Tatbir
Tatbir, also known as Talwar zani and Qama Zani in Iran and South Asia, is a form of ritual bloodletting, practiced as an act of mourning by Shia Muslims for the younger grandson of Muhammad, Husayn ibn Ali, who was killed along with his children, companions and near relatives at the Battle of Karbala by the Umayyad Caliph Yazid I. The practice was first introduced by the Qizilbash tribe who were instrumental in establishing the Safavid rule. Tatbir is a contested issue among Shia. Most clerics deem it to be self-harm and hence Haram. However, a small minority of Shia do perpetuate the practice in defiance.
Performance of Tatbir
Tatbir is practiced by some Shia Muslims on the 10 Muharram of the Islamic calendar, known as "the Day of Ashura", and on the 40th day after Ashura, Known as "Arba'een/Chehelom" by Twelvers around the world. Some Shia may also perform tatbir on other occasions as well.The practice of Tatbir includes striking oneself with a form of a talwar "sword" on the head, causing blood to flow in remembrance of the innocent blood of Imam Husayn. Some Twelvers also hit their back and/or chest with blades attached to chains.
Views of Psychotraumatologists
Tatbir can be considered a form of physical/religious/ritual abuse. A recent study among 200 Iranian university students showed that 12.5% of students reported being victimized by at least one form of religious/ritual abuse. Among these, 3 individuals reported performing, or being persuaded to perform, tatbir. In this empirical study which was published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Nobakht and Dale concluded that being victim of religious/ritual abuse, in general, and being persuaded to injure oneself, in particular, might play an important role in genesis of dissociative disorders.Views of Grand Ayatollahs regarding Tatbir
Tatbir is contested among Shia clerics, while some traditionalist clerics allow believers to indulge in tatbir, modernist clerics deem it impermissible because it is considered self-harm thus Haram in Islam. Most religious authorities associate all forms of self-flagellation and blood-letting as ways to relate to painful deaths during battle of Karbala by Imam Husayn and supporters.on tatbir by Grand Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh
| # | Image | Grand Ayatollahs | Views | Description |
| 1 | Ruhollah Khomeini | It shouldn't be practised today | “No problem in performing this act, but try to avoid it during these days.” "There is no obstacle if it doesn't cause harm, but it shouldn't be practised today." | |
| 2 | Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei | Impermissible if it causes harm | Many Grand Ayatollahs state that Ayatollah Khoei allowed tatbir like: Mirza Jawad Tabrezi, Ayatollah Bahjet, Safi Golpaygani, Muhammad Shahroudi, Mofti al-Shia, Sadiq Hussain Shirazi and Taqi Tabatabei Qomi.In a question asked about tatbir with the assumption that it doesn't cause harm he replied: "There is no problem in performing such act in itself according to the assumption in the question" “If blood matam and hitting oneself with chains, which are practiced in Muharram, cause serious harm, or harm or ridicule the religion and sect then it is impermissible.” | |
| 3 | Mohammad Ali Araki | Permissible if it doesn't cause harm | "If it doesn't cause any harm to the body or that there is no danger of dying from this act, then it is permissible ". | |
| 4 | Sayyid Sadeq Rohani | Not Forbidden | He said: "I love the youths that do tatbir /Qama Zani and I ask Allah to resurrect me with them." | |
| 5 | Ali Sistani | He did not given any fatwa on Tatbir. | Refer to another Marja for guidance on this issue “Reviving Hussaini traditions is Mustahabb but one is not allowed to harm the body or the noble reputation of the faith.” | |
| 6 | Ali Khamenei | Forbidden | Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran has stated that Tatbir is forbidden. "Tatbir is a wrongful act...Tatbir is also a fabricated tradition...Do not practice it, I do not approve. If someone does anything to display their desire to practice Tatbir, I will be deeply disappointed in them." | |
| 7 | Naser Makarem Shirazi | Forbidden | Muslims should avoid actions that display weakness in the Shia religion and damage the body. | |
| 8 | Mohammad Fazel Lankarani | Forbidden | Tatbir shows the harsh face of mourning of Husayn ibn Ali and it harms Shiism. | |
| 9 | Abdollah Javadi-Amoli | Forbidden | It is not permissible to insult Islam and the desecration of mourning. Therefore, it is better to avoid Tatbir and things like that. | |
