Importance of Maatam
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa
Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be
upon all of you)
One of our
brothers/sisters has asked this question:
I am what you
would call a `practising Bohra`.
But like you I have had several doubts in my mind about the `religion` that I practise. Perhaps that is because I have read the
translation of the Holy Quran and I understand that
what Islam requires of me is not always what Bohraism
requires of me. I do not entirely agree with you on all your issues - for
instance, I (personally) remember the `shahadat` of
Imam Husein (AS) and the Ahle-bait
and grieve over it not because I believe that for every tear that I shed I will
get jannat but because I think of the supreme
sacrifice that Imam Husein (AS) made for the sake of
Islam.
Of course, I am offended by the belittling of
the tragedy of Karbela by the Bohra
leadership because that is what they are doing when every day, every occasion,
every mazlis, they make us do mataam.
Be that as it may,
I must commend you
for the enlightening work that you are doing. I have just discovered your site
through a friend of mine. While I am still pondering on what is right and what
is wrong, could you please help me with some questions on my mind.
1). I have 2 young
daughters and my wife and I have been discussing on whether we should have them
circumcised or not. I have tried to find an answer from the Holy Quran but have not been successful. Can you please assist?
Does Islam require the circumcision of women? Is it sunnah to do so?
2). Who can lead imamat namaaz?
3). Is `mataam` unislamic?
We have been told that Zainab binte
Ali and Ali Zainulabidin ibn
Husein did mataam. If one
uses the same logic as you are doing, are you saying that the family of Rasulallah (SAWS) who had Rasulallah
(SAWS) as their teacher, were wrong in what they were
doing? 4). Can you shed some light on the circumstances surrounding the death
of Lady Fatima (AS)? Is it true that she was buried secretly at night by Imam
Ali (AS) so as a avert a confrontation with Abubakr? Awaiting your reply. May
Allah bless you.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Importance of Maatam
In the name of Allah, We praise
Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can
misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We
bear witness that there is no one (no idol,
no person, no grave, no
prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone,
and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of
His Messengers.
Ref: Matam
We have already sent you an
answer earlier today on all the issues of matam.
Your question: I have 2 young
daughters and my wife and I have been discussing on whether we should have them
circumcised or not. I have tried to find an answer from the Holy Quran but have not been successful. Can you please assist?
Does Islam require the circumcision of women? Is it sunnah to do so?
The Glorious Quran
is silent on the issue of circumcision.
All the scholars of Islam are unanimous in their opinion that
circumcision for men is a Sunnah of the Messenger of
Allah (saws), and of the Prophets who came before him. There is a difference of opinion amongst
the scholars regarding the circumcision of the woman; and the majority of them
are of the opinion that it is neither a Sunnah
or a deed which the Prophet commanded or encouraged.
Your question: Who can lead imamat namaaz?
If there is a mosque in a
community, and an imam is officially appointed to lead the congregational
prayers; then it is his right to lead the prayers.
But if one or more people are
gathered at a place or mosque, or if the appointed imam is not available for
any reason, then the one who is most pious or the one who has memorized the
most of the Quran amongst them may lead the
prayers. It is the Sunnah
of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that when more than one believer gather at a
place to offer their obligatory prayers, they should pray in congregation and
choose the most pious, or the one who has memorized more Quran
amongst them, to lead the prayers.
Your question: Is `mataam` unislamic?
Matam, wailing
loudly, beating oneself on the face or
body, or tearing one’s clothes, etc. when one is afflicted with a misfortune or
calamity is absolutely prohibited in Islam.
It is reported in
an authentic narration that the Messenger of Allah said: “He is not a believer,
who beats his face, or tears his clothes, or wails, when afflicted by a
misfortune.”
Your question: We have been told
that Zainab binte Ali and
Ali Zainulabidin ibn Husein did mataam. If one uses
the same logic as you are doing, are you saying that the family of Rasulallah (SAWS) who had Rasulallah
(SAWS) as their teacher, were wrong in what they were
doing?
