Al-Taqiyyah, Guarding and Cautiousness

For their patience in the face of taqiyya (dissimulation), and they repel evil with good." He said, "The good deed is taqiyya, and the evil deed is spreading rumors."

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said to me, ‘O abu ‘Umar, nine tenths of religion is in al- Taqiyyah (cautious measures). One who does not observe al- Taqiyyah has no religion. Al-Taqiyyah must be observed in all matters except wine and wiping (a part of Wuzu) over the socks.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Al-Taqiyyah is of the religion of Allah.’ I asked, ‘Is it of the religion of Allah?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, by Allah, it is of the religion of Allah. Yusuf (the prophet) had said, ‘O people of the caravan of camels, you are thieves.’ By Allah, they had not stolen anything and Ibrahim had said, ‘I am ill’, by Allah, he had no illness.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘I heard my father saying, “By Allah, there is nothing on the face of earth more beloved to me than observing al-Taqiyyah (cautious protective measures).” O Habib, whoever observes al- Taqiyyah Allah raises him up. O Habib, whoever does not observe al-Taqiyyah Allah brings him low. O Habib, people live in peace. When that (reappearing of al-Mahdi) happens this (al- Taqiyyah) no more will happen.’”

“Protect your religion and veil it with al-Taqiyyah (protective measures); one who does not observe al-Taqiyyah has no belief. You in the people are like honeybees, in birds. Had birds known what is inside honeybees no honeybee would have been left and it all would have been consumed. Had people known that you love Ahl al-Bayt they might have destroyed you with their tongues, abusing you in private and in public. May Allah bless those of you who are in our Walayah (Divine Guardianship).’”

“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘. . . virtue and evil are not equal. . . .’ , the Imam said that ‘Virtue’ refers to al-Taqiyyah and ‘Evil’ is disregarding it, and in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘If you respond to evil with virtuous deeds . . .’, the Imam said, ‘Virtue’ refers to al-Taqiyyah, ‘. . . you will certainly find that your enemies will become your intimate friends.’” (4 1 :34)

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said, ‘O abu ‘Amr, what would you do, were I to narrate a Hadith to you or give you a Fatwa (a legal opinion), and you came to me sometimes later to ask about the same issues, but I gave you a Hadith or a Fatwa that contradicts the first one, which one would you follow?’ I said, ‘I will follow the latest one and ignore the other one.’ The Imam said, ‘O abu ‘Amr, you are right. Allah refuses to accept anything but to worship Him secretly. By Allah, were you to follow al-Taqiyyah it would be better for you and for me. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, refuses to accept anything from you and I in His religion but al-Taqiyyah.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘No one’s al-Taqiyyah reached the level of strictness to that of the people of the Cave who would attend the festivities while wearing neck ties, thus, Allah gave them twice as many rewards.”

“Once I came face to face to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) on a road and I turned my face away and passed him by. Later I went to see him and said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, I sometimes may turn my face away and pass you so as not to cause you any trouble. ’ The Imam said, ‘May Allah grant you blessings, however, yesterday a man passed by me in such and such place and said, ‘Upon you be peace, O abu ‘Abd Allah.’ What he did was not any good or beautiful.’”

“It was said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘People narrate that Ali (a.s.) once said from the pulpit in al-Kufah, “O people, one day you will be told to abuse me. You then will do so, then you will be told to denounce me but you will not denounce me.” The Imam said, ‘How often has this falsehood (lie) been told about Ali (a.s.).’ The Imam then said, ‘What he said was: ‘One day you will be told to abuse me, you must do so then you will be told to denounce me, and I follow the religion of Muhammad (a.s.). He did not say do not denounce me.’ The person asking the question then asked, ‘Do you say he must have chosen being murdered instead of denouncing?’ The Imam said, ‘By Allah, there was no such thing necessary for him to do. There was nothing for him but that which happened to ‘Ammar ibn Yasir when people of Makkah forced him and his heart was confident with belief. Then Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, revealed His words about it, ‘. . . except those who are forced but their heart is confident with belief,’ ( 16 : 106 ) to which the Holy Prophet said, ‘O ‘Ammar, if they would do such things again you also may do as you have already done; Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has revealed His words about your good excuse and has commanded you to do again what you did before if they ever repeated their misdeed.’”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘You must never do anything that may embarrass us. A small boy causes embarrassment to his father because of his misdeeds. Be the beauty for those to whom you are devoted and do not be an embarrassment to them. Pray along with their tribes, visit their people in ill health, attend their funerals and do not allow anyone exceed you in good deeds. You have all the more reason to exceed others in good deeds. By Allah, no worship is more beloved to Allah than worshipping Him in (al- Khab’).’ I then asked, ‘What is al-Khab’?’ The Imam said, ‘It is al-Taqiyyah.”’

“Once I asked Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) about standing up to salute the rulers (to show respect). He said that Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, 'Al-Taqiyyah is from my religion (belief) and the religion (belief) of my forefathers, and whoever disregards al-Taqiyyah has no belief.'"

“ Al-Taqiyyah (protective measures) is for when and wherever needed and the one involved in it knows best how to apply it.”

“My father (a.s.) has said, ‘What could be more delightful to me than al-Taqiyyah’, it is a shield for believing people.’”

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said to me, ‘What was it that prevented Maytham (may Allah have mercy on him) from al-Taqiyyah? He by Allah knew that this verse of the Holy Quran was revealed about ‘Ammar and his people, ‘...unless he is forced, but his heart is confident with belief...’” (Quran 16:106)

“ Al-Taqiyyah is made law to save lives. Once it (danger) is already there to take lives, then there is no al-Taqiyyah .”

“As it (time of Imam al-Mahdi) draws closer, al-Taqiyyah will be more intensely needed.”

“We heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘ Al-Taqiyyah is whenever the son of Adam is compelled; Allah has made it lawful for him.’”

“ Al-Taqiyyah is a shield of Allah between Allah (His punishing) and His creatures.”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Meet them (unfriendly people) outwardly and oppose them inwardly when the rulers are childish.’”

“Once I said to abu la’ far (a.s.) ‘Two of the people of Kufah were held and it was said to them, “Denounce Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.). One of them did and the other did not denounce. The one who denounced was released and the other was killed.’ The Imam said, ‘The one who denounced was an expert of law of his religion and the one who did not denounce was in a hurry to go to paradise.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Stay away from the consequences of slip and mistake (disregarding al-Taqiyyah’).’"’

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘ Al-Taqiyyah for a believer is a shield and protection. One who does not observe al-Taqiyyah has no belief. A servant of Allah receives a Hadith from us and on that basis he follows the religion of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy. It then is an honor for him in this world and light for him in the next world. A servant receives a Hadith from us and he makes it public and it becomes humiliation for him in this world and Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, removes that light from him.’”