Ashqayaan: Taqiyya: Sheikh As-Saduq vs Sheikh Al-Mufid

بسم الله الواحد القهار

No doubt that Taqiyya is a very emphasized act to stay safe and out of trouble in Islam and in particular in the school of Ahlulbayt(عليهم السلام), to the extent that it has made some scholars to verdict that it is obligatory in every situation and under any condition until Imam Al-Qa'im(عليه السلام) reappears.

The view of the great scholar, Sheikh As-Saduq(r.a) is one of those examples, which is well circulated and promoted among those of Shia who do not like the methodology of manifestation of Bara'ah or disassociation from the enemies of Ahlulbayt(عليهم السلام).

Sheikh As-Saduq(r.a) collects a summary of the shiite creed in his book "Al-E'teqadaat", in which he discusses also Taqiyya. This is a very useful book, however it contains some mistakes and has some shortcomings that Sheikh Al-Mufid(r.a), the student of Sheikh As-Saduq(r.a), addresses those issues in a book called "Tas'hih Al-E'teqadaat Al-Imamiyya", i.e. enemdation of the shiite creed.

I present here the topic Taqiyya from the viewpoint of Sheikh As-Saduq(r.a) and then what Sheikh Al-Mufid(r.a) says regarding As-Saduq's views and his opinion about Taqiyya.

Sheikh As-Saduq:

THE BELIEF CONCERNING DISSIMULATION(Taqiyya)

Says the Shaykh, may the mercy of Allah be on him: Our belief concerning taqiya (permissible dissimulation) is that it is obligatory, and he who forsakes it is in the same position as he who forsakes prayer. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq was told: O son of the Messenger of Allah, verily we see in the mosque one who openly abuses your enemies, calling out their names. And he said: May Allah curse him! Why does he refer to us? He, Who is Exalted above all, says: "Revile not those who invoke (deities) other than Allah, lest wrongfully they revile Allah through ignorance" [6:108]. And Imam Ja'far in explaining this verse has said: So do not revile them, lest they revile your `Ali. And he also said: He who reviles the friend (wali) of Allah (i.e. 'Ali) has reviled Allah. And the Prophet said: He who reviles thee, O `Ali, has verily reviled me; and he, who reviles me, has verily reviled Allah.

Now until the Imam al-Qa'im appears, taqiya is obligatory and it is not permissible to dispense with it.

He, who abandons it before the appearance of the Qa'im, has verily gone out of the religion of Allah, Exalted is He, and the religion of the Imams, and disobeys Allah and His Messenger and the Imams. Imam Ja'far was asked concerning the Word of Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He: "Verily the noblest among you, in the sight of Allah, is the most pious" [49:13]. He said: (It means) he who adheres most scrupulously to the practice of taqiya.

And Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has described the showing of friendship to unbelievers as being (possible only) in the state of taqiya. And He the Mighty and Glori ous says: "Let not believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, for fear of being killed" [3:28]. And Allah the Mighty and Glorious says: "Allah doth not forbid you to deal with kindness and fairness toward those who have not made war upon you on account of your religion, or driven you forth from your homes: for Allah loveth those who act with fairness [60:8]." "Only Allah doth forbid you to make friends of those who, on account of your religion, have warred against you, and have driven you forth from your homes, and have aided those who drove you forth: and whoever maketh friends of them are wrong-doers" [60: 9]

And Imam Ja'far said: Verily, I hear a man abusing me in the mosque; and I hide myself behind a pillar so that he may not see me. And he (Imam Ja'far) said: Mix with the people (enemies) outwardly, but oppose them inwardly, so long as the Amirate (imratun) is a matter of opinion. And he also said: Verily diplomacy (arri 'a') with a true believer is a form of shirk (polytheism) ; but with a hypocrite ( munafiq) in his own house, it is worship. And he also said: He who prays with them (hypocrites) standing in the first row, it is as though he prayed with the Prophet in the first row. And he also said: Visit their sick and attend their funerals and pray in their mosques. And he also said: (You should) become an ornament for us, and not a disgrace.

And he said: May Allah have mercy on a person who inculcates friendship towards us among men, and does not provoke ill-will among them.

The story-tellers (qassasun) were mentioned before Imam Ja'far, and he said: May Allah curse them, for they speak ill of us. And he was asked concerning the story tellers, whether it is permissible to hear what they say, and he said: No. And Imam Ja'far said: He, who gives ear to a speaker, has verily rendered himself submissive to him; if the speaker (discourses) concerning Allah, then the listener has verily worshipped Allah, and if he speaks of the devil, then the listener has worshipped the devil.

And Imam Ja'far was asked concerning the Word of Allah, Exalted is He above all: "As for the poets, the erring follow them" [26:224]. He said: These are the story-tellers.

And the Prophet said: He, who goes to an innovator (dhu bid'a) and gives him respect, strives towards the destruction of Islam. And our belief, concerning him who opposes us in a single injunction of religion, is the like of our belief concerning him who disobeys us in all the injunctions of religion.

Source: Al-E'tiqadaat, Pg. 107-110

Sheikh Al-Mufid:

ON DISSIMULATION (AT-TAQIYYAH)

Abu Ja‘far(i.e. Sheikh As-Saduq) says: "Chapter concerning at-Taqiyyah,...".

(Al-Mufid adds): Dissimulation is disguising the truth and concealing belief therein, reticence in the face of one's opponents and refraining from divulging to them that which might result in injury to one's religious or worldly welfare. It is obligatory only when injury is absolutely certain, or the pre-sumption of it is very strong. But if it was not certain or obvious that harm would result from disclosing the truth, nor was persumption strong, then dissimulation is not obligatory. The truthful ones, (the Imams), peace be upon them, have ordered a certain group of their followers not only to refrain and cease from demonstrating the truth, but also to veil and conceal it from the enemies of the religion, and to appear to them in such a way as to dispel their doubts during their disputation with them, since this was in their best interest; whereas they commanded another group of their followers to dispute with their opponents and divulge their true doctrine to them, and invite them to embrace the truth, since they knew that no harm would befall them. Hence, dissimulation is obligatory in the cases we have put forward; whereas the obligation is removed in other cases, as we have demonstrated above. Moreover, Abi Ja‘far has summarized the subject matter, and has not discussed it in detail as we have done. Also, he convicts himself by what he has said on the subject; since he himself has omitted an obligatory act in this respect, and stands condemned by his own words. This is so because he has disclosed his doctrine and the truth in which he believes in his famous audiences and the discussions conducted there, which were well-publicised, and his compilations which enjoyed a wide circulation; yet he has not realized the contradiction between his words and deeds. Then, had he discussed the matter fittingly as should have been done, and bridled his tongue in his discussions of these things, he would have been saved from self-contradiction; then the truth would have been made plain to those who seek the truth, and they would not have been confronted with difficulties, nor would doubts have obscured the meaning of the subject. But he did as the traditionists do in following the apparent meaning of the words, and abandoning critical methods.

This is a view which vitiates the religion of him who holds it and prevents him from achieving fairmindedness.