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Hundred Questions - Taqiyyah (Religious Secrecy)
Taqiyyah (Religious Secrecy)
Q62 If Christians can openly practice all their religious beliefs, why cannot we openly practice our religious beliefs?
A62
- Why should it be necessary for us to follow what Christians follow, and not to observe the fundamental principles of Islam?
- In some of our beliefs, it is necessary for us to practice taqiyyah. Taqiyyah is our religion, the religion of our Imams, and the religion of the true Messenger of God, which is Islam.
- If you reflect for a while on the Qur'an, the traditions and the exemplary life of the pure Imams, you will come to know that in many matters of the religion of Islam, the principle of taqiyyah has remained dominant. Therefore, it is better to practice taqiyyah, for it embraces all kinds of security.
- Islam is the religion of nature. Therefore, its law is the law of the universe and the existents. That is, this law has been contrived to protect everything and every creature from dangers that occur from time to time. Thus in religion, taqiyyah means to keep secret those matters, which could cause mu'mins to be in danger and could cause the followers of the Imam to face unnecessary troubles and hardship.
- We should try to mould all our words and deeds in accordance with the holy commands and farmans of the Imam of the time and we should not take recourse to blindly imitating others, while we have the light of guidance (nur-i hidayat), which no one else has.
- From the beginning [of these questions] to this point, all such questions, which hold non-Isma`ili beliefs as their benchmark, and which have been asked by our brothers and sisters, are wrong in their very basis. It is not correct to look at the beliefs of others and ask: Such and such a thing exists in such and such a religion; why don't we have it in our religion? It is an illogical way to pose questions and the reason for this is mentioned above.
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