Question: misuse of Azadari

Question: misuse of Azadari

Are the practices of Alam, Taboot, Zuljanah, Zanjeer-Zani allowed in Azadari?  Can you please elaborate?  Under the current circumstances are these things in Azadari allowed or not, when others are getting the wrong impression about Islam?

Thanking you in anticipation.

Answer

Practices such as Alam, Taboot, Zanjeer-Zani, are allowed in AZADARI.  This is because there is nothing illegal or Haram in these practices.  If something is abused, then this abuse does not make it illegal, but the abuse must be eliminated, or if there were any wrong or illegal – Haram - practices then those Haram practices must be eliminated not the AZADARI.

You had mentioned that these things in AZADARI, or the AZADARI itself, are giving others the wrong impression about Islam, or false impression about Fiqh. 

In Islam, the legal or the illegal – the Halal or the Haram– are not based upon the impression others get, otherwise there are a lot of people who consider the Hijaab which Islam has made obligatory for women as oppressive, and they go on to condemn Islam for this as being an oppressive religion towards women.  Does this mean that we should abandon Hijaab because of the impression others have got about Islam or should we try to make them understand the wisdom and philosophy of Hijaab, which the people in the West have started to appreciate and praise these days?

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Question: violence / innovation?

I had a fellow brother at the Mosque mention one of the teachings of Imam Shirazi. The teaching in question deals with Ashura and the beating of swords and chains. This brother mentioned that Imam Shirazi says that it is allowed to use swords and chains and the drawing of blood, while someone else has said it is not allowed. Please enlighten me on Imam Shirazi's teachings regarding this. I personally do not agree with violence in Ashura. I dare to say that I could not imagine Imam Hussain (AS) would even want us to hurt ourselves. In fact I would think he died to keep real Islam alive and keep us from going the deviant path of innovators.

Answer

Any action of a Muslim may fall in one of the following categories:

Haram        (not allowed)

Makruh       (detestable/undesirable but not Haram)

Halal          (Allowed)

Mustahab    (desirable but not Waajib)

Waajib        (Obligatory)

As with the issue of hitting the head with swords (Tatbir in Arabic or Qamah-Zani in Farsi) Imam Shirazi is not exceptional in any way to permit, and encourage, this action in Ashura. In fact ALL high-ranking ‘ULAMA and AYATOLLAHS not only have allowed this, and continue to do so, but for the entire history of the Shi'a over the past fourteen centuries, they have always encouraged this, declaring Tatbir or Qamah-Zani as very Mustahab indeed.

And it should be pointed out that if one suffers hardship in the cause of commemorating Imam Hussain (AS), then so be it! Imam Hussain (AS) is a special case. He went out of his way to save Islam, and offered all he had in this cause, not only worldly possessions, but his Ahl-ul-Bayt and sons . . . from Ali al-Akbar to his toddler sons . . . and not only that but his womenfolk (wives, sisters, daughters, nieces) were left at the mercy of the most ruthless people on earth to be taken prisoners. Whatever we do is not sufficient for what Imam Hussain (AS) did.

Needless to say the first person to perform ‘Tatbir' was Hazrat Zaynab al-Kubra (AS), the sister of Imam Hussain (AS). The family and supporters of Imam Hussain (AS) were and being paraded as prisoners in Kufa, and the people of Kufa booing the prisoners, when they started parading the head of Imam Hussain (AS) on long spears, along with other heads, to show her anguish Hazrat Zaynab (AS) hit her forehead against the supporting rod of the cabin she was traveling in. She therefore set the first precedence of Tatbir for Imam Hussain (AS).

So in short, Tatbir has always been recommended as Mustahab by the overwhelming consensus of the ‘ULAMA and there has rarely been any, if at all, high-ranking ‘Aalim ever to have declared otherwise.

As for Iran , significant number of devotees, just as in many other countries, have always performed Tatbir for many years (or rather centuries), and in recent years despite its prohibition being enforced by the authorities, people continued to perform this duty. In the last couple of years even the authorities there have started to turn a blind eye to such programs given the insistence and eagerness of the people to perform Qamah-Zani.

