Taqiyyah from the Shī‘ah viewpoint

Taqiyyah from the Shī‘ah viewpoint

Because the despotic Umayyad and ‘Abbāsid governments throughout history were inimical to the Shī‘ah and resolved to eliminate them,[1] the Shī‘ah used taqiyyah as per Qur’anic injunctions by hiding their true beliefs. In doing so, they saved their lives as well as the lives of their Muslim brethren under those critical circumstances.

It is clear that with an atmosphere full of despotism and strangulation the Shī‘ah had no other way to protect themselves against the storm of oppression that was threatening their lives than using taqiyyah. As such, if tyrant kings and their agents had not been inimical to the Shī‘ah and if they had not taken as the main agenda of their governments the brutal carnage of the Shī‘ah, there would have been no reason for the Shī‘ah’s resorting to taqiyyah.

It is necessary to note that taqiyyah is not practiced only by the Shī‘ah. In fact, other Muslims also make use of the shield of taqiyyah vis-à-vis such murderous enemies who show hostility to the Muslims of all schools of thought like the Kharijites [khawārij] and oppressive governments that resort to all unlawful ways. When they see that they cannot confront their enemies, Muslims conceal their inner beliefs in order to save their lives.

On this basis, if all the members of Muslim community have mutual understanding and live in unity and cooperation, there will be no ground for taqiyyah among the Muslims.

Conclusion

From what have been stated so far, we can draw the following conclusions:

1.  Taqiyyah has its root in the Qur’an and in the conduct of the Prophet’s Companions, and the Prophet’s (ṣ) approval of it is a vivid testimony to its existence and permissibility during the early period of Islam.

2.  The motive behind the Shī‘ah’s use of taqiyyah was to escape the brutal killing and the storms of tyranny and oppression that were intended to eradicate this school of thought.

3.  Taqiyyah is not practiced only by the Shī‘ah; in fact, other Muslim groups also resort to it.

4.  The aim of using taqiyyah is not only the abandonment of and concealing Islamic beliefs from polytheists; rather, the criterion of taqiyyah which is intended to ensure the Muslims’ safety is more general, and hiding one’s inner beliefs vis-à-vis any murderous enemy, either because one lacks the ability to confront or because the conditions for resistance are not available is an indispensable affair.

If there is good understanding between all the members of Muslim community, there will exist no ground for taqiyyah among the Muslims