Meaning of taqiyyah and difference between Shiah and Ahl al Sunnah
In the famous use, taqiyyah is one of the core foundations of the Shiah and one of the main points by which they differ from Ahl al Sunnah wal Jamaah and leave the straight path. In their religion, taqiyyah means that a person deliberately shows the opposite of what he believes and hides his real belief in his heart as an act of worship, so they attach lying and deception to the religion.
Ahl al Sunnah see this as a false and corrupt belief that has no link to their creed. For Ahl al Sunnah, lying is a sign of hypocrisy, and a person who keeps looking for chances to lie is written with Allah as a liar. Their path is built on truthfulness and fairness, and lying is not from their religion. (Minhaj as Sunnah an Nabawiyyah 4/423 to 424; Majmu al Fatawa 13/262 to 263).
Difference between hiding the religion and openly showing kufr
It is not allowed in any case to show kufr or sin from the outset without real coercion while claiming taqiyyah as an excuse. Ibn Taymiyyah explains that taqiyyah is not to lie and say with the tongue what is not in the heart, because this is pure nifaq. The believer does what he is able to do to change evil with his hand, then with his tongue, then with his heart, but he does not lie. Either he shows his religion or he hides it. When he hides it, he still does not agree with the people of kufr in all of their religion, just as the believer of the family of Pharaoh and the wife of Pharaoh hid their iman but did not show a false religion. Hiding the religion is one matter and openly showing a false religion is another matter. (Sahih Muslim 49a; Minhaj as Sunnah an Nabawiyyah 4/423 to 424).
Example of Hatib ibn Abi Baltaah and ruling on outward kufr
The story of Hatib ibn Abi Baltaah shows the ruling on outward sin and kufr. When Hatib wrote to the disbelievers of Quraysh to inform them of the journey of the Prophet and the Muslims to open Makkah, the Prophet did not excuse him at first. Umar even said that he had become a hypocrite. The Prophet examined his situation, because his act could be kufr and apostasy, or it could be a sin that did not expel him from Islam.
When it became clear that Hatib wrote only out of flattery and softening towards them, and out of taqiyyah to protect his family and wealth in Makkah, not to support the mushrikin in their religion or give them allegiance, the Prophet did not declare him a kafir, and his sin was forgiven because of his great stand at Badr.
Even so, he was sinful and not fully excused. This shows that outward kufr or sin without a valid excuse brings punishment based on what is seen, and that taqiyyah cannot be used to justify such actions without real coercion. (Sahih Muslim 2494a; Minhaj as Sunnah an Nabawiyyah 4/423 to 424).
Taqiyyah for the coerced person and not for the hypocrite
The narrow licence to utter words of kufr is only for the one who is truly coerced while his heart is at rest with iman. Allah has clearly separated between the hypocrite, who chooses kufr or loyalty to kufr, and the one who is forced and still keeps iman in his heart. Ibn Taymiyyah says that the Rafidah are in a state like the hypocrites, not like the coerced believer, because they allow taqiyyah without compelling coercion and even for the mere possibility of harm, so that saying with the tongue what is not in the heart becomes a general rule and a mark of their religion. (Minhaj as Sunnah an Nabawiyyah 4/423 to 424; Majmu al Fatawa 13/262 to 263).
Quranic proofs for the condition of coercion in taqiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah brings verses of the Quran to show that taqiyyah which involves speaking kufr is only for real coercion. Allah said: “Whoever disbelieves in Allah after having iman, except the one who is forced while his heart is at rest with iman. But the one who opens his chest to kufr, upon them is anger from Allah and for them is a great punishment.” Allah also said: “Let not the believers take the disbelievers as protectors apart from the believers.
Whoever does that has nothing with Allah, except when you protect yourselves from them with taqwa,” and He allowed forced women in zina to be pardoned after their being forced. From this Ibn Taymiyyah explains that Allah allowed the coerced person to speak kufr with his tongue while his heart stays firm, and He allowed believers to protect themselves with tuqah, while still forbidding real loyalty to the disbelievers.
