Like the rest of its unholy brethren within Christianity and Judaism, Islam will often attempt to wear a mask of morality when presenting itself to the world. The unsuspecting Western fool may find themselves swindled into thinking Islam is really just a hippie religion of peace, love and tolerance if they keep their ears open long enough. One of these supposedly benevolent traits of Islam is the fact it apparently encourages only the truth. How could it not? After all, the Quran is the product of the Last Prophet, and is meant to stand immovable and sacrosanct until the Last Day.
These are, in and of themselves, lies. Islam, since its inception, has been defined by its Jihad, its holy war against every other faith, and as Muhammad himself once said: “War is deceit.” And why wouldn’t he say this? He spells it out in his Quran so bluntly. Muhammad and his Allah are of twin minds on the matter.
وَإِذۡ يَمۡكُرُ بِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثۡبِتُوكَ أَوۡ يَقۡتُلُوكَ أَوۡ يُخۡرِجُوكَۚ وَيَمۡكُرُونَ وَيَمۡكُرُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمَٰكِرِينَRemember O Muhammad, when the disbelievers plotted to take you captive, kill, or expel you. They schemed and so did Allah: he is the best of schemers.
Qu’ran 8:30
وَقَدۡ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡمَكۡرُ جَمِيعٗاۖ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَكۡسِبُ كُلُّ نَفۡسٖۗ وَسَيَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡكُفَّـٰرُ لِمَنۡ عُقۡبَى ٱلدَّارِThose who have gone before them also schemed, but Allah is the master of all scheming: he knows what every soul has done. And the unbelievers will then learn for whom the blissful end is destined.
Qu’ran 13:42
وَمَن يَهۡدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدِۖ وَمَن يُضۡلِلۡ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِهِۦۖ وَنَحۡشُرُهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمۡ عُمۡيٗا وَبُكۡمٗا وَصُمّٗاۖ مَّأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ كُلَّمَا خَبَتۡ زِدۡنَٰهُمۡ سَعِيرٗاAnd he whom Allah guideth, he is led aright; while, as for him whom he sendeth astray, for them thou wilt find no protecting friends beside Him, and We shall assemble them on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf; their habitation will be hell; whenever it abateth, we increase the flame for them.
Qu’ran 17:97
Allah is not only a schemer, but the lord and master of all schemers and deceivers, who happily leads men astray all the way into hellfire. Given all this, it shouldn’t be any surprise that Muslims have turned deceit into a way of life. Across articles, you will see references to taqqiya, and have likely had it described to you already. This is, however, only the beginning to the range of their methodology. The Western world has made a grim mistake in taking Islam at its word, and not the apparent reality of any nation which has adopted it wholesale.
As it has been referenced already, let’s begin with taqqiya, as this particular term is the most discussed of the group. For further understanding, Islamic belief will be illustrated here yet again.
Everything in Islam society will, in some way or another, hearken back to Islamic Sharia Law. That is, the gestalt of all that Allah and his Prophet Muhammad have stated through the Quran and the Hadith about any particular matter. Generally, things are either haram (forbidden) or halal (permissible). For the most part, this stands. As Islam “developed” however (and I use that word loosely), this expanded to cover a broader range of “the five decisions” – mandatory, recommended, neutral, reprehensible and forbidden.
Within Islamic Society, Sharia Law is enforced and decreed upon by jurists, those of enough theological “wisdom” (again, used loosely, as Islam has none) to make judgments on any given thing. This is why any Islamic theocracy has the faith police, who enforce poorly defined blasphemy laws and heresy laws, usually on the most helpless and downtrodden.
With all this understood, know that taqqiya, that is, quite literally, deception, is not just permitted. It’s recommended, and even obligatory in some instances.
Traditionally, the term taqiyya is sourced from the Quran’s Surah 3:28 – Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying (لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيۡسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِي شَيۡءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ تُقَىٰةٗۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسَهُۥۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ)
To quote the Islamic scholar A’la Maududi: “This means that it is lawful for a believer, helpless in the grip of the enemies of Islam and in imminent danger of severe wrong and persecution, to keep his faith concealed and to behave in such a manner as to create the impression that he is on the same side as his enemies. If he considers himself incapable of enduring the excesses to which he may be subjected, he may even state that he is not a believer.”
Muslims, if willing to confess to even this much, will claim that this is only to defend their life. After all, who wouldn’t lie to save their own life? The 14th century Islamic manual Reliance of the Traveler however, gives a far more revealing explanation.
“When it is possible to achieve an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible, and lying is obligatory if the goal is obligatory.”
And the most damning example of all comes from the suitably named Al-Taqiyya Fi Al-Islam.
“Taqiyya [deception] is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it. We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream…Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era.”
If you’ve read the article on Sunni Wahhabism specifically, you’d already be familiar with its place in the modern era. Throughout all of history however, Muslims will even use it on each other. Taqqiya is, by and large, the root and reason for Shia Islam even surviving at all, given the Sunni Islam majority holds dominion over most traditionally Islamic territory, with Sunni hardliners (like the Wahhabists) often being very willing indeed to simply kill them if ever they get the chance.
