Wearing black is a sign of mourning and grief on tragedies of the Prophet (SAWA) and his Progeny Ahlul Bayt (AS).
The Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) himself did wear black as you can read in Saheeh Muslim (Hadeeth number 1359).
Those believers who love the Prophet (SAWA) and his Progeny (As) feel sad on remembering their tragedies hence they wear black to express their noble feelings.
Maatam (Beating chest) is a human action to reflect grief and sadness. It is been practiced by millions of people when they face or remember a sad incident. It was practiced by Muslims during the life of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) when they came to know about the injury of the Prophet (SAWA) in the battle of Ohod. Ayisha daughter of Abu Bakr did Maatam when the Prophet passed away. (Musnad Abi &A’la Al-Moosili, Volume 8, page 63) Hadeeth number 4586.
Matam is an expression of grief and sadness which is used by human beings in different societies in different ways. The Prophet Muhammad ((SAWA) after the battle of Uhud, encouraged Muslims to mourn on the martyrdom of his uncle Hamza when many Muslims were mourning their own martyrs by telling them : Why my uncle Hamza has no mourners? وعمّي حمزة لا بواكي له ؟ Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal , Hadeeth number 4742 and Al-Mustadral Ala Al-Saheehain; Hadeeth 1407, and Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabeer by Al-Tabarani; 11/310 , and Al-Tabaqaat Al-Khubra by Ibn Sa'ad; 2/44, and Tareekh Al-Tabari; 2/210.
'Matam was also done by Ayisha and Muslim women when the Prophet passed away. Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal , Hadeeth number 25144 and Dalaa'il Al-Nubowwah by Al-Bayhaqi (Al-Eltudaam (Beating the chest)).and Al-Tabaqaat Al-Khubra by ibn Sa'ad 2/261 and Tareekh Al-Tabari; 2/441 and Ibn Al-Atheer in Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah.
'Ahlul Bayt (AS) did Matam on Imam Husain (AS) as we read in Ziyarat Al-Naahiyah Al-Moqaddasa narrated from Imam Al-Mahdi (AS). لاطمات الصور
Our great Fuqahaa' who are the very high in Fiqh (Jurisprudence) do not issue any verdict of Haraam (not allowed) unless they have concrete evidence against it in Quran and Sunnah of the Ma'soomeen. There are many ways to express sadness and grief of the tragedies of Ahlul Bayt (AS) including beating the chest which called (Matam) in some countries and beating the back with chains which is called Zanjeer in some countries. Both are permissible to express the noble feeling of sadness and grief on Ahlul Bayt (AS). Having said that, we are not allowed to cause dangerous harm to ourselves which means that we must keep the limits of our mourning practices away from causing dangerous harm to ourselves.
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