Ibn Abbas said, “Taqiyyah is with the tongue,” which shows that the concession relates to speech under compulsion. (Surah an Nahl 106; Surah Aal Imran 28; Surah an Nur 33; Surah al Baqarah 256; Al Istiqamah 2/319 to 320).
Detailed condition of coercion and ruling of Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab explains that in the verse of an Nahl Allah did not excuse anyone except the one who is coerced while his heart remains relaxed with iman. Anyone else who falls into kufr after iman, whether out of fear, to please people, out of love for homeland, family, tribe, wealth, or in jest or for any worldly benefit, is a disbeliever, because he preferred this dunya over the religion.
He points out that coercion can only be in speech or outward action, not in the belief of the heart. This confirms that taqiyyah that includes words of kufr is only allowed when there is real coercion, and that choosing kufr for worldly reasons is never excused. (Kashf ash Shubuhat p 56; Surah an Nahl 106 to 107).
No excuse for supporting disbelievers and taking them as allies without coercion
The people in Makkah who had uttered the shahadah but supported the mushrikin without coercion were judged by Allah as hypocrites and disbelievers, and their outward Islam did not benefit them. The verse “What is the matter with you that you have become two groups regarding the hypocrites” was revealed about them when the believers differed about fighting them.
This shows that supporting the mushrikin and taking them as allies is not taqiyyah and has no excuse when done by choice. On this basis the verse of taqiyyah, “Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers, except when you guard yourselves against them as a precaution,” is understood.
At Tabari (Ibn Jarir) says that taking the disbelievers as helpers, giving them loyalty in their religion, aiding them against Muslims, or exposing Muslim secrets is kufr that cuts the person off from Allah, except when he is under their power and truly afraid, in which case he may show some outward loyalty with his tongue while hating them in his heart and not helping them by action.
Ibn Atiyyah and al Shanqiti say that this exception applies only in a situation of fear, and even then only to soft speech that repels harm while the heart stays free of loyalty. (Surah an Nisa 88 to 89; Surah Aal Imran 28; Tafsir Ibn Kathir 2/371; Tafsir Ibn Jarir 5/315 to 316; Tafsir Ibn Atiyyah 2/191; Adwa al Bayan 2/133).
Clear difference between hiding the religion and using taqiyyah to show kufr
From all of this, the scholars explain that hiding the religion and using taqiyyah to show kufr are two different matters.
Hiding the religion by silence and not declaring the truth openly is allowed when there is fear of harm, as long as the believer does not aid the disbelievers nor accept their religion. In contrast, taqiyyah that involves openly showing kufr, giving allegiance, or helping the disbelievers against Muslims is only allowed under real coercion where the person has no choice and his heart remains firm upon iman.
Mere fear or expectation of harm is not enough to allow outward kufr or loyalty, and whoever takes the disbelievers as allies based on fear of their power is a kafir like them and has a disease of nifaq in his heart. (Surah an Nahl 106 to 107; Surah Aal Imran 28; Surah al Maidah 51 to 52; Al Istiqamah 2/319 to 320; Kashf ash Shubuhat p 56; Majmu al Fatawa 13/262 to 263).
Taqiyyah in the well known and famous sense is one of the core foundations of the Shia. It is one of the main points by which they differ from Ahl al Sunnah wal Jamaah and by which they depart from the straight path of Allah.
Taqiyyah in their religion means that a person deliberately shows the opposite of what he believes and hides in his heart, as an act of worship. In this way they falsely and deliberately attach lying and deception to the religion of Allah.
This false and corrupt idea has no link at all with the creed of Ahl al Sunnah.
For Ahl al Sunnah, lying is one of the signs of the hypocrites, and a person continues to lie and to look for chances to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar. Yet these people lie and search for lies in all matters, then they turn that into a doctrine and a form of worship.
The path of Ahl al Sunnah wal Jamaah is built on truthfulness and fairness. Lying is not from their religion, by the grace of Allah.
