The Ridda Wars - Islam Would Not Have Survived Without Death to Apostates

From Niconarg:

After Mohammed-the-pig died, a ton of Muslims started using their brains and decided to leave Islam. Abu Bakr, the first Caliph of Islam and Mohammed's best buddy, waged war against them and killed a crap load of people for leaving Islam. 

These series of battles and wars against those who left Islam are called Ridda Wars, with Ridda meaning "relapse". 

They are also known in English as Wars of Apostasy. Abu Bakr considered even those people are apostates who didn't pay zakat...he murdered them just for that. 

So the case with the Sudanese Christian woman is an even more clear case of apostasy in Islam and carries the death penalty. Qaradawi is right when he says that Islam wouldn't have survived. 

I wouldn't be surprised if he had the Ridda wars in mind when he said that. If Abu Bakr hadn't murdered a bunch of people, many more would have left. 

Funny thing is that most of the people who had the Quran memorized also died in these wars, both fighting for and against Abu Bakr. 

That is why it was felt that the Quran be written down or it would be lost. Nicoenarg