There will be great rejoicing in the Western establishment media over this, and lots of tweaking of Trump from the Leftist establishment figures such as John Kerry and Ben Rhodes who pushed the Iran nuclear deal. This might be more reassuring, however, were it not for the Shi’ite Muslim idea of taqiyya; Sunnis have doctrines regarding deceiving unbelievers as well, but it was the Shia who made lying a science. Taqiyya as a specific concept by that name was developed during the time of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq, in middle of the eighth century, when the Shi’ites were being persecuted by the Sunni caliph al-Mansur. Taqiyya allowed Shi’ites to pretend to be Sunnis in order to protect themselves from Sunnis who were killing Shi’ites. Until the conversion of Persia to Shi’ism, taqiyya was an important element of Shi’ite survival, for Sunnis, in the majority almost everywhere, would not infrequently take it upon themselves to cleanse the land of those whom they referred to as Rafidites, that is, rejecters — those who rejected the caliphates of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman.
Some Shi’ite thinkers turned the secrecy that had become a necessity into a virtue. The medieval Shi’ite scholar Ali ibn Musa ibn Tawus, who died in 1266, taught that Allah had revealed Shi’ism secretly, and it was incumbent upon the believers to practice it in secret. At the end of days, Allah will admit them secretly into Paradise. Some secrets were never to be revealed under any circumstances. The fifth imam, Muhammad al-Baqir, who died in 732, once gave a book to one of his disciples, telling him, “If you ever transmit any of it, my curse and the curse of my forefathers will fall upon you.”
The sixth Imam, Jafar Al-Sadiq, who died in 765, had a servant who was suspected of having revealed some of the secrets of the faith. The Imam lectured, “Whoever propagates our tradition is like someone who denies it.…Conceal our doctrine and do not divulge it. God elevates in this world one who conceals our doctrine and does not divulge it and he turns it in the next world into a light between his eyes which will lead him to Paradise. God abases in this world one who divulges our tradition and our doctrine and does not conceal it, and in the next world he removes the light from between his eyes and turns it into darkness which will lead him to hell. Taqiyya is our religion and the religion of our fathers; he who has no taqiyya has no religion.”
Other Imams also emphasized the cardinal importance of taqiyya, apparently not only because Shi’ites were under constant threat from Sunnis, but because Shi’ite Islam contained doctrines that must stay hidden from outsiders. Some sayings of the Imams include, “He who has no taqiyya has no faith”; “he who forsakes taqiyya is like him who forsakes prayer”; “he who does not adhere to taqiyya and does not protect us from the ignoble common people is not part of us”; “nine tenths of faith falls within taqiyya”; “taqiyya is the believer’s shield (junna), but for taqiyya, God would not have been worshipped.”
Taqiyya is ultimately practiced in order to protect Islam and the Muslim community. In this case, Khamenei may be employing it to keep more Western countries from implementing sanctions or complying with the U.S. sanctions.
“Iran’s Khamenei says building, using nuclear bomb is forbidden under its religion: TV,” Reuters, October 9, 2019 (thanks to Henry):
DUBAI (Reuters) – Despite having nuclear technology, Iran has never pursued building or using nuclear weapons, which its religion forbids, the country’s highest political authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday.
“Building and stockpiling nuclear bombs is wrong and using it is haram (religiously forbidden) … Although we have nuclear technology, Iran has firmly avoided it,” State TV quoted him as saying….
DANA HATCH says
Quran
Quran (16:106) – Establishes that there are circumstances that can “compel” a Muslim to tell a lie.
Quran (3:28) – This verse tells Muslims not to take those outside the faith as friends, unless it is to “guard themselves” against danger, meaning that there are times when a Muslim may appear friendly to non-Muslims, even though they should not feel friendly.
Quran (9:3) – “…Allah and His Messenger are free from liability to the idolaters…” The dissolution of oaths is with pagans who remained at Mecca following its capture. They did nothing wrong, but were evicted anyway. (The next verse refers only to those who have a personal agreement with Muhammad as individuals – see Ibn Kathir vol 4, p 49)
Quran (66:2) – “Allah has already ordained for you the dissolution of your oaths…”
Quran (40:28) – A man is introduced as a believer, but one who had to “hide his faith” among those who are not believers.
Quran (2:225) – “Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts”
Quran (3:54) – “And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers.” The Arabic word used here for scheme (or plot) is makara, which means ‘cunning,’ ‘guile’ and ‘deceit’. If Allah is supremely deceitful toward unbelievers, then there is little basis for denying that Muslims are allowed to do the same. (See also 8:30 and 10:21)
Taken collectively these verses are interpreted to mean that there are circumstances when a Muslim may be “compelled” to deceive others for a greater purpose.