Speaking of the Sunni Wahhabists and their ilk, don’t assume for a second that, just because they haven’t been put into the same set of circumstances as their Shia brethren, that they haven’t utilized taqiyya at length. Yes, Arabs and such will often point fingers at Iranians and other ethnic groups and claim they’re morally superior, when by and large, they generally are not. If you’ve read our articles on Wahhabism or Dubai you’d know this already.
For an example, in 2008, during an inter-faith conference, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia himself described Islam as “…a religion of moderation and tolerance, a message that calls for constructive dialogue among followers of all religions.” It was only days later that people learned Saudi Arabian schoolbooks for children described people of these other faiths Abdullah spoke to as everything from “infidels” to “pigs and swine.” “Who is a true Muslim?” asks a multiple-choice question for preteen children. The correct answer being “a man who worships God alone, loves the believers and hates the infidels”. Is it not these very same infidels that the Saudis want relations with? Want to, supposedly, have visiting their country, spending their tourist dollars, engaging in their multi-billion dollar entertainment industries, and so on?
Perhaps Abu Darda, one of Muhammad’s own companions, summarized it best when he said “let us smile to the face of some people while our hearts curse them.”
Speaking of Muhammad, it’s not as if this was something he himself merely spoke of, but put to practice, consistently and repeatedly.
During the Battle of the Trench in 627 AD, when Muhammad and his gang of thugs fought “the Confederates” (which included his own birth tribe of the Quraysh), one particular Arab from the Ghatafan tribe by the name of Naim bin Masud, entered the Muslim camp and professed his dedication for Islam, and his yearning to be a tool in the war.
The Confederate tribes, however, were completely oblivious of Naim’s conversion, and Muhammad knew this. Naim was then sent back to the Confederates and began levying his position among them to offer bad advice and instigate quarrels, between individuals and even the tribes that built up the Confederates. Eventually they distrusted each other so fiercely, a planned Confederate siege disbanded. Indeed, Muhammad proved his point when he said war was deceit.
War however, is only one such instance. Muhammad, as dedicated readers will know by now, is a petty, spiteful individual who will demand the murder of others.
Ka’b ibn al-Ashraf was a poet, believed to be belonging to the Jewish Banu Nadir tribe. Great lengths are gone to in the Quran to denote his shifty, troublesome behavior, but this is somewhat beside the point when it comes to the ultimate pettiness of Muhammad. A few poems which derogatorily referred to Muslim women in apparently obscene ways was enough for Muhammad to cry “who will kill this man who has hurt Allah and his Prophet?” How one hurts the supposedly omnipotent Allah is anyone’s guess. Fact remains, it could have been anyone from any tribe, Muhammad would have (and did, in many other circumstances), come to the same ultimate conclusion; kill the man because he upset me.
A very young Muslim fellow by the name of Muhammad ibn Maslamah offered to undertake the task. Maslamah told Muhammad that, in order to undertake this slaying, deception would be a necessary act, and Maslamah actually felt somewhat troubled about it. Muhammad, on the other hand, simply told him it was completely fine, to not feel bad and to go ahead with the killing.
Maslamah traveled to Ka’b and begin smearing the name of Islam at length, as well as its Prophet. He did this so much that Ka’b eventually became trusting that the man, indeed, hated Muhammad. Then, when the time came that Ka’b let his guard down, Maslamah summoned some backup Muslim thugs and together they cut his head off, announcing to the world “Allahu Ackbar!” as they did so. Little did the world know at the time how many acts of violence would be followed by these two words thereafter.
One can further argue that the Quran itself is one great work of taqiyya. If you’ve read the series on Contradictions in the Quran, you’d know that it’s constantly at odds with itself. In many cases, this can be attributed to stupidity and poor writing (though one could still label ignorance, willful or otherwise, as a form of deceit). However there are enough specific instances where you have to begin wondering just whether the author had actual intent in the first place. This is where the Islamic concept of abrogation is relevant.
For those who aren’t familiar with the term, the generic definition is the “repeal or abolition of a law, right, or agreement.” In the Islamic context, Muslim authorities, councils and arbiters have to contend with the specific implementation of Sharia Law in society. As you could imagine, when the Quran specifies two completely contradicting things, the issue arises on how precisely you implement this into a law that functions in reality (outside of arbitrary picking and choosing, which still happens frequently enough).
To plainly illustrate an example, before highlighting taqiyya further, I’ll grant two examples.
لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌLet there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood.1 So whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Qu’ran 2:256
فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلۡأَشۡهُرُ ٱلۡحُرُمُ فَٱقۡتُلُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَيۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡ وَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱحۡصُرُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡعُدُواْ لَهُمۡ كُلَّ مَرۡصَدٖۚ فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُاْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ,And when the inviolable months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakāh (almsgiving), let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Qu’ran 9:5
In this situation then, how does abrogation function? Simple. It’s Muslim doctrine that verses that came later in Muhammad’s career as the Last Prophet take precedent over earlier ones, in situations where there’s a contradiction.
