A Hidden Hand - A Critique of blood matam

A Hidden HandA look into the historical, jurisprudential, and reactional aspects of blood matam in the general public and international media.Translated by: Hamid Hussein WaqarIntroduction اتقوا الله و آونوا زينا و لا تكونوا شينا جروا الينا آل مودة و ادفعوا عنا آل قبيحImam Hassan al-Askari (as) said: `Fear Allah and be an adornment to us. Do not be a cause of shame for us. With your actions attract all forms of love towards us and distance all negative (people) from us (with your actions).`[1]The Imams of guidance (as) expect their followers to guide all forms of love to their direction and to distance all forms of negativity from them. The heartfelt love and sincere feelings of those who love the Ahl al-Bayt (as) throughout the ages have caused the world to use our actions as a tool for understanding the large personalities of our religion. It is exactly this reason that the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt`s school of thought are trying to find examples in our actions to show the world in order to cause the general public to hate our religious role models (as). This is why we see that most internet sites and media outlets run by the arrogant powers present pictures of Shias performing blood matam or crawling. The Shia wanted to show their affection for Imam Husayn (as) but it has been used to make Shias out to be barbaric, illogical, and violent. They also use these pictures to show that their crimes in Shia lands are committed to control and bring order to these uncivilized people.From another side of the coin, Christian and Wahabi sites show these pictures to keep people away from even thinking about accepting the great, progressive Shia religion.This book is the fruit of an effort in trying to understand the history and jurisprudential stances by the scholars about blood matam.We hope that the religious insight of the mourners of Husayn (as) will bring satisfaction to Imam Zaman (aj) and help provide the groundwork for his return.Muharram al-Haram 1429 The History of Blood Matam1. What is blood matam?Blood matam is an event that takes place in some Shia lands by some of the mourners of Imam Husayn (as). They are trying to imitate how Imam Husayn (as) and the martyrs of Karbala (as) were wounded and murdered by showing that they are ready to give blood and loose their heads on the Imam`s path. The people who do this wear long, white clothes (resembling a shroud) early on the day of `Ashura and they cut their heads causing blood to flow onto their faces and clothes. Some people make vows at this time; some people even make vows regarding their infants and cut their heads with razors until blood flows.The following is a quote from the book The Tragedy of Karbala which characterizes the scene of blood matam in Kazimayn:`The day of `Ashura is a day of mourning in most of the cities and villages of Iraq; Tears and black flags are seen throughout the country – but only the white shrouds stained with blood of those who perfomed blood matam are seen. These are people who while chanting that they are giving everything to Husayn (as) cut their shaved heads, sometimes deeply, with knives and swords. Their oval-shaped processions pass through the streets of Kazimayn to the Haram. Shouting: `Haydar…Haydar` they reach the Haram and strike their heads organized by drum beats. Sometimes these strikes are so severe that their heads split open and blood flows like crazy. Sometimes people loose consciousness and fall to the ground and sometimes they even die from the severity of the blows.The scene of people with their heads split open creates such a barbaric and devastating display that the onlookers become disgusted. Blood flows with the first blow – but people get so caught up in the moment that they powerfully strike their heads so that more blood will flow. Some people strike their heads with buckets so that the danger lessons. Immediately after the procession those who performed blood matam go to public showers and in ancient, cultural methods wrap up their wounds. The mourning groups prepare all of the necessary tools and clothing for blood matam. Other expenses for the poets, reciters, and speakers are also paid for by the mourning groups.`[2]Blood matam, just like Karbala plays, has been a disputed issue amongst the scholars and their followers for many years. The scholars have issued supporting evidence for the permission or forbiddance of it.2. The advent of blood matamThere are differences of opinion as to when blood matam started.[3] The most reliable opinion is that the cutting of the head was a practice performed by the Turks in Azerbaijan which was transferred to the Iranians and Arabs.[4] The Iraqi author of the book The Tragedy of Karbala also believes that such practices were not common in Iraq before the nineteenth century. At the end of this century they started to gain popularity in this country.Therefore, blood matam started elsewhere and came to Iraq which means it is not rooted in Arab heritage.[5]Shaykh Kazim Dajili also accepts this view and says: `Iraqis did not participate in these processions until the beginning of the twentieth century. This practice was first seen amongst the Turkish Iraqis, Sufis, and Western Iranian Kurds.