Matam

Matam in previous faiths

IN JEWS : Breast Beating

At any time during a confessional, when the words "we have sinned" or words to that effect are stated, it is the custom to beat the left breast over the heart with the right fist. Self-flagellation is common in many religions. The Jewish practice of breast beating however, is not flagellation and is not intended to be painful.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/407512/jewish/Hand-Signs-of-the-Jew.htm

CHRISTIANITY

In the early Christian church, self-flagellation was apparently imposed as punishment and as a means of penance for disobedient clergy and laity. When plague ravaged Italy in 1259, Raniero Fasani, also known as the Hermit of Umbria, organized processions of self-scourging flagellants who practiced the ritual. Adopted first in Central and Northern Italy, the movement developed into flagellant brotherhoods comprising laypersons as well as clergy and spread from Italy into Germany and the Low Countries in the mid-13th century. In the mid-14th century, flagellants fearful of the Black Death sought by their own efforts to mitigate the divine judgment that they felt to be at hand. In 1349 Pope Clement VI condemned flagellation, as did the Council of Constance (1414–18).

German flagellants became an organized sect and were a target of the Inquisition. The practice gradually subsided, but in the 16th century

http://www.britannica.com/topic/flagellation

Its not said here in this Article that just because it was done earlier and other its wrong , What we say is its wrong because we are advised against such practice .

lets start with : what is the difference between

GUM - Grief

Afsoos - Sad

Sadma - trauma or Mental trauma

Matam - A Scheduled organised Ritual

Few incidents to keep in mind

1. Once when Maula ali happened to pass by KARBALA .. he Cried and so much that its said that the land was soaked in his tears ...

2. Another incident given in support of Matam ritual is that Hazrat Ovais karni raziallhutalanhu when he knew that one of teeth of our beloved prophet peace be upon him was sacrificed he broke off all his teeth .

3. They also narrate an incident during the last hours , when our prophet peace be upon him went behind viels , Mother Ayeshaa Siddiqa raziallhutalanha reacted by beating her face.

Ahle Sunnat also have gatherings on Moharram for the purpose that we want to revive the great sacrifice and if we do not remind our people of our pious ancestors then we will be made forgotten by ALLAH .

It should be very well understood that being SAD on that event would NOT be classified as NOT ALLOWED ???

It is Human to cry or Feel Sad on a Loss ,

When some one Dies and a person feels a Sudden sense of Irrecoverable LOSS , depending on Love he/she might react - THIS IS REACTION

those people reacted to this loss , prophet peace be upon him also felt very sad on all those occasions , this reaction was NEVER OPPOSED or made HARAM its senseless even to say that ...

What is MATAM that we Oppose

Making this a RITUAL and CUSTOM

and apart of ISLAM (Deen) - IS MATAM

SHIAS have made this as a new RITUAL which was never seen in the life of Prophet peace be upon him , Any of Khulfa E Rasheedeen including MAULA ALI .

WHY DOES A PERSON MOURN??

on a LOSS or parting of a dear one instance may be When some one Dies ..

Now DID Death(Sahadat) never HAPPEN in the Life of Prophet peace be upon him and his Khulfa ?

Now DID MAULA Ali celebrate ever year the day when Prophet peace be upon him went behind the viels ? NO

DID prophet peace be upon ever arrange for a gathering to remember Shuhda or others OR preach us to do such a thing ? NO

Maula ALI was also Shaeed .

DID IMAM Hussain, or IMAM Hassan ever organise MATAM the way SHIAS do now as a RITUAL ??? NO

BUT what we See shias Argument as She first realised that prophet peace be upon him went behind viels

and when Ovais karani raziallhitalanhu broke his teeth mubarak

COUNTER these questions to SHIAS

WHY did MAULA Ali not break all his teeth , was his Love any less than others - maazallah !!!

Why did FATIMA Tuzzuhraa Raziallhutalanha not break her teeth , why not all sahabas do that ??

one would realize that IF it was done then, It was an Instant reaction ,none made that a Ritual

What Do SHIAS do in Matam

the Entire Crowd as a custom , thinking this is way of Allah or part or deen .

