As for a certain group of people (Shittes), the day of Ashura has turned for them every year into a day of mourning and lamentation. On this day, they engage in practices that do not please Allah—practices that are not part of Allah’s religion (Islam). Rather, Islam came to forbid, prohibit, and criminalize them, clarifying the punishment for those who perform them. These include lamenting, slapping cheeks, tearing clothes, and invoking the calls of the ‘Ignorance Era’ (Jahiliyyah).
In fact, it goes beyond that to something even greater: ‘associating partners with Allah’ (shirk) by seeking help from Al-Husayn, seeking refuge in him, and asking him to fulfill needs and relieve distresses—matters that should only be asked of and sought from the Lord of the heavens and the earth.
Regarding lamentation, our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If the wailing woman does not repent before her death, she will be raised on the Day of Resurrection wearing a garment of pitch and a coat of scabs.”
He (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: “He is not one of us who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes, and calls with the call of the Ignorance Era.”
So, instead of Ashura being a day of fasting out of gratitude to Allah, Almighty and Majestic, it turned for some people—because of this incident—into a day of mourning and lamentation where pre-Islamic practices are performed that have nothing to do with the religion of Allah. Rather, many of them seek to draw closer to Allah on that day by shedding some of their own blood, either from their forehead or their back, believing that this guarantees forgiveness and a raising of ranks!
Far be it that such an action is part of the religion of Allah, or from His law, or something that would be approved of by Al-Husayn ibn Ali, other masters among the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet), or the awliya’ (righteous allies) of Allah.