Dissimulation (Taqayyah)

By: Sayyid Imdad Imam
From his book "Misbah-uz-Zulam", Roots of the Karbala’ Tragedy
The dictionary meaning of Taqayyah (dissimulation) is to save oneself from some harmful matter. Terminologically, it denotes those things that Shias consider lawful for the safety of their life and property; whereas their opponents, Ahlul Sunnat consider them unlawful. Although in all their practical actions, Ahlul Sunnat are not less guilty of it than the Shias. Their daily actions prove that dissimulation is a natural matter, and no person or group in any period of time had been able to dispense with it and neither will it be possible for them to dispense with it in future.
Since it is a natural thing, not only the rulers and monarchs were bound to it, even prophets could not avoid it. According to Taurat when Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) traveled to Egypt, in order to escape the king’s harm, he had to call his wife, sister. In the same way, Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) recognized his brothers in Egypt but concealed this matter from them and was bound to the procedures that all readers of Quran are aware of. Similarly, Prophet Isa (a.s.) knew about the evil nature of Yahuda, but in his friendship, had made him as the treasurer.
The Holy Prophet’s migration from Mecca and hiding in the cave and instructing His Eminence, Ali (a.s.) to sleep in his bed; if all these actions are not dissimulation, what are they? I can quote hundreds of such examples from the life histories of the prophets, which can prove that dissimulation is not only having a natural and religious sanction; it is also acceptable from the aspect of society and civilization. The following statement of Almighty Allah: “And cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands…” Surah Baqarah 2:195
…shows the legality of dissimulation and why it should not be so, when it is needed in every time and in every situation? It was on the basis of this demand of Nature that the Holy Prophet (S) has said according to the report of Miqdad that, “If a believer hides his faith with infidelity, this deed of his is the best part of his faith. Remember that you were also concealing your faith (Islam) at Mecca before.”
This traditional report is present in Sahih Bukhari and it proves that dissimulation is a perfectly valid act. Ahlul Sunnat use the word ‘Toriya’ (concealment of real feelings) instead of dissimulation and consider it lawful. The fact is that dissimulation and concealment of real feelings are not two different things. The thing is same and the only difference is that Toriya is restricted to spoken words and Taqayyah is concerned with both, words and actions. But since Taqayyah is a Shia word, propagated by Shias, Ahlul Sunnat find it despicable.
Generally, Ahlul Sunnat consider Taqayyah to mean lying, although practically, dissimulation has no connection with lying and both are different. If they were same (Allah forbid) all prophets would be called liars. Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) introduced his wife as his own sister. This action was of dissimulation and not falsehood.
Not only the Imams of the family of the Holy Prophet (S) have resorted to dissimulation, on the contrary, Sunni leaders have also used it. Here I give you an example of Abu Hanifah’s use of dissimulation, although it is not good example, but the necessity of dissimulation is proved through it.
Ibn Jauzi writes in Al Zakia that a man came to Abu Hanifah and said: “I have fallen in love with a beautiful woman, but since I am very poor, her relatives will not allow her to marry me, so please do something so that I can marry her.” Abu Hanifah said: “Would you sell a particular thing of yours in 12000 dirhams to me?” He said: “No.” Then Abu Hanifah said: “Go to the relatives of that woman and tell them: ‘Abu Hanifah knows my condition very well, you can ask him.’” So he did as Abu Hanifah had said. Her relatives came to Abu Hanifah to learn the facts. Abu Hanifah said: “That man had come to sell a particular thing to me for his marriage purpose and I was giving him 12000 dirhams, but he was not prepared to sell it in that price.”
The relatives were satisfied with this explanation and married the girl to that man. It is clear that Abu Hanifah’s action constitutes practical dissimulation. Though his dissimulation, due to its uncommendable style, lowers his status to a great degree and was not suitable for an imam.
Moreover there was hardly any need of it. It was such a dissimulation that next time it proved very harmful for Abu Hanifah and that is why people do not respect Abu Hanifah’s dissimulation till today. The consequences of his dissimulation are full of regret. The case of that woman was that when she came to know that the man she had married was a pauper and that her marriage was arranged by Abu Hanifah’s plan, she adorned herself with ornaments etc. and came to Abu Hanifah and said: “My father does not allow anyone to marry me and those who come with proposals are told: ‘My daughter is blind and cripple. Do not marry her.’” She knew that Abu Hanifah had not seen her before, so she also added that she was the daughter of so and so green grocer. She requested Abu Hanifah to marry her and also exposed her face, head, hands and legs for him. Since beauty is luring, it was enough for Abu Hanifah.
After she left, Abu Hanifah called the green grocer and stated his intention. He said: “My daughter is blind and cripple. She is not suitable for you.” But Abu Hanifah said: “It is none of your concern, I will marry her.” So Abu Hanifah married the green grocer’s daughter that same day.
In the evening, the green grocer placed his daughter in a big basket and with the help of servants, carried her to Abu Hanifah. When Abu Hanifah saw his bride, he at once recited the divorce thrice and became free.
A month later, that first woman came to Abu Hanifah. Abu Hanifah asked her what she has done? She replied: “Tit for tat! You married me to a pauper and I compelled you to marry a blind and cripple.” It is clear that the woman cheated Abu Hanifah but her dissimulation was not good. Such dissimulation is unlawful in the religion of Imamiyah.
Dissimulation is sanctioned only if it concerns security of life, property and honor. It is not lawful without any reason. At present, there is no reign of Bani Umayyah or Bani Abbas and there is no fear of life, property or respect. Therefore, generally the Imamites are not in need of dissimulation.

Causes That Compelled the Imamiyah Sect to Adopt Dissimulation
Although dissimulation is such a natural thing that both Shia and Sunni and all human beings are needful of it, it was all the more necessary for the Imamiyah sect, and that is why it became a part of their religion. If Imamiyah had not resorted to dissimulation, their existence would not have been possible in the world, due to Bani Umayyah and Bani Abbas.
On the contrary, the situation of Ahlul Sunnat was such that due to Caliphate being in their favor, they had no need to resort to dissimulation and hence it did not become customary among them. The condition of the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) and their followers during the time of Bani Umayyah and Bani Abbas was so perilous that they had to very strictly follow dissimulation.
If they had not resorted to dissimulation, they would have been destroyed. How funny that the opponents of Imamiyah regard dissimulation as hypocrisy and do not pay attention to its necessity, although dissimulation is such a natural matter that in moral and civilization matters, no human being has ever been exempt from it. When Shah Abdul Aziz published his book, Tohfa, in the beginning he mentioned his name as Ghulam Haleem and that of his father as Qutubuddin Ahmad.
Actually, there was no need of dissimulation and the Shah had no fear of his life, property and honor. Then also he liked to use the power of dissimulation. What was the need for the Shah to resort to dissimulation in such peaceful times? Thus, if Muhammad’s Progeny resorted to dissimulation during the time of Bani Umayyah and Bani Abbas, what was wrong in it? If they had not acted in that way, it would have been unjust to both, religion and wisdom.
We should know that the Imamiyah resorted to it not without any reason as mentioned above. But it had no connection to injustice and falsehood. If dissimulation is compared to the Ahlul Sunnat theory of validity of consensus of non-Bani Hashim persons and invalidity of consensus of Bani Hashim persons, the difference would be obvious. Indeed, this matter was established to murder the truth, as is proved to all.

Value of Dissimulation
The value of dissimulation is that on many occasions, it is a great self-guard for safety; besides affairs of the world depend on it. If dissimulation disappears from the world, all the kingdoms would decline and all relationships would scatter and all kinds of factories would be abandoned; cities become enclosures and lanes and streets look like flowing rivers of blood; relationships would be break off and in the end, human beings would be destroyed from the face of the earth in a very short time.
We should know that dissimulation is based on a great exigency. It has full authority in the matter of the world and religion. It has no concern with any falsehood and it is not based on selfishness. For example, if anyone says: “You kill so and so person, otherwise, I would kill you,” In such a situation, one would prefer getting killed than to kill someone else. According to Shariah, it is not an occasion of dissimulation and if a person resorts to dissimulation in such a case, he would become eligible for Hell. In the following discussion, we shall prove that dissimulation is as lawful in Ahlul Sunnat as it is in Shia religion.
Allah says: “Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully.”1
It means that it is not lawful for true believers to have friendship with infidels, except in the condition of dissimulation. Baidhawi writes that Yaqoob Qari has recited it as Taqayyah and in times of fear, friendship with infidels is lawful.2
Allah says: “And a believing man of Firon’s people who hid his faith said…”3
He was Hizqeel, a cousin of Firon and he concealed his faith from Firon and his community for a hundred years.4 In Seerate Muhammad5, in the incident of Abu Jindal, it is mentioned that Allah has made dissimulation lawful for Muslims, if they are in danger and the sentence after that says: The Messenger of Allah (S) allowed one to keep faith in the heart and lie from the tongue, just like in the incident of Abu Jindal. In the same way, in this book on page 448, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophet (S) asked: “O Abu Dharr, what would you do when people banish you from Medina?”
