Hawzah News Agency – Is dissimulation (Taqiyyah) a kind of hypocrisy (Nifaq)?
 
Answer: Dissimulation isn’t a kind of hypocrisy, since hypocrisy is outward expression of belief and hiding disbelief while dissimulation is outward expression of disbelief and hiding belief. What a great difference!
Regarding hypocrisy the Glorified God says: “when they meet those who believe, they say: we believe. But when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: we are really with you. We (were) only jesting.” That is expressing belief outwardly and hiding disbelief which means hypocrisy. But regarding dissimulation, God says: “And a believing man of Pharaoh’s people who hid his faith said…” that is expressing disbelief outwardly and hiding belief which means dissimulation, since a believing man of Pharaoh’s people hid his belief and nobody was aware of it except God, but he pretended to Pharaoh and people that he follows Pharaoh too and in the Holy Quran, Allah mentions his name in a great respect.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi