The issue of innate apostasy and the limits of its realization is one of the controversial issues in Imamiyyah criminal jurisprudence, which, due to its severe penal consequences, requires careful determination of the issue and evidence. One of the important assumptions in this regard is the status of a "follower Muslim"; a person who was considered a Muslim in childhood due to his or her father or mother, but after reaching puberty, without declaring Islam, adopts disbelief. Imam Khomeini (RA) considered the realization of innate apostasy conditional on declaring Islam after puberty, and accordingly, considered Islam follower not sufficient for the validity of this title. Nevertheless, he continued to consider such a person subject to the ruling of a national apostate.

The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and an inferential approach, examines the duality of Imam Khomeini's (RA) opinion on this issue, and while distinguishing between the negation of innate apostasy and the flow of the national apostasy ruling, it evaluates the jurisprudential foundations of each based on texts, rules of criminal jurisprudence, and principles of ijtihad.