Taqiyya: Difference between revisions

Taqiyya, or dissimulation, is the act of concealing one’s belief or performing an action contrary to one’s heartfelt conviction in the presence of opponents in order to prevent religious or worldly harm. Shias are more renowned than followers of other Islamic denominations for their adherence to taqiyya, owing to their experience of various political, social, cultural, economic, and other forms of pressure throughout history from their adversaries.

There are different types of taqiyya, and Shiite jurists have outlined various injunctive (taklifi) and declaratory (wad'i) rulings regarding it. In their view, when expressing one’s beliefs in the presence of adversaries poses a danger to one’s life, property, or reputation—or that of others—taqiyya becomes obligatory to the extent that such harm is averted. Moreover, depending on specific circumstances, taqiyya may also be recommended, disliked, permissible, or forbidden.

It is said that the majority of Sunni jurists consider taqiyya permissible when there is fear for one’s life or even financial harm, as far as it serves to prevent the harm. Among Islamic denominations, Zaydism and Wahhabism reject taqiyya altogether.

Taqiyya, or dissimulation, is the act of concealing the truth and one’s belief in it in the presence of adversaries to avoid religious or worldly harm. In other words, it is a means of protecting oneself or others from harm or damage by outwardly aligning with the adversary in speech or actions.

Fearful taqiyya: This form of taqiyya is practiced in the face of adversaries when there is a risk of harm to life, property, or reputation. Fearful taqiyya is further divided into two types: coerced taqiyya, where an individual is forced through threats to say something contrary to their beliefs, such as blasphemous statements; and concealment taqiyya, where an individual conceals their beliefs to protect their own life or that of their friends and family. An example of coerced taqiyya is 'Ammar Yasir’s dissimulation before the Quraysh polytheists to save his life, while the taqiyya practiced by the Believer from Pharaoh’s People before Pharaoh’s associates, and the concealment of beliefs by the Companions of the Cave to save their lives, are instances of concealment taqiyya.

Tolerance taqiyya: Also known as endearment taqiyya, this form involves concealing one’s beliefs for greater interests, such as preserving unity, fostering friendship, and preventing animosity—in general, prioritizing objectives more important than openly expressing one’s beliefs. Citing hadiths from the Infallible Imams, some Shiite jurists identify instances of tolerance or endearment taqiyya in actions like participating in Sunni assemblies (not for the sake of saving one’s life), attending their congregational prayers (especially during the Hajj season), visiting their sick, attending their funerals, and other similar social interactions, all of which help maintain Muslim unity, prevent grudges, and dispel suspicions.

Obligatory taqiyya: According to Shiite jurists, taqiyya becomes obligatory when expressing one’s beliefs to adversaries poses a definite or even probable risk to the life, property, or reputation of the individual or others, and it is practiced to the extent that the harm is averted. The criterion for obligatory taqiyya is that whatever is being protected through taqiyya is something that must be safeguarded and is forbidden to be endangered or wasted.

Recommended taqiyya: This applies when the omission of taqiyya does not pose an immediate threat but raises concerns that harm may gradually arise in the future. According to some Shiite jurists, tolerance taqiyya is an example of recommended taqiyya. Al-Shaykh al-Ansari (d. 1281 AH) holds that recommended taqiyya is limited to cases explicitly mentioned in hadiths, such as interactions with Sunni Muslims, visiting their sick, praying in their mosques, and attending their funerals. In his fatwa, other actions, such as criticizing prominent Shiite figures to foster friendship with Sunni Muslims, are not permitted.

Disliked taqiyya: This refers to situations where it is preferable to forgo taqiyya and endure its harms rather than practice it. Al-Shahid al-Awwal suggests that disliked taqiyya involves a recommended action, where performing it does not lead to immediate harm, nor is there a foreseeable harm arising from it in the future.

Permissible taqiyya: This occurs when practicing or omitting taqiyya is equally acceptable. Al-Shaykh al-Ansari holds that this form of taqiyya involves preventing harm, where the presence or absence of that harm has an equal impact from a religious perspective.

Forbidden taqiyya: This occurs when omitting taqiyya does not involve any harm—whether immediate or future. Some instances of forbidden taqiyya according to Shiite jurists are as follows:

- When taqiyya leads to corruption in the religion or introduces heresy into it.

 

- According to the majority of Shiite jurists, when taqiyya results in bloodshed, such as forcing an individual to kill a believer to save their own life. In this case, it is not permissible to kill the believer under the guise of taqiyya.

- Hadiths suggesting that taqiyya is the shield of believers

- Hadiths stating that those who do not practice taqiyya have no religion

- Hadiths describing taqiyya as a great obligation, favored by God and His friends

- Hadiths suggesting that some early prophets also practiced taqiyya

==The Sunni Perspective==

Risala fi al-taqiyya: A short essay by al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki on the jurisprudential ruling of taqiyya, included in his collected works titled Essays of al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki in three volumes. The essay on taqiyya is published in the second volume.

Risala fi al-taqiyya: This is an essay by al-Shaykh al-Ansari on the jurisprudential ruling of taqiyya. This essay was published along with other essays by al-Shaykh al-Ansari in a book titled Rasa'il fiqhiyya (Jurisprudential essays).

Al-Taqiyya: This essay on the jurisprudential rulings of taqiyya was authored by Imam Khomeini in 1373 AH, following his lectures on the subject. It is published in a book titled al-Rasa'il al-'ashara (The Ten Essays), alongside other essays.

Taqiyya az didgah-i madhahib wa firqa-hayi Islami-yi ghayr-Shi'i (Taqiyya from the perspective of non-Shiite Islamic denominations and sects) by Thamir Hashem al-Amidi, written in Arabic and translated into Persian by Mohammad Sadegh Aref. The book examines the views of the renowned jurists of the Four Sunni Schools of Jurisprudence. The author argues that Sunni jurists also consider taqiyya permissible, citing evidence from the Quran and tradition to support its legitimacy.