Muharram & Ashura- Innovations & wrong practices

QUESTION:

In this month off muharrum in india there is a practice where thy keep some hand shapes and finger shaped thing which will be kept for 10 days starting from day one, on 10th day those shapes will be taken out in a procession and later drowned in well/Pond. This practice has gained much respect and the disbelever of this, according to people will face bad consequences. The hand shape structure here called by the name is "Panjas.". Now my question is how to explain to the people  that this types of shriks are not allowed in Islam. Do this practice has some base in the history related to "KARBBALA"& HAZRATH IMAM HUSAIN' S ASSASINATION

ANSWER:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

We compliment you on your zeal to eradicate innovations and preserve Islam in its pristine form. May Allah reward you for your efforts. (Ameen)

A) The practice referred to in your question has no basis in Shariah. However, since this practice has gained much respect in your country you need to exercise extreme precaution when explaining the impermissibility to the people. You have to gradually prepare the people to accept it with diplomacy. This practice is carried out due to ignorance. Therefore, people should first be exhorted to attain correct Islamic knowledge. The strongest weapon against ignorance is knowledge. The Ulama should also get involved by delivering lectures and distributing pamphlets on the correct history of Karbala. They should clarify that the sacredness of Muharram goes back to Musa (A.S). It was co-incidental that Hazrat Husain (R.A) was martyred on this day. If there was any day to mourn, it would have been the day of the demise of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The Ulama should also explain Muharram from an Islamic perspective. They should elucidate on the rewards of fasting in this month. Another important aspect to be stressed upon is the importance of sunnah and the harms of bidah. Note the following Ahadith

عن عائشة رضى الله عنها قالت قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من احدث في امرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد(متفق عليه)

(Whoever introduces any foreign action in our (religion) it would be rejected)(Bukhari 3/222 Darul fikr, Muslim 242 Darul marifah) 

وشر الامور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالة(رواه مسلم والنسأي وابو داود)

(The worst actions are those that are innovated, and every innovation is astray) 

These are effective ways of getting the people to recognize the prohibition and wrongs of their actions.

B) We could not find any basis for this practice in the books available to us.

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. Ismail Moosa,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah