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Assalam o Aleikum, I am having a confusion in this Hadith

'Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are cut to pieces or burned. Do not abandon a prescribed prayer deliberately. Anyone who abandons it will forfeit Allah's protection. Do not drink wine - it is the key to every evil. Obey your parents. If they command you to abandon your worldly possessions, then leave them for them. Do not contend with those in power, even if you think that you are in the right. Do not run away from the army when it advances, even if you are killed while your companions run away. Spend on your wife out of your means. Do not raise a stick against your wife. Cause your family to fear Allah, the Almighty and Exalted.'" (al-Adab al-Mufrad, qualified as Hasan by al-Albani)

Apparently the health is Hasan. However, where it says "Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are cut to pieces or burned". Isn't it contradicting Quran where Quran says :

“Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a great torment”

[an-Nahl 16:106].

In order to protect your life, you can say words of disbelief, so why this hadith says otherwise? JazakAllah.

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    Keep in mind that it is only permitted to pretend to disbelieve i.e. to say the words. It is not permitted to actually disbelieve. Also it is a concession not preferable, rather it is better to endure and be martyred.
    – UmH
    Nov 8, 2020 at 12:11
  • Also see Leaving Islam because of fear
    – UmH
    Nov 8, 2020 at 14:43

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The verse you're asking about was revealed to Prophet Muhammad when Ammar Yasir bad things about Prophet Muhammad when he didn't really mean it.

الصّادق (علیه السلام)- عَنْ عَبْدِ‌اللَّهِ‌بْنِ‌عَجْلَانَ عَنْ أَبِی‌عَبْدِ‌اللَّهِ (علیه السلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ الضَّحَّاکَ قَدْ ظَهَرَ بِالْکُوفَهًِْ وَ یُوشِکُ أَنْ نُدْعَی إِلَی الْبَرَاءَهًِْ مِنْ عَلِیٍّ (علیه السلام) فَکَیْفَ نَصْنَعُ قَالَ فَابْرَأْ مِنْهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَیُّ شَیْءٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَیْکَ قَالَ أَنْ یَمْضُوا عَلَی مَا مَضَی عَلَیْهِ عَمَّارُ بْنُ یَاسِرٍ أُخِذَ بِمَکَّهًَْ فَقَالُوا لَهُ ابْرَأْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ (صلی الله علیه و آله) فَبَرِئَ مِنْهُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عُذْرَهُ إِلَّا مَنْ أُکْرِهَ وَ قَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِیمانِ.

I told Imam Sadiq: Zahhak ahas entered Kufa and is near our city. He's forcing us to show hatred towards Ali. Imam Sadiq said: Do that! I asked: What is more liked by you? Imam Sadiq said: To do like what Ammar ibn Yasir did when he was arrested in Mecca was told you need to reject Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) and he did such. Allah revealed an excuse for him except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith ( إِلَّا مَنْ أُکْرِهَ وَ قَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِیمانِ)

From: تفسیر اهل بیت علیهم السلام ج۷، ص۷۴۴ بحارالأنوار، ج۷۲، ص۴۰۸/ العیاشی، ج۲، ص۲۷۲/ نورالثقلین/ البرهان

More on this:

Ammar was tortured "until he did not know what he was saying," as was his friend Suhayb; in that state, he eventually maligned Muhammad and spoke well of the pagan gods. Afterwards he went to Muhammad and confessed his recantation. Muhammad asked, "How do you find your heart?" When Ammar replied that he was still a Muslim in his heart, Muhammad said all was well. A verse of the Qur'an, "someone forced to do it whose heart remains at rest in its faith" (16:106), refers to Ammar.

With that verse in mind the only interpretation of this hadith is: It's only permitted to pretend to disbelieve i.e. to say the words. It is not permitted to actually disbelieve. At all times we're instructed to perform our 5 daily prayers. Even if there's a gun facing us, then we can avoid moving our lips, but perform the prayer in spirit. Aside from that martrydom isn't recommended, based on historical evidence and hadith.

The main difference between Taqiyya and lying is that with Taqiyya is that with lying you’re oppressing the other who expects you to speak the truth. However when an oppressor intends to kill you, then he’s is undeserving. Additionally Taqiyya is different from hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is when you’re heart is not with Allah but you only follow the prophet or believers solely for worldly gains e.g. you see the Muslims winning the wars, yet while you truly like the idols you follow the Muslims and pray like them so you can benefit from their success.

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  • JazakAllah brother, beautifully explained. It makes perfect sense that you must not lose your imaan in heart even if the worst thing happens to you.
    – Haseeb Ali
    Nov 17, 2020 at 10:59
  • Not sure why I got the downvote.
    – Thaqalain
    Dec 7, 2020 at 3:52
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The hadith and the verse do not really contradict even at face-value.

The verse "allows" (does not recommend or obligate) people to say words of disbelief when they are forced while their hearts are still faithful. In the hadith, the Prophet (SAW) tells us not to associate anyone with Allah even if we are forced.

Even if we assume that the Prophet meant in words only, it is not contradictory for it to be allowed to say words of disbelief when forced, yet to be recommended not to.

If the Prophet (SAW) meant belief in the heart as well as the tongue, then there is no contradiction since the Quran does not allow disbelief in the heart either.

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  • JazakAllah brother, beautiful explanation. :)
    – Haseeb Ali
    Nov 17, 2020 at 11:02

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