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Taqiyya is the Islamic practice of precautionary dissimulation whereby believers may conceal their Muslim faith when under threat, persecution or compulsion.^[1] The term taqiyya (تقیه) (pronounced as tagiyeh by speakers of Iranian Persian; alternate spelling taqiya) is derived from the Arabic triliteral root waw-qaf-ya, denoting "piety, devotion, uprightness, and godliness, and it means the brightest star",^[2].

Origin

The practice of concealing one’s faith in dangerous circumstances originates in the Qur’an itself, which deems blameless those who disguise their beliefs in such cases ^[3]. The practice of taqiyya in difficult circumstances is considered legitimate by Muslims of various persuasions. Sunni and Shi’i commentators alike observe that Q 16:106 in particular refers to the case of ‘Ammar b. Yasir, who was forced to renounce his beliefs under physical duress and torture.^[4]

Similarly, Q 3:28 enjoins believers not to take the company of doubters unless as a means of safeguarding themselves. “Let not the believers take those who deny the truth for their allies in preference to the believers – since he who does this cuts himself off from God in everything – unless it be to protect yourself against them in this way…”^[5] Regarding 3:28, Ibn Kathir, a prominent authority writes, "Whoever at any time or place fears their [infidels'] evil may protect himself through outward show." As proof of this, he quotes Muhammad's companion, al-Hassan, who said, “taqiyya is acceptable till the Day of Judgment [i.e., in perpetuity].”

Historical examples

Sunni Uses

In the inquisition miḥna during the Caliphate of al-Ma’mun, a number of Sunni scholars used taqiyya, attesting to the Qur’an as having been created despite believing the opposite.^[6]

Shi'i Uses

As a minority living under the political dominance of Sunni Muslims, Shi’i often protected themselves through prudence and caution. In Shi’i legal literature, there is a range of situations in which taqiyya may be used or even required. For Shi’i Muslims, taqiyya is to conceal their association with their faith when revealing it would result in danger.

Twelver Shi’a

Taqiyya is done for reasons of safety. For example, a person may fear that he might be killed or harmed if he does not observe taqiyya. In this case, taqiyya is obligatory.
Sometimes, taqiyya may lead to the death of an innocent person; if so, it is not permissible. It is therefore haram (forbidden) to kill a human being to save your own life.^[7]

Ismaili Shi’a

For the Ismailis in the aftermath of the Mongol onslaught of the Alamut state in 1256 CE, the need to practice taqiyya grew greater than ever.^{[according to whom?]} This was not only for the protection of the community itself, which was now stateless, but also for safeguarding the line of the Nizari Ismaili Imamate during this period of unrest. Accordingly, the Shi’i Imam al-Baqir stated “Taqiyya is my religion and the religion of my ancestors”, a tradition recorded in various sources including Kitāb al-Maḥāsin of Aḥmad b. Muhammad al-Barqī and the Da‘ā’im al-Islām of Qadī al-Nu ‘mān.^[8] Such periods in which the Imams are concealed are known as satr, however the term may also refer to times when the Imams were not physically hidden from view but rather when the community was required to practice precautionary dissimulation. During satr the Imam could only be accessed by his community and in extremely dangerous circumstances, would be accessible only to the highest ranking members of the Ismaili hierarchy (ḥudūd), whose function it was to transmit the teachings of the Imam to the community.

According to Shi’a scholar Muhammad Husain Javari Sabinal, Shi’ism would not have spread at all if not for taqiyya, referring to instances where Shi'a have been ruthlessly persecuted by the Sunni political elite during the Umayyad and Abbasid empires.^[9] Indeed for the Ismailis, the persistence and prosperity of the community today owes largely to the careful safeguarding of the beliefs and teachings of the Imams during the Ilkhanate, Safawid dynasty, and other periods of persecution.

References

^ "Taqiyah". Oxford Dictionary of Islam. John L. Esposito, Ed. Oxford University Press. 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed 9 June 2006.
^ Lewisohn, L. "Taḳwā (a.)." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; , Th. Bianquis; , C.E. Bosworth; , E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2010. Brill Online. University of Toronto. 13 July 2010 <http://www.brillonline.nl.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_COM-1457>
^ Qur’an 16:106
^ Virani, Shafique. The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press), 2007, p.48.
^ Asad, Muhammad. http://www.islamicity.com/quransearch/
^ Virani, Shafique. The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press), 2007, p.48.
^ al-Taqiyya/Dissimulation
^ Virani, Shafique. The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press), 2007, p.53.
^ Tarikhush Shi’ah, p.230

External links

Taqiya - Britannica
Al-Taqiyya/Dissimulation, from Al-Islam.Org (Shi'a site)
The Shi'a concept of taqiyyah (Shi'a site)
Ibrahim, Raymond. "How Taqiyya Alters Islam's Rules of War: Defeating Jihadist Terrorism". Middle East Forum. Winter 2010.
The Taqiyya Libel Against Muslims- by Sheila Musaji, editor of The American Muslim

[1] "Taqiyah". Oxford Dictionary of Islam. John L. Esposito, Ed. Oxford University Press. 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed 9 June 2006.

[2] Lewisohn, L. "Taḳwā (a.)." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; , Th. Bianquis; , C.E. Bosworth; , E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2010. Brill Online. University of Toronto. 13 July 2010 <http://www.brillonline.nl.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_COM-1457>

[3] Qur’an 16:106

[4] Virani, Shafique. The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press), 2007, p.48.

[5] Asad, Muhammad. http://www.islamicity.com/quransearch/

[6] Virani, Shafique. The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press), 2007, p.48.

[7] -Taqiyya/Dissimulation

[8] Virani, Shafique. The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press), 2007, p.53.

[9] Tarikhush Shi’ah, p.230

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 ===Shi'i Uses===
-As a minority living under the political dominance of Sunni Muslims, Shi’i often protected themselves through prudence and caution. In Shi’i legal literature, there is a range of situations in which taqiyya may be used or even required. For Shi’i Muslims, taqiyya is to conceal their association with the Imams when revealing it would result in danger.
+As a minority living under the political dominance of Sunni Muslims, Shi’i often protected themselves through prudence and caution. In Shi’i legal literature, there is a range of situations in which taqiyya may be used or even required. For Shi’i Muslims, taqiyya is to conceal their association with their faith when revealing it would result in danger.
 ====Twelver Shi’a====