Chapter 11 - On Concealing Faith

“Faith has seventy gates and a few more. The biggest one is witnessing that there is only one God, and there are no partners for Him, and the smallest one is cleaning up the walkways.”

“O' Muala! Conceal our secrets, and do not divulge them since God wil l honor those who conceal our secrets in this world, and will provide him with a guiding light directing him to Heaven in the Hereafter. O' Muala! God will abase whoever divulges our secrets in this world, and will darken his path in the Hereafter leading him to Hell. O' Muala! Concealing faith is a part of my religion, and the religion of my forefathers. Whoever does not practice it, is not religious. God likes to be worshipped in secret the same way that He likes to be worshipped publicly. O' Muala! Whoever divulges our secrets is like one who denies them.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Whoever divulges our secrets is like one who has deliberately killed us, not by mistake.”

“I swear by God that there is nothing on the Earth dearer to me than concealing faith, my darling. God will raise the status of whomever practices concealing faith, and God will abase whoever does not. O' my darling son! The people are in peace. If the decree to the holy Jihad is issued by the Imam (a.s), then the followers do not have to conceal their faith anymore.”

Regarding God's statement: “Twice will they be given their reward, for that they have persevered, that they avert evil with good” [The Holy Quran: Qasas 28:54], Imam Sadiq (a.s) commented: “This means by their perseverance in concealing faith they will receive a double reward. And here good means concealing faith and evil means divulging our secrets.”

Abi Basir said that he once asked Imam Sadiq (a.s): “Why do you not inform us about secrets in the same way that (Imam) Ali (a.s) informed his companions?” Imam Sadiq (a.s) replied: “By God you are right. But can you tell me of even one case when I told you a tradition about something and you kept it as a secret?” Then Abi Basir said: “By God I cannot even remember one tradition which I kept a secret.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Concealing faith is for times when it is necessary to do so, and the person who conceals his faith knows best when to do it.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “Concealing faith is for protecting lives and preventing bloodshed. There is no reason to conceal faith if there is bloodshed.”

Abi Basir said that once he asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) about traditions. Then Imam Sadiq (a.s) asked him if he had kept any of the ones he had been told a secret so that he could be told new ones. When Imam Sadiq (a.s) noticed that Abi Basir was upset he said: “Do not worry about the ones that you told your friends. Divulging traditions means telling them to people other than your companions.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Subduing one's anger during times when the enemies are in power is considered to be a form of concealing faith. It protects the one who conceals his faith, and keeps him safe from trouble in life.”

Ibn Miskan said that Imam Sadiq (a.s) told him: “I think if someone insults Imam Ali (a.s) in front of you, you will chop off his nose if you can.” Ibn Miskan replied: “May I be your devoted servant! Yes, my family and I are all this way.” Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Do not do this. I swear by God that there were many occasions when I heard someone insult Imam Ali (a.s) while there was only a small pillar between the man who insulted Imam Ali (a.s) and me. I hid behind that pillar and when I finished my prayer I walked by, greeted him and shook hands with him.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said the following regarding God's statement: “And slew the Prophets in defiance of right” [The Holy Quran: Al-i-Imran 3:112], “I swear by God that they did not kill them with their swords, but caused them to be killed by divulging their secrets.”

“Whoever does not believe in the practice of concealing faith is not a follower (or Shiite) of Imam Ali (a.s).”

“Whoever does not believe in the practice of concealing faith is not religious. And indeed the practice of concealing faith is more extensive than whatever exists between the Heavens and the Earth.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Whoever believes in God and the Resurrection Day and lives under an unjust government will only talk in order to conceal his faith.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said that God admonished a tribe for not concealing faith and said: “When there comes to them some matter touching (public) safety or fear, they divulge it.” [The Holy Quran: Nisaa 4:83]

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “There is no good in one who does not believe in the practice of concealing faith. And one who does not practice concealing faith does not have faith.”

“One who is not pious is not religious, and one who does not practice concealing faith does not have faith. The dearest one from among you near God is the one who practices concealing of faith the most.” Then the people asked the Prophet's descendent (a.s): “Until when should we continue to practice concealing of faith?” He replied: “Until a predetermined day, the day on which our Riser will rise. Whoever abandons concealing of faith before that day does not belong to our nation.” Then they asked: “O' descendent of the Prophet! From what family is your Riser?” He replied: “He is from my fourth generation, the son of the Lady of the Maids. Through him God will eliminate all oppression from the Earth.” This tradition has been narrated by Seyed al-Saeed Jalal al-Din Abu-Ali ibn Hamzeh al-Mousavi in his book on the authority of his teachers, on the authority of a trustworthy person, on the authority of the Prophet (a.s) and the Imams (a.s).

“Nothing is more pleasing for your father than concealing faith. Indeed concealing faith is a believer's armor.”

“Concealing faith is a part of God's religion.” He was asked: “Is it a part of God's religion?” He replied: “Yes, I swear by God that when Joseph said: “Behold! Ye are thieves, without doubt!” [The Holy Quran: Yusuf 12:70], they had not really stolen anything. And also when Abraham said he was ill and would not attend the party, “I am indeed sick (at heart)!” [The Holy Quran: Saffat 37:89], by God he was not ill.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “Concealing faith is necessary in all issues.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “As the time of the appearance of Imam Mehdi (a.s) approaches, practicing concealing of faith becomes more difficult.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “God will make whoever divulges our secrets- the Household of the Prophet- feel the blazing Fire of Hell.”