`[6]A report by English sources covering Ashura in Najaf in the year 1919 shows that 100 Turkish Shias performed blood matam that year.[7]Memories of Sayyid Muhammad Bahr al-Ulum support this claim as well: `When I was in Najaf around 50-60 years ago there were only a few Turkish mourning groups. They would come to Sayyid Bahr al-Ulum`s house on the days of mourning and with his permission they would recite emotional poems about Imam Husayn (as). Some of them would slightly injure themselves while listening to the poems in order to try to feel what Imam Husayn felt. Slowly this type of action changed and spread until it reached its peak when it was outlawed in 1935 by Yasin Hashimi, the prime minister of the time. In reality, this oppressive action had an opposite effect [8] - in such a way that the number of mourning groups tripled.` [9]Hajj Hamid Razi (d.1953) was a police man in Karbala and lived to be about 110 years old. He told his memories regarding the mourning of Imam Husayn (as) – about blood matam which he says was not normally practiced in Najaf or Karbala when he was young.[10] There has been no recollection by elder people of Najaf and Karbala saying that there were these processions before the middle of the nineteenth century. These processions where first performed by Turkish visitors from the Qizilbash Tribe. When they would perform a ziyarat to Imam Husayn (as) they would strike their heads with special swords.[11]From a historical point of view it is clear that blood matam did not come to Iran until the Safavid dynasty. There are differences of opinions as to whether it was performed in the Safavid dynasty or after it in the Qajariyah dynasty.A. Blood Matam coming to Iran and the Fadayan MovementThe Safavid dynasty made two important steps in regards to mourning: first, they institutionalized the mourning sessions and second, they brought in new forms of mourning.[12]In addition to adding new tools, the method of mourning was also given a new face in this period. Some of the new methods have been described as: cutting oneself with a razor, hitting oneself with a padlock, hitting oneself with a stone, cutting one’s head with a blade.[13]Professor Yusufi Gharavi said in this regard: `From a historical point of view it seems that the cutting of one’s head in mourning started at the same time as the Safavid dynasty. It was definitely not seen before this time period. But, I have not reached certainty in whether it was prevalent before or after the Uthamanis.It is normal for governments to learn from each other. The Uthmanis had a group called the Fadayan and so did the Savafids. This was similar to the Al-buyeh that was found in Baghdad in the third and fourth centuries.Usually their first lines of mourning consisted of their military. A command was given to the military to perform the mourning processions in an organized way. The Safavid dynasty repeated this action when they came to power. One segment of the Fadayan was the Qazalbash Tribe in the Safavid dynasty. They would shave their heads to show their commitment to serve. Nasrullah Falsafi in his book Tarikh Shah Abbas Kabir (a five volume work that is the most precise and thorough history book of the era) goes into detail about the Fadayan group. It has been mentioned that they would eat the meat of various animals, including snakes, in their training – this is still normal in some armies of the world.As an example, there was a Fadayi group in Sadam’s army that would eat in the same way. In short, the Fadayan’s of the Safavid dynasty would come out with swords in their hands on Ashura with the intention of feeling what the companions of Husayn (as) felt. They said that they would create the same atmosphere as was on that day when the Imam and his companions were shot with arrows – they wanted to show that they are on Imam Husayn’s path and that they are willing to give their necks for it. This was the start of blood matam.`[14]The society in that time did not pay attention to the scholars who opposed this movement until such a scholar as Muqqadas Ardibili, who opposed such actions in the mourning of Imam Husayn (as), was disregarded by the society:[15]`Mirza Abdullah Afandi, a Shia scholar who lived at the time of Shah Sultan Husayn alluded to his opposition to this in his book Tahafah Firuziyah. According to the narration by Jasim Hassan Shabir in Irshadal-Khatib, the story is as follows: Muqaddas Ardibili came to know of some of the unsuitable actions that people performed while mourning Imam Husayn (as). He became upset and forbid people from performing these actions because they are not normal forms of mourning and they arenot found in the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (as). People did not listen to his forbiddance; rather they progressed and became more severe in their actions. He became very upset and to show his contempt he left Ardibil for one of the surrounding villages so that he would not hear people mourn the way that they were mourning.[16]B. The popularity of blood matam in the Qajar dynastyThese forms (cutting the head with blades or razors) of mourning became official in the Qajar dynasty. The popularity preceded the Qajar dynasty by a few years but it was taken to new levels in this time period.