Gomaa compares the apostasy condemned by the Hadiths as closer to high treason, namely a betrayal of the Muslim state and polity. Qaradawi distinguishes this severe form of apostasy, which he labels ‘Apostasy of Transgression,’ from the lesser apostasy of an individual making the personal choice to privately change his or her religious beliefs. This lesser form was not punishable under the Shariah. Transgressive apostasy, such as public ridicule of Islam or calling others to apostatize, however, amounted to an attack on the religious structures of society and was indeed punishable by death.
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