“He who disbelieves in Allah after his belief in Him, (is the liar) except he who is compelled while his heart remains steadfast with the faith (has nothing worry). But who opens his breast for infidelity; on these is wrath of Allah, and for them is a great torment.”
What is the meaning of "Taqiyah"?
Its literal meaning is to safeguard; to defend; to fear; piety (because it saves one from the displeasure of Allah). Al-Munjid says:
“This gist of above is that the word taqiyah means to be on guard, to fear, to be pious.”
The dictionary as-Surah says, (Taqiyah, tuqat = piety)
What is its significance in Islamic terminology?
In Islamic terminology it means "to save life, honor. or property (either one's own or of other believers) by hiding one's belief or religion".
Is it something peculiar to the Shi'ism, because I have heard many people accusing the Shi'as because of taq'iyah?
Every society, religion and group practices it and has practiced it at one time or the other. You will find so many examples of taqiyahin the Old and the New Testaments, and even in the lives of the Holy Prophet of Islam, his Companions and many Sunni scholars.
But is this practice allowed in Islam?
Yes. Allah has allowed it in the Qur’an; and reason too shows the wisdom of this permission.
Shah `Abdul `Aziz Dehlawi writes:
"It should be known that taqiyah is, in fact, allowed by shari`ah, by authority of the Qur’anic verses, "except when you have to guard against them" ; and "except he who is compelled while his heart remains steadfast with the faith.”
Famous Sunni scholar, `Allamah Wahidu 'z-zaman Khan of Hyderabad (India) says: "Taqiyah is proved from the Qur’an, "except when you have to guard against them"; and ignorant people think that taqiyah is something peculiar to the Shi'as, while it is allowed in the Sunni faith also at times."
If you hide your belief and declare to believe in some anti-Islamic tenets, won’t you automatically go outside the pale of Islam and became a “Kafir”?
Belief and faith as well as the disbelief or rejection of faith (in short, Iman and Kufr) are basically the matters of "heart". That is why Allah rebuked those newly-converted Arabs who claimed to be `Believers':
The desert Arabs-say: "We believe" : Say (unto them): "You believed not; rather say "we accepted Islam" because the Faith has not yet entered your hearts ".
When come unto thee the hypocrites, they say: "We bear witness that verily you are the Messenger of Allah"; and verily Allah knows that you are certainly this Messenger; and verily Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are certainly the liars.
All Right. You saved a life; but you committed one of the greatest sins, i.e., lie. So, spiritually you are doomed to disgrace in either case. Then, why not tell the truth and let the enemies kill you if they want?
When a person is in such a situation that no matter whichever course of action he chooses he has to commit an evil, then the reason says that he should select the lesser evil.
Imam Fakhru 'd-din ar-Razi says commenting on the events of the Prophet Musa
(as) and Khidr (as), mentioned in Surah al-Kahf:
When one is confronted by two damaging alternatives, it is wajib to bear the lesser one in order to ward off the greater one; and this was the principle followed in the three actions (done by Khidr)’
Now, suppose the unbelievers are determined to kill a Muslim, not because he has committed any crime but just because of his faith. The said Muslim goes into hiding and you know where he is. The unbelievers come to you and ask you whether you knew where that person was. You are caught between two evils: either you say `No' and become a liar, or you say `Yes' and cause the murder of an innocent Muslim. The reason says that telling a lie in that situation is preferable than the truth which would lead to murder.
In short, by uttering a few false words against Islam you will save your life as well as your faith; and by not uttering those words your life will come to its end and with it will vanish all chances of Islamic services which you could have rendered had you been alive. Allah, therefore, has allowed you to save your life by uttering a few false words against Islam.
Say whatever you like, but the fact remains that taqiyah is just another form of Nifaq (hypocrisy).
Far from it. In fact taqiyah is opposite of Nifaq. Remember, Iman and Kufr, when seen with their `declaration', can be divided in four categories only:
· Correct belief of Islam by heart and its declaration in words. This is open Iman (faith).
· Belief against Islam by heart and expression of that anti-Islamic belief in words.
This is open Kufr (infidelity). These two categories are opposite to each other and cannot combine in one place.
· Belief against Islam in heart but declaration of Islam in words. This is Nifaq (hypocricy).
· Correct belief of Islam by heart but declaration of anti-Islamic belief in words.
This is taqiyah, and these two categories (Nifaq and Taqiyah) are, likewise, opposite to each other and can never be found in one place.
You claimed above that many companions of the Holy Prophet practiced it. Can you give an example?
