Karbala

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (rahmatullahi alaih) recorded a Sahih hadith that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud (radiallahu anh) said, "The Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) drew a line with his hand (in the sand) and said, "This is Allah's path, leading straight." He then drew lines to the right and left of that line and said, "These are the other paths, on each path there is a devil who calls to it." He then recited, And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path.'" [al-Qur'an - 6:153]

Many non-Muslims and even some Muslims may have been shocked to see images on the TV and newspapers of the Shi'a practices on Ashura - the 10th of the Islamic month of Muharram.

In the western calender Ashura fell last Thursday, and many Shi'a will be making this occasion during the weekend and marching today up and down Britain, beating themselves, cutting themselves, even cutting their children all in the name of Islam.

The images are truly shocking and more so because such behaviour has nothing to do with the teachings of Islam at all but with the sect of Shi'a Islam called the Rafadiyyah, a sect whom many scholars classify as disbelievers but still people continue to associate such images with orthodox Islam and so reject it looking into it or learning about it.

Al-Bukhaari (1294) and Muslim (103) narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, rends his garment, or cries with the cry of the Jaahiliyyah."

These people who cut themselves, and whip themselves are following one of the paths of Iblis, away from the purity of Islam and down the lanes and streets of Bidah (innovated religious matters) towards the kufr and shirk which is the Rafadi faith.

They are following the paths of some misguided Christians in the middle ages who would whip themselves and beat themselves and others in their name of their own religion and we should remember Allah's final messenger warned against following the people who came before us into misguidance,

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (radiallahu anh) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Allah's Messenger, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)?
Recorded in Sahih Muslim, book of knowledge

What the Shi'ah do on 'Ashoora' of beating their chests, slapping their cheeks, striking their shoulders with chains and cutting their heads with swords to let the blood flow are all innovations that have no basis in Islam. These things are evils that were forbidden by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who did not prescribe for his ummah to do any of these things or anything similar to them to mark the death of a leader or the loss of a martyr, no matter what his status. During his lifetime (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) a number of senior Sahaabah were martyred and he mourned their loss, such as Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, Zayd ibn Haarithah, Ja'far ibn Abi Taalib and 'Abd-Allaah ibn Rawaahah, but he did not do any of the things that these people do. If it was good, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have done it before us.

Ya'qoob (peace be upon him) did not strike his chest or scratch his face, or shed blood or take the day of the loss of Yoosuf as a festival or day of mourning. Rather he remembered his missing loved one and felt sad and distressed because of that. This is something no one can be blamed for. What is forbidden is these actions that have been inherited from the Jaahiliyyah, and which Islam forbids.

So people should know such practices are not from Islam, not part of Islam and the sect that practices them are judged to be outside Islam as a sect due to their many beliefs and practices which are major acts of disbelief, such as making du'a to their imams, cursing the Sahabah (radiallahu anhum( and insulting the mothers of the believers such as Aisha (radiallahu anha).

We ask Allah to guide us to all the straight path, and not the paths of those who are misguided, ameen!

Karbala

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