DHazard says
Lying for political gain actually occurs in the U.S. too. But in Islam, Allah (BLUPH), just loves it. He does it and encourages everyone to join in as you pointed out. It’s just that in democracies they have that damn “investigative” journalism, which means a witch hunt that will eventually uncover a lie, which will then be magnified 1,000,000 times. Did you EVER say ANYTHING that might be used to paint you as “literally Hitler”? Then don’t run for political office since you will have to either double down on your old words or grovel, either of which will cost you the election.
mortimer says
The ayatollahs of Iran all have post-doctoral degrees in TAQIYYA. No Islamic country has taken taqiyya further than Iran. If an ayatollah said ‘It’s a nice day’, I would look for a storm cloud.
mortimer says
To put this nuclear argument right back to Muslims … why would Allah insist on jihad if Allah is all-knowing??
Surely, if Allah is all-knowing he would realize that 13 centuries after Mohammed, there would nuclear weapons, and if there were nuclear weapons, Muslim nukes would have the potential of destroying all life on earth and destroying all Muslims at the same time through a nuclear world war.
If Allah did not know that, then he is not all-knowing and Allah is not real and Islam is false. If Allah knew that there would be nuclear weapons and failed to stop the jihad, then he is asking Muslims to destroy the earth in a nuclear jihad. That would be so repulsive that we would say Allah is not only absurd, but Allah is insane.
Since Islam is absurd and since Allah is not all-knowing, Muslims may admit Islam is false and abandon it with confidence.
Rarely says
I’m a bit confused. Wouldn’t the Christian God know the same things and still allowed nuclear bombs to be invented and allowed muslim countries to have them and fails(ed) to stop jihad? Isn’t He enabling muslims “to destroy the earth in a nuclear jihad” just like the muslim god? Are you saying that whoever God is God is absurd and insane?
gravenimage says
Man has free will, to use for good or evil.
Stanton Lore says
Well, that’s a relief! His word is good enough for me!!
Ray Jarman says
Stanton, +++++++++++1 I know you are being a bit sarcastic but remember St. Gabriel told Muhammad that perfidy was permitted if it aided in the furtherance of Islam. No where in hadith or other Islamic teaching has this been rescinded of which I am aware.
FYI says
I don’t believe “St Gabriel” was the ACTUAL Angel Gabriel.
More likely it was the islamic counterfeit “angel” jibreel who,please note,is defined in islam as being {Sahih Bukhari vol 4 book 60 #3329}”the ENEMY of the Jews”
Clearly,an angel who is antisemitic cannot possibly come from the Actual Biblical God{of Moses,of Jesus… both Jews..}
“Why even satan can disguise himself as an angel of light!”
2 Corinthians 11 v 14
Say hi to “Jibreel”….
Don’t forget al lah calls himself “the BEST of DECEIVERS” k3:54
I wonder what went on in that cave…
jibreel Lo! i am the angel gabriel,here to bring you bad tidings..i..i mean good tidings..with this koran
muhammed well you sure look like an angel:sure i’ll blindly accept that as a fact.Say,there are no errors in the koran are there?
jibreel eh,no:You can trust me on that..
muhammed That’s great! Now i shall fly away on my magical flying horsey buraq…
Ray Jarman says
FYI, I never meant to imply that St. Gabriel of Christianity is the one who Muhammad received revelation. It was meant to say that Muhammad would lie about anything to fill his war chest and line his pockets as well as to excuse his horrific behavior.
FYI says
Polygamy,lying,murdering,stealing from infidels,jihadism,using captured women as sex slaves are all wrong too but of course al lah is OK with these things.
Just read the koran.
islam:”Commandments,what commandments?”
CogitoErgoSum says
So, Ayatollah, why the obsession with nuclear technology? Why aren’t you concentrating on researching other methods of harnessing energy instead of devoting so much time and effort to nuclear development? If I were to see Iran putting its scientists to work on discovering alternate, innovative and less dangerous ways to generate power, I might be willing to believe you, but your actions don’t match your words.
Westman says
Khamenei: “The US must honor the Nuclear Deal or we will start enriching uranium!”
Trump: “Take flying leap…”
Khamenei: “We are enriching uranium beyond the level needed for reactors(hint, think bombs)”
Khamenei: “Keep honoring the deal, EU, or we will continue making bomb material!”
EU: “Whatever shall we do?”
US, Israel, SA, and EU(weakly): “Uhh, maybe we should plan for war.”
Khamenei: Oh, oh. “Building and stockpiling nuclear bombs is wrong and using it is haram(note that I didn’t say we wouldn’t do it)”
gravenimage says
Yep.
Angemon says
Look at what I say and not at what I do…
gravenimage says
Iran’s Khamenei: “Building and stockpiling nuclear bombs is wrong and using it is haram”
…………….
It will be “un-Islamic” up until the moment they use it against Israel…
Keys says
Exactly, because it is permissible to lie and kill for the sake of Islam.
David says
What’s that old saying: ‘No honour among Thieves!’ (Muhammad)
David says
Killing Innocent people is Haram. Oh, I forgot to mention. Only muslims are innocent (well some are, but it is okay to kill apostates)
If Iran has gone ahead with enrichment because the US pulled out, the EU should stop paying ‘protection’ money for the deal which is no longer being honoured by Iran.