• Beat Chests

• beat faces

• hitting of swords on the heads causing bleeding

• Walking on Fire

• lashing back with blades etc

• and there are many flavors of matam Busheri matam etc ....

We have seen once part of Sunni Argument that it was never done by Prophet peace be upon him and Maula ali or any imams

ONLY in certain history books we find , such events which has no guarantee SINCE a shia is reading book written by SHIA and is free to Forge incidents

problem with that is : such things wont relate or bear any resemblance to the practices during the Time of Prophet peace be upon him or any of his Khulafas or any of his IMAMS ... hence this cant be convinced to person who is studying from core or all sources .. BUT may be convinced(or just TOLD ) to SHIA since he is reading only SHIA TEXT BOOKS

References against this practice from Books recognized by SHIA

Saying of Imam Hussain on the event of KARBALA

"Dear sister, be tranquil and patient. It is not that only the inhabitants of the world die. Those in the heavens do not also continue to live. Everything dies except the Almighty, Who has created the people with His power, and will one day bring them to life again, whereas He Himself is Unique. Dear sister! My grandfather was better than me. My father was better than me. My mother and brother were better than me. It is necessary for every Muslim to follow the Prophet of Allah". After these consolatory remarks the Imam said: "Dear sister! I administer an oath to you that you will follow my advice. Do not tear your dress on account of my suffering, do not scratch your face and do not lament".

ofcourse he knew they will be sad beyond any words BUT he stopped them from starting any traditions .. and as far as i see he knew they would never do anything against islam , but had said this to them as an indicator to the future nation that they should understand and relate facts with that of prophet peace be upon him . as that was the Right time to convey that message.

and to Counter this SHIAS would use another incident which is Found only in shia history books

that

This alleged tradition contradicts other Sahih hadeeth in which S. Zainab[sa] struck her head with a bar in the carriage.

Both these incidents are in SHIA books , now even when this fails they would pick and choose calling narration as Zaeef .. WHICH in other words is saying YES that Narration does say DONT DO MATAM ...

http://www.shia.org/journey.html

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, got up and bathed her face with water Then he said to her:

Sister, fear God and take comfort in the consolation of God. Know that the people on the earth will die and the inhabitants of heaven will not continue to exist (for ever). For everything will be destroyed except the face of God Who created creation by His power (qudra); He sends forth creatures and He causes

them to return; He is unique and alone. My grandfather was better than me, my father was better than me and my mother was better than me. I and every Muslim have an ideal model in the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family. By This and the like he tried to console her and he said:

Sister, I swear to you - and I (always) keep my oaths - that

you must not tear your clothes, nor scratch your face, nor

cry out with grief and loss when I am destroyed.

and its not just this a FINAL VERDICT by Maula ALI HIMSELF

KHUTBA-239

(While burying the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him ), Hazrat delivered the following short sermon.)

O Prophet of God! I love and respect you more than I have loved and respected my parents. Your death put an end to the prophethood, to (the) revelation and to your messages from the Lord. While death of other prophets had not resulted in this way. Your death caused your Ahlay Baith (progeny) to be so grieved that every other grief was forgotten; the grief of your separation became common sorrow and everybody felt it. If you had not ordered us to be patient and not to lament and bemoan loudly, we would have kept (on) weeping and lamenting ceaselessly, though all this weeping, lamenting and bemoaning could not have been comparable with the actual loss of your separation. But death is an inevitable event, nobody can turn death back and nobody can stop it from coming. Please remember us before God and please do not forget us. (Ameen)

[Jafery, Syed Mohammed Askari. Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Khutba 239, 202. ]

and here :

http://www.al-islam.org/nahj/default.asp?url=229.htm : Sermon 235 :

Alternative sources for this sermon

(see Bibliography for details of these texts) (1) Al-Mufid, al-'Amali, 60;

https://www.duas.org/pdfs/Nahjul-Balagha.pdf
Not Sure how long this link will be valid so downloaded pdf attached