In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Hishaam Bin Urwah [may Allah have mercy upon him] used to say, “Do not question the people about what they have innovated (in the religion) today because they have prepared answers for it; rather, question them about the Sunnah because they do not know it.” (1)

Ibn Aqeel [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “If the truthful ones were to keep silent and the falsifiers speak, then the creation would have relinquished what they have witnessed (of truth) and reject what they have not witnessed. So when the devout ones desire to revive the Sunnah, the people would reject it and think that it is bidah”. (1.1)

Shaikh Al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allah have mercy upon him] was asked if there is any authentic hadeeth from the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] regarding what people do on the day of Aashooraa, such as applying kohl and Hena, shaking hands, taking a bath, preparing food such as barley and other grains, and manifesting happiness; if there are no authentic proofs, is this considered bidah or not? And do the deeds of the other group (i.e. the Raafidah Shiites) have a basis in the religion or not, such as mourning, showing grief, purposefully making oneself thirsty and scarring oneself, sobbing, reciting (poems), fainting as a result of that and slapping the face?

Response: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Lord of the entire existence. There is no authentic hadeeth from the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] or his companions in this regard, and none of the Imams, including the four Imams (Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ahmad, and Shaafi’ee), have recommended it.  Neither the scholars who authored and collated the texts that are relied on for their authenticity nor the companions and their students reported anything authentic or weak regarding this from the Prophet, neither in the authentic books of hadith nor in the Sunan. The virtuous first three generations of Islam knew nothing about these reports; however, some of those who came after the first three virtuous generations of Islam have transmitted reports to this effect, such as “Whoever applies kohl on the day of Aashooraa will not be sore-eyed in that year.” “Whoever bathes on Aashooraa will not get sick that year.” They also transmitted reports that Adam’s repentance took place on the day of Aashooraa, the virtue of prayer on this day, and that it was the day Nuh’s ark landed on Mount Judi, the day Ya’qub was reunited with Yusuf, and the day Ibraaheem was saved from the fire, etc. They also transmitted fabricated reports and lies attributed to the Prophet saying, “Whoever gives to his family on the day of Aashooraa, Allah will give him throughout the year.” All of these reports are lies attributed to the Prophet. (2)

Then an ignorant and transgressive group arose, consisting of either disbelieving hypocrites or misguided individuals. They declared (so-called) allegiance to the Prophet’s household and observed Aashooraa as a day of mourning, misery, and wailing. They practice pre-Islamic ignorance-related deeds such as slapping the face, tearing their clothes, and calling to pre-Islamic ignorance-related slogans and disbelief. However, Allah and His Messenger instructed that when new disasters occur, (one) exercises patience, hopes for Allah’s reward, recalls one’s misdeeds, and repents, as Allah (The Most High) said:

وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

But give glad tidings to As-Saabireen (the patient ones, etc.). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allah, we belong and truly, to Him, we shall return.” They are those on whom are the Salaam (i.e. blessings, etc.) (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones. [Soori Al-Baqarah: Ayaat 55-57]

And it has been reported in the Saheehayn (Bukhaari and Muslim) from the Prophet that he said, “He is not from us, he who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes and calls to the slogans of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance” (3)

They also recite mournful poems and relate reports that are full of lies. And the truth in them merely renews their (exaggerated and mistaken way of grieving), bigoted allegiance, incitement to hatred and conflict, initiating trials between the people of Islam as a result of that, and reviling those who were first to enter Islam. Even an eloquent person cannot explain the evil of these people (i.e. the Raafidah) and their harm to the people of Islam. [Visit http://www.shia.bs/index.cfm ]

However, they (i.e. Raafidah) are opposed by another group of people who are either Nawaasib (footnote a) or ignoramuses, thus they confront corruption with corruption, lying with lies, evil with evil, and bidah with bidah. On the day of Aashooraa, they write poems conveying joy and happiness, apply kohl, dye their garments a different colour, spend extra on their families, and cook the food they do not normally cook. These people regard the day of Aashooraa as an occasion comparable to the days of celebration and happiness [i.e. the two Eids]. The Raafidah, on the other hand, observe it as a day of mourning, grief, and suffering [i.e. inflicting injuries on oneself]. In this matter, both groups are mistaken and have exited the authentic Prophetic path. Allah’s Messenger, the rightly guided Khulafaa, or any of the Muslims’ Imams, such as Maalik, Ath-Thawree, Al-Layth Bin Sa’d, Abu Haneefah, Al-Awzaa’ee, Ash-Shaafi’ee, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, and Ishaaq Bin Raahawayh, never legislated these deeds. (4)

Footnote a: Imam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: The Nawaasib are the ones who propagate hostility towards the Prophet’s family, slander and revile them, so they are the opposite of the Rawaafid (i.e. those who exaggerate the status of the Prophet’s family until they worship them). (5)

Ref 1: Quoted by Imaam Aloosee (may Allah have mercy upon him) in “Ghaayatul Amaanee Fee Ar-Radd Alaa An-Nabahaanee”. 1/367

Ref 1.1: Shifaa As-Sudoor Fee Ziyaaratil Mashaahid Wal-Quboor. Page 148

Ref 2: Majmoo al-Fataawaa 25/299-312

Ref 3: Al-Fataawaa Al-Kubraa page 1/200

Ref 4: Majmoo al-Fataawaa 25/299-312

Ref 5: Sharh Al-Aqeedah Al-Waasitiyyah 2/283