We have mentioned in the very beginning the example of 'Ammar bin Yasir (ra): The Quraishites brutally martyred Yasir and his wife Sumaiyah just because of their faith. They were the first martyrs of Islam. When the parents were killed, 'Ammar pretended to renounce Islam, and thus saved his life. Someone told the Prophet that 'Ammar had become kafir. The Prophet said: "Never; verily the flesh and blood of
'Ammar is saturated with true faith." Then 'Ammar came to the Holy Prophet bitterly weeping that he had to utter evil words against Islam so that he could slip away from the clutches of the infidels. The Prophet asked him; `How did you find your heart?" 'Ammar said: "Steadfast in Faith". The Holy Prophet told him not to worry and advised him to repeat those words if the infidels again asked him to do so.
And it was not only the Holy Prophet who liked the choice of 'Ammar (ra). Even Allah confirmed his action in the verse which has been written in the beginning:
He who disbelieves in Allah after his belief in Him (is the liar) except he who is compelled while his heart remains steadfast with the faith (has nothing to worry). But he who opens his breast for infidelity, on these is the wrath of Allah, and for them is a great torment.
All commentaries of the Qur’an narrate that it was revealed concerning the above incident of 'Ammar (ra).
Is there any other verse sanctioning such a cause of action?
Yes. See the following verse which says:
Let not the believers take the disbelievers as their friends rather than the believers; whoso shall do this then he has no relation with Allah except when you have to guard Yourselves against them for fear from them; but Allah cautions you of Himself for unto Allah is the end of your journey. Say, whether you conceal what is in your hearts or manifest it, Allah knows it; and He knows all that is in the heavens and all that is-in the earth; and verily Allah has power over all things.
`Taqiyah is lawful up to the day of resurrection. And `Abd (ibn Hamid) has narrated from Abu Raja' that he was reciting, `illa an tattaqu minhum taqiyatan'; and `Abd ibn Hamid has narrated from Qatadah that he was reciting (likewise) .... taqiyatan with ya”.
"Sixth Rule: Mujahid has said that this rule (of taqiyah) was valid in the beginning of Islam, because of the weakness of the believers; but now that the Islamic government has got power and strength, it is not valid. But `Awfi has narrated from al-Hasan (al-Basri) that he said: `Taqiyah is allowed to the Muslims up to the day of resurrection.' And this opinion is more acceptable because it is wajib to keep off all types of harm from one's self as much as possible."
.... And Hassan (Basri) said: `Taqiyah is up to the Day of Resurrection .... And the Prophet (s.a:w.) said: `Deed are according to intention.
"It means that Allah bas permitted in this situation (when one is afraid of ahem) to show their friendship and one's inclination towards them `with tongue' but not with intention of heart."
Verily, verily; He has but prohibited that which dies of itself and blood and swine flesh and whatsoever has other name than Allah's invoked upon it; but whoever is forced to it without the desire (for it) not to transgress (the limits) then it a no sin on him; verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful'.
Though this practice is allowed in the Qur’an and hadith, nevertheless it is something evil. I do not believe that Allah would like us to resort to it even if it is allowed.
You have just now seen that taqiyah is not only allowed but even wajib in some cases. Do you think that Allah would make something wajib without liking it. Also, the Prophet (saw) makes taqiyah synonymous with religion, and Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) confirms it in clear words.
However, if you ponder on the Qur'an you will see that the Holy Book of Allah presents taqiyah in a very commendable light. In the verse 40:28 Allah says:
"There are three siddiqin: (1) Habib Najjar; (2) The faithful from the family of Pharaoh arid (3) 'Ali bin Abi Talib".
Said (Pharaoh): Did we not cherish you amidst us as a child? And you did dwell amidst us for years of your' life.
I did not entertain any doubt about the prophet hood of the Holy Prophet-since I accepted Islam except on that day of Hudaibiyah.
And were it not for the believing men - and believing women, not having known them you might' have trodden them down; a crime would have afflicted you because of them without (your) knowledge.
"And such a man (who finds himself in such a situation) should-as far as possible-use dissimulation and double-entendre (i.e. words and sentences that admit two interpretations-one correct, one wrong; the speaker intends correct meaning and the unbelievers take it to mean the other meaning).'
All Muslim sects agree that taqiyah is not only permissible but compulsory (wajib) in conditions like this. See, for example, Sahih Muslim with its Sharh by Nawawi which says:
See the above references to appreciate that the Sunni scholars unanimously agree that Taqiyah is allowed to save one's own life, honor or property.
Qur’an, 20.18; Tafsir al-Baydawi, Egypt, vol. 1, pp. 112, 396 as quoted in Fulkun-Najat, vol. 2, p. 103.
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