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Question: Is shedding of blood on Ashura allowed?

What is your position of Zanjeer and the use of knives, blades, and hooked

Chains to shed your own blood during Muharram ... Is this sort of act Haram, Halal or Makruh? Is this the Sunnah of the Ahl-ul-Bayt at all?

Answer

The shedding of blood during Muharram for Imam Hussain, peace be upon him, is not only Halal, but it is also very Mustahab indeed, and all PROMINENT scholars and religious authorities - Maraje' - always encouraged it throughout the history of Islam. This included the Tatbir or Qamah-Zani - which is the hitting of the head with swords. The Maraje' have even decreed that it is acceptable and permissible if one is harmed in this process, provided of course the injuries sustained do not constitute permanent injuries or endanger the life of the individual.

The people who practice Tatbir take lead, amongst the teachings of other infallibles, from Zaynab al-Kubra, heroin of Karbala and sister of Imam Hussain peace be upon them. Zaynab peace be upon her was the first person who hit her forehead to a bar inside the carriage she was in, causing considerable bleeding, when the head of al-Hussain (AS) was being paraded in Kufa. This is one evidence that the shedding of blood is permissible; whether from the head or from the back etc. The infallible Imam Zayn-el-'Aabidin (AS) used to address Lady Zaynab al-Kubra (AS) by saying to her

"You are al-Hamdu-Lillah an untaught scholar" - "Anti al-Hamdu-Lillah 'Alimah Ghayr Mu'allimah"

This statement is seen by scholars as indicating a degree of infallibility for Lady Zaynab (AS).

There are also reports that Imam al-Saadiq (AS) arranged for SHABEEH or enactment about Ali the Junior (Ali al-Asghar the son of Imam Hussain (AS) whose throat was slashed by Harmalah when the imam sought water for him) to recreate the scene of Karbala for the people, and the Imam (AS) does not hold this enactment solely for the Ali al-Asghar but for all the martyrs of Karbala.

On another occasion a poet comes to the Imam (AS) and asks permission to recite a poem about al-Hussain (AS). The Imam (AS) said to the poet to wait so that he could set up a Hijaab to that the women could come to the Majlis and listen to the lamentation. When the Hijaab was set up the imam invited the women to come to the Majlis and asked the poet to start reciting, which he did. The imam (AS) stopped him asked him to recite the lamentation in way and dialect, which he does it in their hometown (in Iraq for example).

All these indicate that the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) used to teach and proactively encourage their followers to uphold the memory, torment, and the teachings of Imam Hussain by words and poetry, by enactment - SHABEEH - to recreate the scenery of the day of Ashura in Karbala, and by show devotion to Imam Hussain in Tatbir as shown by Zaynab al-Kubra (AS).

Last, but not least, al-Imam al-Mahdi (AS) states in his "Zeyarat al-Nahiya" addressing Imam Hussain (AS):

" . . . . now that I could not help you when you needed most help . . . I shall mourn you every morning and every evening, AND I SHALL CRY BLOOD FOR YOU INSTEAD OF TEARS . . . "

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Question: Is Tatbir allowed?

Is the practice of TATBIR, hitting one's head by sword to cause bleeding, allowed in Islam? 

Are there any other Marje', alongside Grand Ayatollah Imam Muhammad Shirazi, who considers TATBIR as Halal in Islam or even MUSTAHAB?

There are people who do TATBIR on Ashura in Bahrain , is it practiced anywhere else in the Muslim world?

Answer

Practicing TATBIR is highly encouraged by Islam, as can be seen from the decrees of the most prominent MARAJE' of Islam.  Ayatollah al-Udhma Imam Muhammad Shirazi is not the only one who has allowed the Sha'a'er al-Hussaini, but in fact all of the most prominent MARAJE' have also allowed these. 

If you wish to see the list of some of the names of the most eminent Ulema and Maraje' who allow TATBIR click here.

It should be interesting for you to know that TATBIR is not only practiced in Bahrain, but it is also practiced in many countries around the world such as Saudi Arabia - al-Ihsaa', Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries, United States of America and Canada.