It is not allowed in any case to show kufr or sin from the outset, without real coercion, using taqiyyah as a claim or excuse.
So outwardly showing kufr or sin without any excuse that allows that, brings punishment according to what is clearly seen from kufr or sin.
This condition in taqiyyah is in reality the true difference between the way of Ahl al Sunnah and the way of the Shiah in taqiyyah. Taqiyyah for the Shiah is the basic principle, and they permit it without any compelling coercion, but only for the mere possibility of harm even if that harm has not actually occurred. This in reality is nifaq (hypocrisy), and is not taqiyyah at all.
Ibn Taymiyyah said, “Taqiyyah is not that I lie and say with my tongue what is not in my heart, because this is nifaq. Rather, I do whatever I am able to do, just as in the authentic narration from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said, ‘Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is not able, then with his tongue. If he is not able, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of iman (faith).’” (Sahih Muslim 49a)
So the believer, when he is among the disbelievers and the open sinners, is not required to fight them with his hand when he is unable. But if he is able with his tongue, he does so, otherwise with his heart. At the same time, he does not lie and say with his tongue what is not in his heart. Either he shows his religion, or he hides it. Even when he hides it, he does not agree with them in all of their religion.
At most, he would be like the believer of the family of Pharaoh and the wife of Pharaoh. He was not agreeing with them on all of their religion, and he was not lying or saying with his tongue what was not in his heart. Rather, he used to hide his iman (faith). Hiding the religion is one thing, and openly showing a false religion is another thing.
This has only been allowed by Allah for the one who is coerced, for whom it is permitted to utter the word of kufr, while Allah the Exalted has distinguished between the hypocrite and the one who is coerced. The Rafidah are in a state that is of the same type as the hypocrites, and not of the same type as the one who is coerced and forced to kufr while his heart is at rest with iman.” (Minhaj As Sunnah Nabawiyyah By Ibn Taymiyyah 4/423-424)
Ibn Taymiyyah also said: “So the munafiq (hypocrite), when he only brings the outward appearance of Islam without the realities of iman, gains no benefit from that. He becomes one of the people of loss, rather he is in the lowest depth of the Fire.
Allah said. “Among the people are those who say we have believed in Allah and in the Last Day, yet they are not believers. They try to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves and they do not realise.” These verses. For Allah revealed at the beginning of Surat al Baqarah four verses describing the believers, and two verses describing the disbelievers, and several verses describing the hypocrites.
And Allah said. “When the hypocrites come to you they say we bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, and Allah knows that you are His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.” And Allah said. “Do not let those who rush into kufr make you sad, from those who said we have believed with their mouths while their hearts have not believed.”
And the atheists show agreement with the Muslims on the outside while hiding the opposite of that. They are worse than the hypocrites.
This is because the hypocrites are of two types. A type that shows iman and hides kufr, and they do not claim that the kufr which they hide is the true iman.
As for the atheists, they claim that the kufr they hide is the true iman, and that the prophets and the awliya are from their kind, and that they hide what they hide of kufr and denial. So they combine hiding kufr with claiming that their hidden belief is the iman of the people of inner knowledge.
They do not show the one who responds to them that this hidden belief is an attack on the Messenger and the believers and a denial of him. Rather they make that part of the perfection of the Messenger and the completion of his state, and they claim that what he did is the highest point of perfection, and that no one does this except the most complete of men in directing people with fair conduct and in building the universe with the best path. Groups may think that this is true both in the hidden and the outward sense, so their condition ends with believing that hypocrisy is the true iman. Yet it is known by absolute necessity that hypocrisy is the opposite of iman.
For this reason, the greatest door they enter through is the door of Shia extremism and rejection, because the Rafidah are the most ignorant and most dishonest group and the furthest from knowing the transmitted and the rational.
They make taqiyyah one of the foundations of their religion, and they lie about Ahl al Bayt with lies that none knows except Allah, until they narrate from Jaafar al Sadiq that he said. Taqiyyah is my religion and the religion of my fathers. And taqiyyah is the slogan of hypocrisy, because its reality according to them is that a person says with his tongue what is not in his heart, and this is the very reality of hypocrisy.
Then, when this became one of the foundations of their religion, everything that narrators report from Ali or anyone else from Ahl al Bayt that agrees with Ahl al Sunnah and the Jamaah, they say. This was said by them as taqiyyah. Then they opened the door of hypocrisy for the Qaramitah and the Batiniyyah.“ (Majmu Fatawa 13/262-263)
Ibn Taymiyyah also said, “Allah said regarding the forbidden act of speaking words of kufr.
“Whoever disbelieves in Allah after having iman, except the one who is forced while his heart is at rest with iman. But the one who opens his chest to kufr, upon them is anger from Allah and for them is a great punishment” (Surat al Nahl 106).
And He said: “Let not the believers take the disbelievers as protectors apart from the believers. Whoever does that has nothing with Allah, except when you protect yourselves from them with taqwa” (Surat Aal Imran 28).
And He said regarding the forbidden act of forcing others. “Do not force your female slaves into fornication if they want to remain pure, seeking the gain of the life of this dunya. Whoever forces them, then Allah after their being forced is Forgiving and Merciful” (Surat an Nur 33).
So Allah allowed, when under compulsion, that a man may speak kufr with his tongue if his heart is calm with iman, unlike the one who opens his chest to kufr.
And He allowed the believers to protect themselves from the disbelievers with tuqah, while also forbidding them from giving loyalty to them.
And Ibn Abbas (d.68 AH) said. “Taqiyyah is with the tongue.”
For this reason, there is no disagreement among us that spoken words do not take effect for the one who is forced without right.
The kufr of one who is forced without right is not valid, nor is the iman of one who is forced without right valid, such as a dhimmi who has fulfilled his pact, just as Allah said about him. “There is no compulsion in the religion. Guidance has become distinct from misguidance” (Surat al Baqarah 256).
This is different from one who is forced with right, such as the fighters from the people of war, until they submit to Islam if the fighting is aimed at Islam, or until they give jizyah if the fighting is aimed at one of the two. As Allah said.
“When the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them” until His saying. “But if they repent and establish the prayer and give the zakah, then leave their path free for them” (Surat at Tawbah 5).” (Al Istiqamah, 2/319-320)
Ibn Taymiyyah said: The Rafidah are, in origin, not people of knowledge and expertise in the way of rational inquiry, debate, and knowing the proofs, and what enters into that of refutation and counter argument. They are also among the most ignorant of people when it comes to knowing the transmitted reports, the hadith, and the narrations, and distinguishing between what is authentic and what is weak.
Their main reliance in what they transmit is on historical reports with chains of narration that are cut off, and many of them are fabrications of people who are known for lying, and even known for ilhad (deviation).
Their scholars rely on the narrations of people like Abu Mikhnaf Lut ibn Yahya (d.157 AH) and Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al Saib (d.204 AH) and those similar to them who are known to be liars among the people of knowledge, even though such people are among the most prominent sources upon whom they rely in transmission, since they rely on people who are in the utmost ignorance and false accusation, people who are not even mentioned in the recognised books and are not known to the people of knowledge of narrators. (In some copies his name is written as Abu Mikhnaf Lut ibn Ali, and this is a mistake. In Mizan al Itidal by al Dhahabi (d.748 AH) it says, “Lut ibn Yahya Abu Mikhnaf, a compiler of reports whose narrations are worthless and who is not trusted, abandoned by Abu Hatim (d.277 AH) and others,” and Ibn Adi (d.365 AH) said, “He is an extreme Shiah, a Rafidi, a carrier of their reports, and he died before the year one hundred and seventy.”
See also his biography in Rawdat al Jannat and in Rijal al Najashi by al Najashi (d.450 AH).) (Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al Saib al Kalbi is mentioned in Mizan al Itidal, where al Daruqutni (d.385 AH) and others said that he is abandoned in hadith, and Ibn Asakir (d.571 AH) said that he is a Rafidi who is not reliable, and his death was in the year 204AH. See also his biography in Rijal al Najashi.)
The people of knowledge of transmission, narration, and isnad have all agreed that the Rafidah are the most lying of the sects, and lying among them is ancient. Because of this, the imams of Islam knew that they are distinct for their abundance of lying.
Abu Hatim al Razi (d.277 AH) said, “I heard Yunus ibn Abd al A‘la (d.264 AH) say, Ashhab ibn Abd al Aziz (d.204 AH) said, ‘Malik (ibn Anas) (d.179 AH) was asked about the Rafidah, so he said, Do not speak to them and do not narrate from them, for they lie.’”
Abu Hatim said, “Harmala (d.243 AH) narrated to us, he said, I heard al Shafii (d.204 AH) say, ‘I have not seen anyone who bears false witness more than the Rafidah.’”
Muammal ibn Ihab (d.254 AH) said, “I heard Yazid ibn Harun (d.206 AH) say, ‘Narrations are written from every person of bidah (religious innovation) if he is not a caller to it, except the Rafidah, for they lie.’”
Muhammad ibn Sa‘id al Asbahani (d.220 AH) said, “I heard Sharik say, ‘I carry knowledge from everyone I meet except the Rafidah, for they fabricate hadith and make it into a religion.’”
This Sharik is Sharik ibn Abd Allah (d.177 AH), the judge, the judge of Kufah, one of the contemporaries of al Thawri (d.161 AH) and Abu Hanifah (d.150 AH), and he was from the Shiah who would say with his own tongue, “I am from the Shiah,” and this is his testimony about them.
Abu Muawiyah (d.195 AH) said, “I heard al A‘mash (d.148 AH) say, ‘I caught up with the people, and they did not call them anything except liars” (Minhaj As Sunnah Nabawiyyah 1/58-60
From here we know that the point on which excuse is based in hiding the religion is the inability to show it, even if there is no direct coercion, while for openly showing kufr or sin, there must be coercion in order for taqiyyah to be allowed.
There are many proofs that show the condition of coercion for openly showing kufr. Among them is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
“Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief, except for the one who is coerced while his heart is at rest with iman, but those who open their chests to kufr, upon them is anger from Allah and for them is a great punishment. That is because they preferred the life of this world over the Hereafter, and because Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (al Nahl 106 to 107).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, explaining how this verse proves this principle, said: “Allah did not excuse anyone among these people except the one who is coerced, while his heart is at rest with iman. As for anyone else, he has disbelieved after his iman, whether he did it out of fear, or for the sake of pleasing others, or out of clinging to his homeland, his family, his tribe, his wealth, or did it in a joking way, or for any other worldly purpose, except for the one who is coerced. The verse shows this from two angles.
The first is His saying, ‘except for the one who is coerced.’ Allah did not make any exception except for the one who is coerced, and it is known that a person is only coerced in speech or in action, and as for the belief of the heart, no one can be coerced into it.
The second is His saying, ‘That is because they preferred the life of this world over the Hereafter.’ He stated clearly that this kufr and this punishment are not because of belief, or ignorance, or hatred of the religion, or love of kufr, rather the reason is that he has some share in this matter from the shares of the world, so he preferred it over the religion.” (Kashf al Shubuhat, page 56.)
For this reason, when in Makkah there were people who had spoken the two testimonies, but they supported the mushrikin without being coerced, Allah the Exalted did not excuse them. Rather, He judged them to be hypocrites and disbelievers, and He made this clear to the Muslims. He said:
“So what is the matter with you that you have become two groups regarding the hypocrites, while Allah has cast them back because of what they earned. Do you want to guide those whom Allah has sent astray, and whoever Allah sends astray, you will never find for him any way.
They wish that you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so that you would be the same. So do not take any of them as allies until they migrate in the way of Allah. If they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and do not take any of them as an ally or a helper.” (al Nisa 88 to 89)
Ibn Kathir said, “Al Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas. This verse was revealed about a group of people who lived in Makkah. They had spoken the words of Islam and claimed Islam, yet they were supporting the idol worshippers.