We seek refuge in Allah from
saying that people of the stature of the noble and chaste ‘ahle-bayt’
like Zainab and Imam Ali Zainul
Aabedeen did wrong in the deen
of Islam!
There is absolutely no evidence
in any of the authentic or accepted narrations that Hadrat
Zainab binte Ali (r.a.) or Hadrat
Imam Zainul-Aabedeen ibn Hussain (r.a.) ever did the act
of matam. It
does not behove believers of the stature of the noble
‘ahle-bayt’ to do anything which is against the
direct command of the Messenger of Allah (saws).
Allah is witness, that whoever
slandered Hadrat Zainab and
Hadrat Imam Ali Zainul-Aabedeen
and said that they did the prohibited act of matam
are nothing but liars; and whoever said such a thing will be held severely
accountable in the Court of Allah Subhanah. We seek refuge in Allah from ascribing such
a deed to the noble and chaste members of the ‘ahle-bayt’
of the Prophet of Allah (saws).
Your question: Can you shed some
light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Lady Fatima (AS)? Is it
true that she was buried secretly at night by Imam Ali (AS) so as a avert a confrontation with Abubakr?
It is indeed true that Hadrat Fatima binte Rasool Allah (saws) was buried at night (so was the
Messenger of Allah (saws) buried at night); but it is absolutely a false notion
that she was buried at night so as to avert a confrontation with Abu Bakr!!!
Allah and His Messenger (saws)
made it abundantly clear that no believing man is allowed to see the face of or
unnecessarily encounter a non-mehram woman; whether
living or dead! And it is inconceivable
if any non-mehram male believer even saw the face of
the Leader of the Women in Paradise, Sayyid-un-Nisaa,
and the noble and chaste daughter of the Prophet (saws), Hadrat Fatima binte Rasool Allah (saws), after the advent of the command of purdah in the Quran; leave alone at her burial! Thus, it is nothing but slander and false
stories which some unscrupulous people have circulated that Hadrat
Fatima (r.a.) was buried at night because she did not
want Abu Bakr,
or Umar,
etc. to see her face!
Allah Alone knows best why and
under what circumstances was Hadrat Fatima (r.a.) buried at night! But to claim that she was secretly buried,
is to challenge the bravery, might,
courage and piety of one of the bravest and noblest companion of her
husband and the beloved cousin of the Messenger of Allah (saws); Hadrat Imam Ali ibn Abi Taalib
(may Allah be pleased with him). It is
evident from his whole life, that Hadrat Imam Ali (r.a.) feared no one other than
Allah; and it does not behove this courageous and
fearless Imam to bury his wife secretly.
It is probable and possible that Hadrat Fatima
(r.a.) might have died in
the late afternoon and she was buried in the night by Imam Ali (r.a.) and the believers.
Allah Alone knows best.
Besides, it does not behove a truthful person to have knowledge of the ‘unseen’,
and claim to know the intentions of Hadrat Ali (r.a.) regarding the burial of Hadrat Fatima (r.a.) at
night! It may be that Hadrat Fatima (r.a.)
willed that she is buried at night, or immediately after her death; or even
maybe that Hadrat Ali (r.a.)
chose to bury her at night. Allah Alone
knows best.
Whatever the circumstances
surrounding the death and burial of the Leader of the Women in
The deen
of Islam was completed, the Quran revealed, and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was established at
the time of the death of the Prophet (saws).
Whatever happened after the death of the Prophet (saws) is the History
of the Muslims, and this is in the knowledge of Allah Alone. Allah will not hold us accountable for the
deeds of those people, nor ask us about them on the Day of Judgment. We will be asked about our deeds and what did
we do for the cause of Islam.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 134: They were a people who passed away. They
shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you shall have the reward of
what you will earn. And you will not be questioned as to what they did.
Whatever written of Truth and
benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error
is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He
is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Wister