It was Never Practiced or Recommended by the Ahlulbayt (a)

by admin

Blood mourning rituals were never practiced by the founders and teachers of Shia Islam. There is not a single shred of evidence that the latter Imams (a) performed blood rituals. The modern day proponents of these damaging rituals shy away from mentioning this glaring fact.

If these rituals had any inherent merit in the eyes of Islam then they would have been practiced by the Holy Prophet (s) and the Twelve Holy Imams (a).

It is very disingenuous and an affront to the holy Ahlulbayt (a) to suggest that they did not practice a ritual that is supposedly highly meritorious. To say that that blood rituals are recommended is to infer that the Imams (a) refrained from a recommended act.

The Ahlulbayt (a) are divinely guided role models for Muslims and it is an obligation upon us to try and emulate them. Therefore it could be argued that the best way to mourn Imam Hussain (a) is by emulating the mourning of Ahlulbayt (a). Since they (a) did not perform these rituals, then the Shia should walk in their footsteps and refrain from performing them. A Shi’i who keeps away from blood rituals is closer in action to the Ahlulbayt (a) than one who performs them.

Considering the very controversial nature of the rituals, it wise to refrain from them and to carefully follow the practices of Ahlulbayt (a) in the manner that has been recommended by Imam Ali (a):

“Look at the people of the Prophet’s family. Adhere to their direction. Follow their footsteps because they would never let you out of guidance, and never throw you into destruction. If they sit down, you sit down, and if they rise up you rise up. Do not go ahead of them, as you would thereby go astray and go not lag behind them as you would thereby be ruined.” – Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 96.

Some of the proponents of blood shedding say that the rejection of the rituals cannot be justified on the basis that the Imams (a) did not perform them because there are many things that we do today (e.g. drive cars, fly planes, use the Internet etc.) which the Imams never did. This of course is very primitive reasoning. Blood shedding cannot be compared to these other things because: 1, It was available during their (a) time whilst these other things were not. 2, The Imams (a) put a great deal of emphasis on mourning for Imam Hussain (a) and never made use of blood shedding even though it was available to them. 3, Blood shedding rituals almost always violate certain Islamic principles and these other novelties don’t.