[17]Benjamin, America’s ambassador during the reign of Nasir al-Din Shah, described blood matam in his memoirs as follows: `I was in Tehran in 1884. Processions went through the streets showing severe emotion as never before. Suddenly, men wearing white clothes with knives presented themselves and passionately struck their heads with knives. Blood flowed from the cuts they made and their knives until they were covered with blood. It was a horrendous scene which I can never forget. Some of these people in the processions became so exited or lost so much blood that they lost consciousness and fell on the ground. It is possible that they would have died if they were not treated immediately.`[18]It must be said that speakers of that time such as Akhund Mulla-Agha bin Abid Shirvani (commonly known as Fazil Darbandi) in his book Aksir al-‘Ibadat fi Asrar al-Sahadat brought as much fakeness and superstition into mourning sessions as made them popular.[19]There were scholars of that time, such as Sayyid Muhsin Amin Amuli who stated that blood matam was religiously forbidden and satanic. But, people rose up in opposition to them and they were faced with the general public’s fanaticism because of the popularity that blood matam found.These forms of opposition to blood matam not only did not have an effect, they actually caused friction between scholars against blood matam and the general public along with the few scholars who supported it.[20 ] This reached such a level that Sayyid Muhsin Amin Amuli was slandered – it was said that he wanted to change prophetic narrations and prevent religious activity.[21]Chapter 2: A historical movement against deviant mourning by the scholars. The Noble Prophet (s) said: `People of justice must take on the responsibility of protecting the religion in all ages. They must keep the religion pure of false explanations, distortions, and lies just as the Iron worker keeps Iron pure from any additional substance.` [22]Establishing mourning sessions of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) is one of the most effective methods of preserving their school of thought. Therefore, scholars have given a high level of importance to the preservation of these sessions. They also tried to keep them pure of all forms of deviance and fanaticism. This sensitive issue has been paid attention to by the religious seminaries of the modern age as well. The scholars with foresight have done their part in trying to save these processions from the ignorance of the general public and the plans of the enemies.[23]There is opposition of scholars in the modern age to these forms of deviance. They can be discussed in two stages: 1. The first wave: Allamah Sayyid Muhsin Amin (r)''''''''s opposition to deviant practices in mourning sessions and Sayyid Abu al-Hassan Isfahani (q)''''''''s support of the Tanziyah movement.2. The second wave: Imam Khomeini (q)`s opposition to blood matam.1. The first wave: Allamah Sayyid Muhsin Amin (r)`s opposition to deviant practices in mourning sessions and Sayyid Abu al-Hassan Isfahani (q)`s support of the Tanziyah movement.The late Allamah Sayyid Muhsin Amin in his book al-Tanziyah li-Amal al-Shia proved with evidence that blood matam along with some other actions that are popular in the mourning of Imam Husayn (as) not only do not have any reward; rather they are forbidden in religious law. The publication of this work, which was published with the goal of purifying the religion from these innovations, was reacted to so severely by the general public that some of his friends warned him of a mass uprising. He said in this regard: `Some people rose up against this book and caused disruption. They made ignorant people emotional. They told the ignorant masses that so and so forbid the mourning of Imam Husayn (as). In addition to this they accused me of leaving the religion.`[24 ]There was so much propagation against the Syrian scholar that even some people who were labeled religious and frequented his own mosques said that he was misguided. Some people designated their homes and collected money in the name of a holy war against Sayyid Muhsin. [25]But, since the Sayyid was in the right, he eventually prevailed. A little bit after this, Ayatollah Sayyid Abu al-Hassan Isfahani, who was the only marja’ of his time, issued a verdict in support of Amin Amuli and his awakening book. He clearly stated: `The usage of swords, chains, drums, horns, and the likes today, which have become common in mourning ceremonies on Ashura, is definitely forbidden and against religious doctrine.`[26]This verdict also caused division and severe outrage. Some people highly criticized the advice that Ayatollah Isfahani would give in his speeches. They would even curse him. But, he never rescinded his verdict or belief.Ayatollah Sayyid Mahdi Qazwini also stood up in support of Allamah Sayyid Muhsin Amin in Basrah. He wrote against blood matam in his own books. He believed that using metal (chains and sharp objects) in mourning sessions came into existence about a century ago by people who did not know much about religious law. Sayyid Hassan Amin, Allamah Sayyid Muhsin Amin’s son, gave an interesting report in this regard: `Grand scholars