“The Ismailis have almost continuously faced the hostility of the majority of Muslim dynasties and groups. Indeed, they have been amongst the most severely persecuted communities in the Islamic world. As a result, the Ismailis have been obliged for the most part to live clandestinely, guarding secretly their religious beliefs and literature.”
('Ismailis - Their History and Doctrines' by Farhad Daftary )
This is how one of the definitive tomes on Ismailism opens. Secrecy, it shows, is woven into the very fabric of Ismailism.
The concept of 'taqiyya' (disguising one's true belief under adverse circumstances) is not unique to Ismailis. It is a theme of Shia Islam, developed in its earliest days to safeguard Shias against persecution by the majority Sunnis.
Over the centuries it has been used by Ismailis across the continents to survive in hostile conditions; from disguising themselves as Hindus in India to feigning atheism in the ex-Soviet Union.
Ismaili scholars admit that at times this secret has run so deep that it created a degree of syncretism. One of the more recent challenges has been the effort to reconcile Persian Ismailism with the Ismailism that grew up in India and is dotted with Hindu myth and theology.
Taqiyya has also been interpreted by Ismailis to mean there is an obligation not to reveal the secret, hidden truths of their faith to non-believer although, in the relative security of the West, some of these potential barriers to dialogue are coming down.
Originally published 1 year ago