“Lebanon Debate”
Scenes from a march celebrating the Prophet’s birthday that toured the old neighborhoods of Sidon, yesterday, Tuesday, raised a wave of questions on social media, after participants appeared carrying swords and shields to the sound of remembrances, chants, and drumming, in rituals that seemed unfamiliar to a segment of followers, while the celebration included distributing sweets to children and sprinkling rose water on the participants.
However, the scene that attracted most attention was a practice known as “shut-hitting,” in which some participants inserted metal skewers into the cheeks and flanks. This practice is associated with some followers of the Rifa’i order, who present it as an expression of a state of spiritual ecstasy during dhikr circles, without this meaning that it is an approved practice among all Sufis or part of the celebrations of the Prophet’s birthday among all Muslims.
In this context, a local source in Sidon explained to “Lebanon Debate” that “the participants belong to Al-Zawiya Al-Rifaya, and they commemorate the occasion with these rituals annually,” noting that “the spread of video clips in… Al-Sabil neighborhood Through social networking sites, he shed light on these practices on a large scale, and raised questions about their nature and backgrounds.”
He added, “These scenes are related to the history of the Sufi zawiyas in Sidon, where the Nuba attend and the beating of the hookahs is part of the traditions of celebrating the Prophet’s birthday,” explaining that “the beating of the hookahs is represented by some participants in the march inserting metal skewers into the cheek from one side to the other, and sometimes in the flank. It is a tradition inherited from the ancestors that some followers of the Rifaiyah zawiya in the city still practice, while the activity of the zawiya includes remembrance, supplications, and worship.”
The Sufis of Al-Zawiya Al-Rifai’i belong to the order attributed to Imam Ahmed bin Ali Al-Rifai, and it is one of the historical Sufi orders that originated in Iraq, before spreading to a number of Islamic countries. Dhikr gatherings occupy a fundamental place in their traditions, while some of their branches have been associated with displayive physical practices that have sparked controversy and debate, even within religious circles.