Abu Dharr replied: “I would fight with my sword.” The Prophet said: “Don’t do that. It would be better for you to listen to them and obey them even if they be cruel slaves of Abyssinia.”
In Seerate Nabawiya of Sayyid Ahmad Dahlan6, it is mentioned that when the Quraish infidels of Mecca asked His Eminence, Ali (a.s.), “Where is Muhammad?” He replied: “I don’t know.” Although he knew that the Holy Prophet (S) was hiding in the cave. What was it, if not dissimulation? Let Ahlul Sunnat say it was lying, but the poor Shia can never attribute falsehood to His Eminence, Ali (a.s.).
Similar situation is described in Tarikh Khamis7 when the infidels asked Abu Bakr about the Prophet, Abu Bakr said: “He is a guide, leading the way.” No doubt that in this situation, Abu Bakr had also adopted dissimulation.
In Seeratul Halabiyah8, Halabi says that wherever the infidels are dominant and Muslims are weak they should not curse the idols of infidels and this order continues till now. According to Seerate Muhammadiya9 and Sahih Bukhari10 the Holy Prophet (S) stayed in Mecca for fifteen years and preached for only four or five years secretly and in fear, because the infidels rejected the Holy Quran, the Prophet and Allah the Almighty. That is why, Allah revealed to pray softly, so that polytheists may not hear, but it was not necessary to hide from companions, ‘but you must not pray so loudly that infidels snatch the Quran from you.’
We come to know from the report of Isafur Raghebeen11 that when the Holy Prophet (S) prayed, he prayed in a secluded corner. One day, a disbeliever found Saad bin Abi Waqqas praying and he condemned and cursed him. Saad and the polytheist had a fight in which Saad beat up that disbeliever. Obviously, if they had been cautious as ordered by the Prophet, this would not have happened.
According to Tirmidhi12, people would first come to Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) for intercession on Judgment Day but Ibrahim (a.s.) would say%$: “I can’t do anything for you, because I have lied three times in my life.” The fact was that he had to resort to this because of dissimulation. That is why the Holy Prophet (S) stated that such lies were lawful for Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) by Shariat.
In Sahih Bukhari13, it is quoted from Ibn Abbas that the Holy Prophet (S) told Miqdad that to hide belief from infidels was the best action of faith. Such as he was doing in Mecca. It shows that when you feel danger from infidels you should conceal your faith. Undoubtedly, it is the proper occasion for dissimulation.
It is related by Huzaifah in Sahih Muslim14 that “once I was with the Prophet when he said: ‘Conceal our Islam.’ I asked: ‘Why do you fear? There are six or seven hundred people in my tribe.’ The Prophet said: ‘You don’t know, perhaps you may encounter the enemies of Islam alone, and if such an occasion comes for anyone, it becomes necessary to pray in a low voice.’”
Qastalani writes that the companions of the Messenger of Allah (S) did not openly declare Islam and that they prayed secretly, so that they would not create any trouble. Baidhawi15 writes that according to the verse of Surah Shuara, Prophet Moosa (a.s.) was in dissimulation for thirty years. Qastalani says in Sharh Bukhari16 that lying is justified to save ones life from unjust people and enemies of religion.
According to Baidhawi17, the following verse permits dissimulation: “And cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands…”18
Tafseer Maalimut Tanzeel also supports Tafseer Baidhawi. But it should be known that dissimulation was permissible in Islam in the beginning as it was weak and that now there is no more need for it. Although according to Imam Sadiq (a.s.): “It (dissimulation) is our religion, till Judgment Day.” According to Tafseer Jalalain, Tafseer Ibn Abbas, Tafseer Nishapuri and Tafseer Kabir Razi, dissimulation is permitted only in times of need. Thus, Shia and Sunni, both consider it necessary, but it is very regretful that Ahlul Sunnat use it as a means to vilify the Shias.
1. Surah Aale Imran 3:28
2. Ref. Baidhawi, Pg. 134
3. Surah Momin 40:28
4. Ref. Tafseer Baidhawi and Tafseer Ibn Abbas.
5. Pg. 294
6. Vol. 1, Pg. 384
7. Vol. 1, Pg. 335
8. Vol. 1, Pg. 466
9. Pg. 191
10. Vol. 1, Pg. 351
11. Pg. 15
12. Vol. 2, Pg. 16
13. Vol. 10, Pg. 35
14. Vol. 1, Pg. 84
15. Vol. 2, Pg. 106
16. Vol. 5, Pg. 279
17. Vol. 1, Pg. 99
18. Surah Baqarah 2:195