al-Taqiyya 101 for Infidels

[TexasDevilDog]

From The Muslim Student Association at UCLA http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter6b/1.html

Assallamu `Alaykum,

Today, I would like to present the concept of "al-Taqiyya" in the following exposition. This topic is as thorny as previous ones have been, and many people have experienced great difficulty in trying to understand it. I pray to Allah (SWT) that this discussion will help loosen some of the intellectual rust that has accumulated over the years in many peoples' minds.
...
============
Introduction
============
The word "al-Taqiyya" literally means: "Concealing or disguising one's beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and/or strategies at a time of eminent danger, whether now or later in time, to save oneself from physical and/or mental injury." A one-word translation would be "Dissimulation."

[exlude]

This is the most important part of that, imo:



Telling of a lie is a grave sin but a Muslim is permitted to tell a
lie in some exceptional cases, and this permission is given especially
on three occasions: in case of battle for bringing reconciliation
amongst the hostile Muslims and for bringing reconciliation between
the husband and the wife. On the analogy [Qiyas] of these three cases, the scholars of Hadith have pointed out some other exemptions: for saving the life and honor of innocent person from the highhandedness of tyrants and oppressors if one finds no other way to save them.


Notice that neither the above tradition nor the commentary are concerned with dealing with non-Muslims only.


I'm not familiar enough to know how supported this is in text, but I would hope the only time these "lies" would be used would be to avoid persecution. But that last sentence throws that out the window, according to this teacher.

[TexasDevilDog]

http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2004/issue2/jv8n2a6.html
Islam and Denial and Deception

Al-Qa'ida's use of denial and deception operational techniques akin to those employed by intelligence services is also shaped by related concepts found in Islam. Two in particular are relevant here--taqiyya and kitman. Broadly speaking, taqiyya means precautionary dissimulation and keeping one's convictions secret, while kitman constitutes mental reservation or concealment of malevolent intentions. For the most part, the concepts refer to Shi'a practices that have become tenets of Shi'a theology.(12) Taqiyya, the practice of hiding one's true belief under duress, can be found in the Koran. For example:



Let not the believers take the disbelievers as guardians instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, unless you indeed fear a danger from them (illa an tattaqu minhum tuqat). . . Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief--except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with faith.(13)

[exlude]

So Tikayya is okay and Kitman is the one we need to worry about? And Tikayya is the only one of the two supported by the Koran?

[TexasDevilDog]

It is also mentined in Islam that it is ok to do anything, if you need to survive.

[TexasDevilDog]

Thanks exlude for this.
Notice that neither the above tradition nor the commentary are concerned with dealing with non-Muslims only

Damn, I skimmed right over that without noticing the double negative. Frickin, Kitman.

Can you believe this crap comes from the Muslim Student Association at UCLA?

[exlude]

Thanks exlude for this.


Damn, I skimmed right over that without noticing the double negative. Frickin, Kitman.

Can you believe this crap comes from the Muslim Student Association at UCLA?

Lol, I thought I understood it at first...now the sentence confuses me.

Are they allowed to lie to non-Muslims? Or are there no holds barred when lying to non-Muslims?

[TexasDevilDog]

Lol, I thought I understood it at first...now the sentence confuses me.

Are they allowed to lie to non-Muslims? Or are there no holds barred when lying to non-Muslims?

I believe this is the correct way to write it.

Notice that both the above tradition and the comentary are concerned with the dealings with the muslims only.

[exlude]

I believe this is the correct way to write it.

Yeah, then that would mean (I assume) that those exceptions do not apply to non-Muslims. Therefor, it is a sin to lie in any case to a non-Muslim...right?

If that is true, I don't see the point in Kitman.