Karbala in our tradition is continually renewed as long as falsehood prevails. Self-flagellation is not part of Alawite practice because there are no texts that permit it. We replace crying with emulating the master of martyrs, our master Hussein (a.s)

Sender: I am Alawite
Date: 24/11/2012

Peace be upon you, our esteemed Sheikh, and God's mercy and blessings.

May Allah send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.

In these days, we commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), this sorrowful occasion.

My question is: Do Alawites believe in or practice the rituals that Shi'a perform on the occasion of Ashura, such as self-flagellation, crying, and mourning assemblies? Is there any mention of these rituals in the narrations from the Imams or the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)?

Thank you.

Answer:

Peace and blessings be upon Muhammad and his infallible family.

This subject has been discussed previously. Self-flagellation is not part of Alawite practice because there are no texts that permit it. It is a recent innovation that began officially and widely in the Safavid era after being limited to certain groups previously.

As for crying, we replace it with emulating the master of martyrs, our master Hussein (peace be upon him). We sacrifice dearly and cheaply in the way of elevating the word of truth and refuting falsehood, undeterred by the swords of criminals and the pens of slanderers.

Karbala in our tradition is always renewed as long as falsehood prevails, but God's promise is true in supporting His allies against the oppressors, as Allah says: And We have already written in the Scripture, after the mention, that the land is inherited by My righteous servants [Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:105].

It is laughable that those unworthy of mention falsely claim that Alawites deny the martyrdom of Hussein, alleging that Allah raised him as He did with Jesus, peace be upon them both. To this misled person, we say: Refer to the sources accepted by Alawite Muslims and you will see with your own eyes that their respected scholar, al-Khaseebi, confirms the occurrence of the martyrdom and recounts the event with utmost precision according to his trusted sources. The phrase mentioned at the beginning of the section on Imam Hussein is an intrusion into the book due to its contradiction with the content. This is evident and needs no further proof; it is inconceivable for the Sheikh to say one thing and its opposite. This should suffice for those who listen and understand.