Criteria for Attributing Conflicting Narrations to Taqīyya in Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām: A Comprehensive Study of the Criterion of Conformity with the ʻᾹmma (Sunnis) with an Examination of One Case

Masjedi, Heydar; Hosseini Fazeli, Sayyid Mohammad

doi:10.22034/hsr.2025.52125.1098

Criteria for Attributing Conflicting Narrations to Taqīyya in Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām: A Comprehensive Study of the Criterion of Conformity with the ʻᾹmma (Sunnis) with an Examination of One Case

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor, Faculty Member at the University of Quran and Hadith, Director of the Specialized Center for Hadith Sciences of Qom Seminary, Iran, Qom.

² Graduate of Level Three of the Qom Seminary, Specialized Center for Hadith Sciences.

10.22034/hsr.2025.52125.1098

Abstract

One of the observable phenomena in jurisprudential Ḥadīth texts is their contradiction (Taʻāruḍ), which makes it difficult to understand their true intent. There are several methods for dealing with this category of narrations. Shaykh Ṭūsī, in his book Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām, utilized multiple approaches to resolve conflicting narrations. One of these is attributing the narration to Taqīyya (dissimulation). Based on the narrative texts of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) regarding the discrepancy in ḥadīths, it becomes clear that various factors contributed to these differences, one of which is Taqīyya. The present study aims to answer the following questions: ‘What are Shaykh Ṭūsī's criteria for attributing narrations to Taqīyya?’ ‘To what extent does the attribution to Taqīyya align with the Fatwas (religious decrees) and narrative sources of the Ahl al-Sunna (Sunnis)?’ ‘Are the reconciliatory interpretations presented in this case considered arbitrary reconciliations or are they based on valid evidences and signs?’ Using a descriptive-analytical method and examining the book Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām, the researchers concluded that Shaykh Ṭūsī's criteria for attributing a narration to Taqīyya are not solely limited to conformity with the views of the ʻĀmma (Sunnis); other standards also exist. With respect to the latter two questions, a specific case study was rigorously validated, and it was observed that in that instance, the attribution to Taqīyya based on conformity with the views of the ʻĀmma, and its reconciliatory interpretations, lack strong argumentative support. It appears that this method was predominantly adopted with the aim of reducing narrative conflicts. The authors' objective in presenting this case is to create a reasonable doubt regarding the Taqīyya-based attributions and reconciliatory interpretations proposed by Shaykh Ṭūsī, so that researchers avoid uninvestigated acceptance and analyze the narrations and viewpoints with greater scrutiny. This study demonstrates that Shaykh Ṭūsī utilized arbitrary reconciliation in presenting some of the reconciliatory interpretations.

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