99787/

[fadi]

Wa Alaikum As’alam,

According to Quran, the disbelievers insulted the Prophet (ﷺ), but I don’t see any verse instructing the Prophet or Muslims to kill those who insult the Prophet. If there is one, please advise me.

•   (15:6) And they say: "O you (Muhammad SAW ) to whom the Dhikr (the Quran) has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man.

•   (38:4) And they wonder that there has come to them a warner from among themselves. And the disbelievers say, "This is a magician and a liar.

The Prophet (ﷺ) didn’t kill those who insulted him, but asked Allah to forgive them.   

•   Aisha Narrated that she asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'Have you encountered a day harder than the day of the battle) of Uhud?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Your tribes have troubled me a lot, and the worse trouble was the trouble on the day of 'Aqaba when I presented myself to Ibn `Abd-Yalail bin `Abd-Kulal and he did not respond to my demand. So I departed, overwhelmed with excessive sorrow, and proceeded on, and could not relax till I found myself at Qarnath-Tha-alib where I lifted my head towards the sky to see a cloud shading me unexpectedly. I looked up and saw Gabriel in it. He called me saying, 'Allah has heard your people's saying to you, and what they have replied back to you, Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.' The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, "O Muhammad! Order what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akh-Shabain (i.e. two mountains) fall on them." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No but I hope that Allah will let them beget children who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship None besides Him."

•   Abu Huraira reported it was said to the Prophet (ﷺ) to invoke curse upon the polytheists, whereupon he said: I have not been sent as the invoker of curse, but I have been sent as mercy."