Crying, Weeping & Self Flagellation
The question get's asked many times which is why do the Shia beat and cut themselves ?
The answer to the question is very simple and can be put into one word called "LOVE".
If you are a Person who is capable of being able to feel and give Love then will you be more comfortable in accepting our practices.
Crying, Weeping and self flagellation are put into one single word that we use which is called Azadari.
We as the Shia of Ali perform Azadari when remembering how mercilessly the Prophet's Family was butchered during the Battle of Kerbala by the so called Muslims.
Imam Hussain has made the greatest of sacrifice in Human history and listening to how he along with his Family Members were treated and one by one killed is what touches our Hearts.
If you look at the holiest of men that have stood on the Earth do we see Men like Jesus and Imam Hussain and they attained that status not only through their lineage but more importantly because they sacrificed to an extend that blood was pouring out of their bodies and that was most loved by Allah.
Our Azadari especially zanjeer and tatbir is the highest form of worship out of love without asking for anything in return.
If you look at the holiest of men that have stood on the Earth do we see Men like Jesus and Imam Hussain and they attained that status not only through their lineage but more importantly because they sacrificed to an extend that blood was pouring out of their bodies and that was most loved by Allah.
Azadari is the highest form of worship out of love without asking for anything in return.
In today's World are we surrounded by a vast amount of Digital Devices and diving deeper towards a World of Technology, which is great but there some side effects to it. People's Natural Human and God given energy fields are being taken over by this artificial field of energy.
People are becoming less emotional and lacking a great sense of feelings, it seems that the more time we spend with Technology are these devices having a big affect on our energy fields and slowly turning our minds and characteristics into Robot and Machine minded beings.
The main difference between a Human Being and a Robot is that we as Humans have Heart's and it is through Azadari that our emotions, feelings and Hearts get revived and filled with new feelings of emotions. This is what makes us Humans Human and if we fail to laugh, cry and feel for one another and only rely on our Brains and Minds do we become no different to a Robot.
That which does not kill us will only make us stronger.
Another great aspect of Azadari is that it allows for us to take more pain and become stronger and less sensitive.
Hussain could have easily avoided being butchered and said that it is a sin for me to shed my Blood or sacrifice myself, this however was not the case. Then could God almighty also have stopped Hussain from going through all of this pain and sacrifice just like he could have prevented for Jesus to go through so much hardship, bloodshed and sacrifice.
God allowed for it to happen however and knew that these Men were Men of faith and willing to stand there grounds. It showed an absolute level of Honour, trust and Love towards there creator. These acts of sacrifice is what was most loved by God and which is another reason as to why they are who they are.
We as Shia Muslims cut our backs and sometimes our Head on the day's of the death anniversary of those Family Members that were mercilessly butchered by the so called Muslims.
We do this to express our grief and Love as well as making it clear that would we have been present on that day in those times would we be ready and willing to take a hit of a sharp blade and not be of those who had fled the Battlefield.
People may say it gives us Shia a bad name but what about Haaj then ? Doesn't walking around a black cube give us a bad name in front of the world ? Should we stop that too in order to please to world ?
People say that we should not cry and shed tears for the dead but the Quran makes it clear that one who has died in the way for almighty God does not die but is still alive. And neither to say those who tell us such things spend Weeks if not a lifetime crying over the loved ones whom they have lost.
Take the Manchester attack for an example, many People cried and shed endless tears. Now imagine People remembering that day on an annual basis and crying as well at beating there chests out of grief for those innocent People that had lost there lives that day.
These acts towards expressing a deep form of love for those who have passed have been going on for many years and not only by the Shia of Ali but by the Christians who on Easter perform self flagellation acts and even go as far as putting themselves on a cross.
Humans will not evolve as much more if they advance in technology or knowledge but rather if their hearts gets filled with love.
The more pain you endure for Hussain will you then be able to better understand the pain of others.
Azadari destroys pride, arrogance and all these barriers that separate us....it unites us by one divine force called Love
If you would like to read more on this then feel free to visit this LINK on Hubeali.com