They later left Makkah to fulfil a need of theirs. They said. If we meet the companions of Muhammad there will be no harm upon us from them. When the believers were informed that they had left Makkah, a group of the believers said. Ride out to the cowards and kill them, because they are helping your enemy against you.
Another group of the believers said. Glory be to Allah, or something similar to that. Will you kill people who have spoken with the same words that you have spoken. Is it because they did not make migration and did not leave their homes that their blood and their wealth becomes lawful for you.
They remained split into two groups in this way, while the Messenger was among them and he did not forbid either group from anything.
So Allah revealed. “What is wrong with you that you have become two groups about the hypocrites.”
This was narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim. And something similar was narrated from Abu Salamah ibn Abd al Rahman, and from Ikrimah, and from Mujahid, and from al Dahhak, and from others.’” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2/371, and see also Tafsir Ibn Jarir, 7/286, for supporting this reason for revelation.)
These people, when they supported the mushrikin and showed allegiance to them, their outward claim of Islam did not benefit them, because what they did was not taqiyyah with coercion, but was by their own choice. So they had no excuse. Upon this principle we understand the verse of taqiyyah, which is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
“Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers, and whoever does that will have nothing with Allah in any way, except when you guard yourselves against them as a precaution. And Allah warns you of Himself.” (Aal Imran 28).
Ibn Jarir said, “The meaning of this is: Do not take, O believers, the disbelievers as your support and helpers, giving them loyalty on their religion, helping them against the Muslims instead of the believers, and informing them of the hidden weaknesses of the Muslims. Whoever does that has nothing with Allah in any way.
This means, he is cut off from Allah and Allah is cut off from him, because of his apostasy from His religion and his entering into kufr. Except when you guard yourselves against them as a precaution, meaning, except when you are under their authority and you fear for yourselves, so you show them loyalty with your tongues while you hide hostility towards them, and you do not agree with them in what they are upon of kufr, and you do not help them against any Muslim by any action.” (Tafsir Ibn Jarir, 5/315-316)
Ibn Atiyyah said, “This prohibition on taking them as allies is only in what a person shows outwardly. As for taking them as allies in his heart and intention, no believer does that. Those who are addressed in the verse have already had iman confirmed for them, so the prohibition is about showing gentleness to the disbelievers and inclining towards them. The wording of the verse is general for all times.” (See Tafsir Ibn Atiyyah, 2/191)
Al Shanqiti said, “This noble verse explains all of the verses that prohibit taking the disbelievers as allies in general. It makes clear that the place of that prohibition is in a situation of choice. As for the situation of fear and taqiyyah, then it is allowed to show loyalty to them to the extent of the soft speech that is enough to push away their harm, on the condition that the inner self remains free of that loyalty.” (See Adwa al Bayan, 2/133)
So the meaning of the verse is that helping the mushrikin and taking them as allies is kufr in all cases, whether that is with speech or with action, except when that is taqiyyah. Taqiyyah in this is not simply due to fear and the expectation of harm, but only when real coercion takes place.
Here there is a difference between taqiyyah by hiding the religion, in which just the fear of harm is enough for there to be an excuse, and taqiyyah by openly showing kufr, for which real coercion is necessary and not simply fear and expectation.
For this reason, Allah the Exalted forbade showing loyalty to the People of the Book and made clear that their loyalty, even with fear, is kufr. He said:
“O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are allies of one another. Whoever among you takes them as allies is one of them. Indeed Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. You see those in whose hearts is a disease rushing to them and saying, ‘We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us.’ But perhaps Allah will bring victory or a command from Him, and then they will become, because of what they have been hiding within themselves, regretful.” (al Maidah 51 to 52)
Allah did not make the mere fear that the upper hand and power may be with the disbelievers an excuse for showing loyalty to them. Rather, He made the one who takes them as allies and uses fear of them as an excuse a kafir like them, and then He made clear that only the one who has a disease of nifaq in his heart does that.
