['Aalim Network QR] Taqiyya and Hadith

[Ummulbanin <workshop@popmail.dircon.co.uk>]

________________________________________________________________________
|                          w           w     w                          |\
|                           ||          ||   | ||                       |\
|                    o_,_7 _||  . _o_7 _|| 4_|_||  o_w_,                |\
|                   ( :   /    (_)    /           (   .                 |\
|                                                                       |\
|           ||  ||         |  ||   |T              |     | ||    |      |\
|   . _, _8 |_D_|| . _,_,_,_D_|| 4_|| q ]_o_7_o   _|_c 4_|_||   _|,_p q |\
|  (_): /         (_): . :            /        (_S           (_S      / |\
|                                                                       |\
|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
|_______________________________________________________________________|\
Assalamu 'alaykum

The following question was answered by Mulla Asgher.

Salaams & Duas
Ummulbanin Merali - Moderator - 'Aalim Network
****************************************************************************
**************

QUESTION:

Is it correct that the Imams (a.s) may have said or done some things out of
taqiyya?  Were these related to matters of fiqh only or also matters of aqeedah?

If this is true, then how can we be sure that an Imam (a.s) meant what he
said even if the hadith from him is attested to by the best and most
trust-worthy chain of narrators?

What about the famous saying from the Imams (a.s) that if we hear anything
attributed to them that contradicts the Quran we should discard it?  If this
yardstick is valid then how can it be reconciled to a situation where we say
we have a reliable tradition from an Imam (a.s) (i.e. he actually DID say it
BUT he said it under taqiyya?


ANSWER:

Taqiyya in Aqeedah is by KITMAAN, which means concealing or hiding one's
belief. This has not been traced in the lives of Masoomeen(as). But as far
as Taqiyya in Fiqh is concerned, we have instances when our Aimma(as) have
guided their desciples to do so in order to protect their lives or honour;
however when the situation returned to normal, they were again guided to
follow the school of Ahlul Bait(as).

The yardstick that Hadith must not contradict the Holy Qur'an is valid. In
Taqiyya, the guidance given by Aimma(as) becomes easily discernible, as it
falls apart from their teachings. The Ulama judge it by comparing the
constant and continuous narrations received, with the Hadith and they also
take into account the prevailing circumstances which lead them to
understand the need for Taqiyya.

Asgharali M M Jaffer