The Shiite Apologetics
Question Thirty-one
What criterion is there for Dissimulation ?
Answer:
Taqiyyah, i.e. dissimulation which means keeping ones heart felt belief in secret has the Quran as its source and is a religious duty of every Muslim to employ it in order to prevent the adversaries from causing physical, spiritual and religious harms.
Dissimulation as Viewed by the Quran
The Quran contains various verses in regard to dissimulation, two of which are as follows:
Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends - rather than the believers for whoso does that belongs not to God in anything unless you have a fear of them. 3:28
Whoso disbelieves in God, after he has believed excepting him who has been compelled and his heart is still at rest in his belief but whosoevers breast is expanded in unbelief, upon them shall rest anger from God, and there awaits them a mighty chastisement. 16:106
The exegesists mention the following occasion as the foreground for the revelation of the above verse: The infidels who had arrested `Ammar ibn Yasir and his parents demanded that they deny their faith and pronounce
disbelief. `Ammar's companions pronounced their faith in God and in the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet; some of them were, as a result, killed. Contrary to his heartfelt conviction, `Ammar, did not disclose his belief, but outwardly uttered what the pagans had told him to and was set free.
Deeply worried and unhappy about what he had said, `Ammar returned to the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his descendants, who comforted him. The above verse was then revealed on this occasion.[1]
This sacred verse and the interpretations that the exegesists have made reveal the fact that dissimulation was recognized at the time of the Prophet and was practiced to prevent physical and spiritual harms.
Dissimulation as the Shiites View it
Due to the history-long animosity the despotic Umayyad and `Abbasid rulers showed against the Shiites and the attempts they made in massacring the Shiites,[2] the latter group concealed their true faith as the Quran had ordered them to and were thus able to survive those difficult conditions.
It is clear that in such a suffocating and oppressive atmosphere as the one mentioned above no other solution could be conceived of to save the Shiites from the devastating hurricane of the tyranny that threatened to
[1] Al-Durr al-Manthur, vol. 4, p. 131. [2] For detailed information, see Abu'l-Faraj al-Isfahani's Maqatil al-Talibiyyin; Ahmad Amin's Shuhada' al-Fadilah; Muhammad Jawad Mughniyah's al-Shiah wa'l-Hakimun.
uproot them. If the despotic rulers and their puppets had not made it their aims to turn against the Shiites and mercilessly kill them, there would have been no reason for the Shiites to practice dissimulation.
It should be noted that dissimulation is practiced not only by the Shiites but also by other Islamic sects when they face the bloodthirsty enemies of Islam whom they are unable to avert such as the Khawarij and any other brutal enemies of Islam who commit unlawful acts).
Accordingly, if all Islamic nations come to an understanding and live in harmony, there will be no grounds for the application of taqiyyah.
Conclusion
From what has been discussed above, we can reach the following conclusion:
1 .Taqiyyah originates from the Quran. The behavior of the Prophets Companions and the Prophets approval are clear evidence that dissimulation was allowed and practiced in the early days of Islam.
The Shiites intention of practicing dissimulation was to put a stop to being mercilessly massacred, and to prevent the hurricanes of cruelty that threatened to annihilate them.
Dissimulation is not a practice employed only by the Shiites only; it is in practice by other Muslims too.
Taqiyyah suggests not only being on the alert against the infidels and keeping ones Islamic faith in secret from the idolaters, but is also a necessity at the time when Muslims' lives are being threatened by any cruel opponent against whom there is no possibility of fighting.
There will be no grounds for dissimulation in case members of the Islamic community reach an understanding.
