Myth: Taqiyya
Myth: Muslims are allowed to lie to non-Muslims
A popular word used by the Right is "Taqiyya." It's a libel that's turning into a Muslim version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Just as that libelous myth was used against Jewish people, this myth is being used against Muslims. The Protocols of Zion libel says that Jews are part of a vast worldwide conspiracy to control the financial and military might of all nations; the Taqiyya Libel claims that the Qur'an directs Muslims to lie to non-Muslims in order to further the their secret fight to convert everyone to Islam by violence.
According to the Protocols, Jewish people are simply lying if they deny they're controlling the world. According to those who spread the Taqiyya myth, any Muslim is lying to you if you aren't a Muslim, and any Muslim who loves America or hates terrorism is simply a liar, because the Qur'an "directs" them to lie about these things.
Of course, the Qur'an has no such commands. Taqiyya is basically when someone hides their faith when under threat or persecution. If someone has a gun to your head and threatens to kill you unless you give up being Muslim, then it is considered permissible to lie in that situation. An example of this is when one of the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) close companions Ammar ibn Yasir (may God be pleased with him) was being tortured by the polytheist Meccans in early Islam. After Abu Jahl killed his parents in front of him, they tortured him until he said he would give up Islam and worship their idols. After that, he rushed back to Muhammad (pbuh) and confessed what he did. Muhammad told him that if such a situation ever came up again, he should do the same. The Quranic verse came down "Any one who, after accepting faith in God, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from God, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty." (16:106) (Emphasis added)
One of the worst insults you could call someone during the Prophet's (pbuh) time was a liar. The hadith (quotations of Muhammad, peace be upon him) have many instances where he forbade lying:
Taqqiya is only to be invoked in extreme circumstances, so as to save lives. Furthermore, Taqqiya is rejected by the majority of Muslims worldwide. Indeed, most conservative Muslim scholars say that "taqqiya" is just code-word for "liar" and that lying is never acceptable under Islam.
A popular word used by the Right is "Taqiyya." It's a libel that's turning into a Muslim version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Just as that libelous myth was used against Jewish people, this myth is being used against Muslims. The Protocols of Zion libel says that Jews are part of a vast worldwide conspiracy to control the financial and military might of all nations; the Taqiyya Libel claims that the Qur'an directs Muslims to lie to non-Muslims in order to further the their secret fight to convert everyone to Islam by violence.
According to the Protocols, Jewish people are simply lying if they deny they're controlling the world. According to those who spread the Taqiyya myth, any Muslim is lying to you if you aren't a Muslim, and any Muslim who loves America or hates terrorism is simply a liar, because the Qur'an "directs" them to lie about these things.
Of course, the Qur'an has no such commands. Taqiyya is basically when someone hides their faith when under threat or persecution. If someone has a gun to your head and threatens to kill you unless you give up being Muslim, then it is considered permissible to lie in that situation. An example of this is when one of the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) close companions Ammar ibn Yasir (may God be pleased with him) was being tortured by the polytheist Meccans in early Islam. After Abu Jahl killed his parents in front of him, they tortured him until he said he would give up Islam and worship their idols. After that, he rushed back to Muhammad (pbuh) and confessed what he did. Muhammad told him that if such a situation ever came up again, he should do the same. The Quranic verse came down "Any one who, after accepting faith in God, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from God, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty." (16:106) (Emphasis added)
One of the worst insults you could call someone during the Prophet's (pbuh) time was a liar. The hadith (quotations of Muhammad, peace be upon him) have many instances where he forbade lying:
"Allah's messenger did not hate anything more than lying" (Ahmed).
The Prophet (pbuh) was once asked "Can a Muslim be a coward?" He (pbuh) replied "Yes." and then asked "Can a Muslim be a miser?" and the reply was "Yes." The Prophet (pbuh) was then asked "Can a Muslim be a liar?" The Prophet (pbuh) replied "NO! A Muslim can never be a liar". Furthermore, he said "Truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to paradise...Lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the hellfire." (Bukhari).
Taqqiya is only to be invoked in extreme circumstances, so as to save lives. Furthermore, Taqqiya is rejected by the majority of Muslims worldwide. Indeed, most conservative Muslim scholars say that "taqqiya" is just code-word for "liar" and that lying is never acceptable under Islam.
posted by Sulayman at
7:43 PM
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