Given the idiocy of the Qu’ran as a text has been explored at length in separate articles, I won’t overly fixate on that here, but, for the sake of record, I’ll still highlight the issues with this before moving on.
Muslim theologians will typically say that Surah 2:105-6 supports naskh, that is, abrogation, as does 16:101. Surah 2:85, 6:34, 6:115, 10:64 and 18:27 however all specify that abrogation is impossible and the word of Allah is final. 10:64 outright says there is “no changing the word of Allah.” Moreover, with the understanding that the Quran was “revealed” to Muhammad by Gabriel from Allah, this makes the whole concept fall apart entirely.
Once you’re in acceptance of the fact that the Qu’ran has no divinity within it whatsoever, the reality of why this happened is more apparent. It’s a simple reflection of Islam’s growth, and, frankly, a better look at its true nature and why taqiyya is such a core pillar.
When Islam was at its weakest, with only a few dozen followers at best, it was within Islam’s interest to play religion of peace. This veneer soon melted away the moment Muhammad and his bandits had any sort of strength in numbers. Gone was co-existence, thus began the time of warfare and oppression.
It’s for this reason these articles contain reminder after reminder about Islam in the modern West. You only hear notions of co-existence coming out of Muslims when they’re forced into positions of minority. Yet one need only look at the state of the Middle East to see what happens when Islam holds a dominant position. Ultimately, the final position of Islam, as decreed by its own “wise men”, is that it, according to Islamic Law, must go on the offensive once that position of strength is held.
And that’s how taqqiya is relevant here. Contradictions within the text itself offer an easy way for any Muslim to beguile their opponents. If an oblivious stranger asks, “is Islam a religion of peace?” a Muslim will nod their head and say, “yes, just read these verses.” The oblivious stranger, knowing nothing of the Quran, will believe the entire book is like that and may even go on to defend it in discourse. Contradictions are proof of the Quran’s (and Muhammad’s) idiocy, but they’re also a useful tool for the Islamic to say one thing and perform another without (technically) going against the nature of their faith.
And the nature of that faith is a brutally simple one. Islam in this context exists within a dichotomy. The House of Islam (Dar al Islam) will continue its jihad until The House of War (Dar al Harb – also known as the House of Non-Muslims) is utterly consumed by the former. Ibn Khaldun, a Muslim historian from the 1300s, says it very plainly.
“In the Muslim community, holy war [jihad] is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and the obligation to convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force… Islam is under obligation to gain power over other nations.”
Even the definitive Encyclopedia of Islam states that the duty of jihad is obliged until such a time that Islam is universal across nations, and that any arrangement until then is purely temporary and circumstantial. Peace in the indefinite sense is to be avoided, and treaties encouraging such, even if agreed to for set amounts of time, can be reputed the moment it’s more convenient for Islam collectively to do so.
How is the entire non-Muslim world not up in arms about this? Why is the West collectively obliged to swing wide its doors to a group of people who, by their own confession, are simply waiting for a position of strength before they make their attack? Look at any area in Europe with a Muslim majority, and you begin to see an immediate backward slide into Sharia Law and hostility towards the host nation. There’s a very good reason terrorists have always smuggled themselves in amidst supposed asylum seekers, and why these groups have, traditionally, been made up of not helpless women and children, but fighting age men. Anyone at this point, should be able to see the clear and present writing on the wall. It doesn’t matter what representatives of Islam have spoken verbally when the ground zero reality is what it is.
To quote Muhammad himself, from one of his own very revealing lines in the Hadith: “If I take an oath and later find something else better, I do what is better and break my oath.”
Extremist Muslim sects will, by and large, justify their violence by expressing any number of supposedly righteous woes with the West. Yes, Western backing of Israel is inexcusable, and you won’t find any sympathy here for it. That being said, terrorist organizations enjoy playing the victim, implying that, were the big bad United States and other forces not present in the Middle East, there would be no problem (nevermind the violence Muslims inflict on each other and other smaller folk religious groups in the region). It’s convenient, for them to act like it’s a fight for the right to exist. And this is the taqiyya. Pull away the veil, and their leaders, like Bin Laden, will offer you the actual truth of why they do what they do.
“As to the relationship between Muslims and infidels, this is summarized by the Most High’s Word: ‘We renounce you. Enmity and hate shall forever reign between us – till you believe in Allah alone’ (taken Surah 60:4). So there is an enmity, evidenced by fierce hostility from the heart. And this fierce hostility – that is battle – ceases only if the infidel submits to the authority of Islam…”
That, one should realize, is the actual truth. Keep in mind, this was Bin Laden’s response to a few “moderate Muslims” expressing sympathy over what happened on 9/11. If you asked any of them whether they thought humanity should mass convert to Islam or not, I’m sure you could guess the answer. Bin Laden was just saying what they were thinking.
The Part 2 final for this topic will focus on some of the more obscure sub-genres of taqqiya.
English