Interesting bit in the International Herald-Tribune. Someone claiming to be a prophet is surely committing blasphemy and apostasy under Shariah law. A four-year jail sentence is far less than an execution, of course, which again asks the question of what Saudi law (insofar as it is codified) would demand in the case of one converting from Islam to another religion. It does not appear to be the death penalty.
UPDATE: In a comment, a reader notes that the name of the man convicted here appears to be Christian. It does indeed. As a Christian, he would not fall under apostasy rules, instead, his words would be considered blasphemy.
Saudi: Lebanese jailed for claiming prophethood
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP): A Saudi religious court has convicted a Lebanese man of claiming to be a prophet and sentenced him to four years imprisonment.
A judicial official in the city of Medina’s court says Lebanese national Tony Nassar was found guilty of claiming prophethood.
Such claims are deemed blasphemous in the conservative kingdom.
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August:25:2008 - 18:11
John,
The man name sounds like a Christian Lebanese national. As a non Muslim he cannot be an Apostate (murtad). That could be the reason behind the lower sentence. What is confusing is the story is reported from a city of Madina court. It may be that the court issued the statement, because that is the center of the Mmadina province, or he is in fact living and tried in the city which makes him a Muslim with a Christian name.
August:25:2008 - 19:37
Those could all well be true.
His name does not look particularly Islamic and Madinah city is restricted to Muslims only, not the entire area, as you note.