Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Religious Rituals Stem from Religious Understanding and Evolve in Line with the Culture of Revering the Symbols of Allah

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Religious Rituals Stem from Religious Understanding and Evolve in Line with the Culture of Revering the Symbols of Allah

The Grand Religious Authority, His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi, affirmed that religious rituals represent the fruit of religious understanding and a response to the requirements of the times, noting that their forms and manifestations may develop in different eras in ways consistent with the culture of revering the symbols of Allah Almighty.
He said: “Religious rituals are the fruit of religious understanding and a response to the requirements of the times. They may take different forms in every era in a manner consistent with the culture of revering the symbols of Allah, thereby acquiring their identity and legitimacy.”
In discussing the mourning ceremonies of al-Muhsiniyyah, His Eminence addressed the objection that some forms of these ceremonies have no historical precedent, stressing that the mere absence of a historical precedent does not constitute a criterion for ruling that religious rituals are illegitimate.
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi said: “Describing the al-Muhsiniyyah mourning ceremonies as having ‘no precedent’ is far removed from the reasoning of a student of religious knowledge who has studied al-Makasib and al-Rasa’il. Is the criterion for the legitimacy of religious rituals merely the existence of a historical precedent for them? No.”
His Eminence’s guidance emphasizes that religious rituals should not be assessed solely by seeking to match their forms and manifestations with practices from earlier historical periods. Rather, they are connected to religious understanding and their consistency with the culture of revering the symbols of Allah, while allowing forms and manifestations appropriate to the circumstances of each era to emerge.