Evidence for taqiya is...

Evidence for taqiya is: the Book, the Sunna, intellect, and the ShT’ite consensus. As for the Book, it is enough to mention these Words of Allah, the Exalted,:” 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; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.”[1] So, Allah, the Exalted, permits the believers to pretend to be friends of the unbelievers during protection and fear of their evil (deeds), apart from this verse, there are some other verses we will mention for you in the following pages.

As for the Sunna, what has been mentioned on the authority of ahl al Bayt, and other than they is innumerable. We will mention a part of it within this chapter. It is enough of the Sunna which the two parties (the ShT’a and the Sunnis) have reported abou‘Ammar.

Nevertheless, Allah, the Exalted, forgave him when He sent down this verse concerning him:” He who disbelieves in Allah after his having believed, not he who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of faith.”[2] As for the ShT’ite consensus the rightfulness and necessity of taqiya is very clear. So we will not discuss it or mention its sources, because no two persons differ in opinion about the matter and necessity of taqiya with the ShT’a and their followers.

As for intellect, it is intuitive that a person should protect himself and his valuable things as much as he can. In the meantime it prevents him from casting himself to perdition. Also, the Holy Book prevents him from doing that.

So, Allah, the Exalted, said:” And spend in the way of Allah and cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands.”[3] “And do not kill yourselves; surely Allah is Merciful to you.“[4] The line of conduct of the wise men takes place according to this rational judgment. Rather, the human being practices taqiya by nature.

For example, if you halt at the house of people who disagree with you on your political doctrine and principle and you are afraid of them knowing your beliefs, you will by nature keep what you have a secret without knowing the judgment of intellect and religious law in this connection. If you study the history of Islam from the beginning, you will find that taqiya was a necessity people resorted to.