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Khifya (secrecy; concealment in worship and theft)

الخفية

Khifya is lexically concealing or disclosing, one of the words with two opposite senses; the jurists use it for concealment. 1 Most jurists prefer silent supplication, as the verse on calling on God humbly and in secret shows, and to avoid show; supererogatory acts are better in secret while obligatory acts are not open to show; the jurists exempt the talbiya on the day of Arafat, which is better said aloud. 12 In theft: taking in secrecy is a condition of the theft that carries the hadd; there is no cutting for the one who snatches or seizes openly, on the report of Jabir that the betrayer, the plunderer and the snatcher are not cut. 23

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Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
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Law and courts

Summary

Khifya is lexically concealing or disclosing, one of the words with two opposite senses; the jurists use it for concealment. 1 Most jurists prefer silent supplication, as the verse on calling on God humbly and in secret shows, and to avoid show; supererogatory acts are better in secret while obligatory acts are not open to show; the jurists exempt the talbiya on the day of Arafat, which is better said aloud. 12 In theft: taking in secrecy is a condition of the theft that carries the hadd; there is no cutting for the one who snatches or seizes openly, on the report of Jabir that the betrayer, the plunderer and the snatcher are not cut. 23

People and things also explored

Ahliyya (legal capacity: to have rights and duties, and to act; its stages from the womb to full maturity, and what impairs it)· Democracy and the Sharia — compatibility and conflict· Fatwa on the satellite channels — its benefit and harm· Secularism and Islam — conflict or concord· Stoning (rajm) as a penalty for zina· Allusion to a proposal during the waiting period· Aman (safe-conduct granted to enemies in war)· Amana (trust, deposit and what is entrusted)

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7743
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7744
  3. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7745
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Khifya (secrecy; concealment in worship and theft)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/khifya-fiqh/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Ideas

Beliefs, concepts, sciences and schools, explained in plain words. Related

Ahliyya (legal capacity: to have rights and duties, and to act; its stages from the womb to full maturity, and what impairs it)

Ahliyya is lexically suitability, and it is of two kinds: capacity to have rights and duties, the capacity of liability; and capacity to act, that is to perform acts recognised by the law. Its bearer passes through the stages of the foetus, childhood, discernment, puberty and maturity. Liability is complete from birth and incomplete for the foetus; the capacity to act is partial at discernment and full with puberty and reason. It is affected by heavenly impediments such as madness, imbecility, sleep, fainting, illness, slavery, menstruation, childbirth and death, and by acquired ones such as ignorance, drunkenness, jest, folly, travel, error and coercion.