Taqiyya Taqiyya Richard Neustadt Category="Islam"In Shi'a Islamic tradition, Taqiyya (التقية) is the dissimulation of one’s religious beliefs when one fears for one's life, the lives of one's family members, or for the preservation of the faith. It is most often used in times of Persecution or danger. Some Sunnis assert that Taqiyya is an act of hypocrisy that serves to conceal the truth. According to them, Taqiyya constitutes a lack of faith and trust in God because the person who conceals his beliefs to spare himself from danger is fearful of humans, when he should be fearful of God only.

Taqiya does not constitute a part of neither the Shia Roots nor Branches of Religion, in the same manner as, for example, the Hijab rules are not.

History

The practice was a method of self-preservation for the Shi'as who historically were the minority and persecuted by Sunni Muslims. Sunnis would sometimes force Shi'as to curse the House of Ali - believing that no devout Shi'a could commit such an act. As a result of this persecution, the idea of Taqiyya emerged. In other words, if a Shi'a Muslim's life is in danger, he may lie as long as he holds his faith true in his heart.

Shi'as cite the first use of Taqiyya historically during the time of Muhammad when Muslims were beginning to be tortured by the Quraishites. Ammar ibn Yasir, a follower of Muhammad, whose friends had been killed for being Muslim by the Quraish, was confronted by a Quraishite. 'Ammar pretended to renounce Islam and thus saved his life.

Many Sunnis criticize Ammar for his actions or question the reliability of the story. Sunnis cite the examples of many Muslims who were tortured and murdered merely based on their belief during the time of Muhammad, Umayyad and Abbasids but didn't renounce their faith. Sunnis believe that God decides when someone is going to die. Therefore, it's wrong to deny the faith in order to escape torture or death. By contrast, the Shi'a believe that life is a gift from God and should be preserved. In a life-threatening emergency, the preservation of life takes precedence over anything else.

Quran

Shi'as justify the practice using the following verse from the Qur'an:
"Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters Unbelief, except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith, but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty." Sura 16:106

And the following

"[Shakir 3:28] Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends (awliyaa) rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard (tattaqoo) yourselves against them, guarding carefully (tuqatan); and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming."

According to Shi'a interpretation of these verses, 3:28 is telling that believers should not take unbelievers as Walis rather the believers, those who do it will lose the wilayat (5:55) of God, that is unless they are using taqiya/protecting them self, and doing so with caution. And God knows what is in your heart, so fear his wrath, for nobody escapes God.

Also:

(40:28 by Shakir): And a believing man of Firon's people who hid his faith said...

Rules

Taqiyya, like any other Islamic tenet, has guidelines and limits. According to many Shia, Taqiyya can only be legally used by a Muslim verbally when he or she is being wrongly persecuted. The situation may be when no matter whichever course of action an individual chooses he has to commit an Evil. In that case, he should select the lesser evil.

Politics

Critics of the Argentinian president Carlos Saśl Menem of Syrian descent have dismissed his early conversion to Christianity as taqiyya.

Other religions

Judaism

Jewish law allows violation of all laws under duress (ones), save for idolatry, incestuous cohabitation and murder. For the latter, one is expected to give his or her life. There is no actual prohibition against pretending to be an adherent of another religion, unless this would lead to a violation of the aforementioned laws, and Maimonides justified this behavior by the Jews of Yemen in his Iggereth Teiman'' ("Letter to Yemen").

Druze

The Druze, a Levantine religion influenced by Islam, allow disguising their Druzeness and the simulation of being Muslim or Christian to avoid the frequent persecutions by the local majorities.

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