Is the belief that people who want to leave Islam should be put to death a widely held interpretation?

Question

I am not familiar with Islam, I hear many things about it that I have to assume are biased, perhaps ignorant dramatizations of the truth. One of these things that was said on national TV in the USA, with Bill Maher, was that Islam teaches that members who leave Islam should be put to death.

In this discussion, Ben Affleck, a famous American actor, defends people of Islam saying there are likely very few people who believe this. I'm wondering if Islam is interpreted by many in a way that would condem. people who leave Islam to be put to death. Is this true? If it is only true for a small fraction on Islamist believers, how small is that fraction, and where do they get this interpretation of Islam from, specifically?

Answer 1

peace be upon you, It can be proven by the following hadith, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) has said: The blood of a Muslim person who bears witness that there is no God but Allah and that I am Allah's Messenger, is not lawful (to shed) except for one of three reasons, (i) a married man commits fornication, (ii) life for a life, and (iii) who abandons his religion and separates from his community. (Sunan Abu-Dawood)