| 10 | Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat Foumani | Forbidden | It should be avoided; every act that would be an insult to the Shia. | |
| 11 | Hossein Noori Hamedani | Forbidden | Should be avoided as actions that weakens the Shia religious. | |
| 12 | Hossein Mazaheri | Forbidden | When Wali e Faqih orders to avoid something, all people have to avoid it, even if they do not follow Guardian Jurist. | |
| 13 | Kazem al-Haeri | Forbidden | Tatbir is a superstition that causes the defamation of Islam and Shia Islam in particular. | |
| 14 | Mohaqiq Kabuli | Forbidden | There is no allowance to practice Tatbir or self-flagellation or something else that is considered as self-harm. | |
| 15 | Muhammad al-Fayadh | Permissible if it doesn't cause serious harm to the body | Tatbir is permissible, if it does not cause serious damage to the body. | |
| 16 | Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim | Recommended if it doesn't cause harm | Tatbir as one form of the mourning of Husayn ibn Ali is permissible. It is permitted under the intention of sympathy with God and trust-seeking, to promote searching for trust. "Religious rituals that Shias perform to mourn the tragedies of the Imams of the Ahlulbait and to present the oppressions that they suffered are recommended. However, it is obligatory to avoid what causes harm to the soul or the body. If it does not result in harm, it remains being recommended. One should avoid performing them in a place where the reputation of the Shias is damaged." There are no narrations that mention that "the Imams shed their own blood because of their sadness and grief for what happened to Imam Hussein ". | |
| 17 | Hossein Vahid Khorasani | Forbidden during the present circumstances | "The Ayatullah also goes over the Fatwas of previous scholars on the Mourning rituals and he even states that shedding blood for the sake of mourning Ahlulbayt is Halal." | |
| 18 | Bashir al-Najafi | Not Forbidden | "Tatbir is permitted until it describes sorrow for Imam Hussain". | |
| 19 | Shamsodin Vaezi | Not Forbidden | "Tatbir is permissible and the issue is described in detail in our book Al-Husseini rituals". | |
| 20 | Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani | Not Forbidden | The Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Safi Gulpaygani described the Husseini rituals as a link between all Shiites around the world, including the self-flagellation rituals. | |
| 21 | Jawad Tabrizi | Problematic | "Tatbir is permissible and it is a Mustahab act, this is due to some narrations which state that: When sayyida Zainab saw Imam Hussain's head, she smashed her head into a rock and blood flowed from her head" “The inclusion of the aforementioned under the category of recommended grief for what occurred to the Master of Martyrs is problematic/doubtful.” |
Criticisms
- Tatbir is a mourning ceremony that calls for self-flagellation and consequent blood shedding. At the ceremony, mourners strike themselves with daggers/blades on their head and other parts of their body. It is considered unsanitary as blood introduced into environment through open wounds of mourners can carry dangerous diseases, such as, Hepatitis B, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, Malaria, Brucellosis, Babesiosis, Leptospirosis, Arborviral Infections, Relapsing fever, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, and Viral hemorrhagic fever.
- Tatbir can also cause disturbances in the mental balance of people of society gathering to view it.
- There are different opinion about the practice of Tatbir. Shia believes that it is a form of self-harm, so it must be forbidden. Others who practice Tatbir consider it as "folk practice". According to some sects of Shia, it is felt Tatbir reflects on Shia observers poorly, so they typically avoid it in a region where Sunnis also reside. Abbas Shams al-Din, a Shia cleric, said: "these practices used to be limited and no one paid attention to them, but they have started to spread and defame the image of the event in a huge way."
- Iraqi sociologist Ibrahim al-Haidari has called Tatbir an irrational act. He states blood donations should replace Tatbir. Hussein Al-Sadr, Iraqi cleric and his followers donate blood every year during the mourning of Husayn ibn Ali.
- Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, has also taken steps to end Tatbir. Instead of practicing Tatbir, he offered to donate blood on Ashura day to patients who need it.
- Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine established a Blood bank in Najaf to donate blood on Ashura day to patients who need it.