Rifai Raatheeb is a
ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized ...
performed by a section of Ahmed ar-Rifa'i. Rifai is a name that originates from Sufi saint
Ahmed-Al-Kabeer who was born in the
Wasit
Wasit ( ar, وَاسِط, Wāsiṭ, syr, ܘܐܣܛ) is an ancient city in Wasit Governorate, south east of Kut in eastern Iraq.
History
The city was built by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf in c. 702 CE on the west bank of the Tigris across from the hi ...
region in
Baghdad, Iraq in 1118. Shaikh Rifai committed himself to memorise the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
at age seven.
Ritual
He founded the Rifai Sufi Order. Rifai Ratheeb, which is performed at ritual festivals and homes. The ritual is performed to defeat incurable diseases and to fulfill the aspirations of the faithful. It is the pilgrimage of Shaykh Ahmad Rifai. However, no authentic source confirms this origin.
The ritual involves piercing the body without pain, immunity to snake and fire and riding of wild animals. Piercing affects the tongue, the ear and the stomach. Knives and steel tools are used.
Hymns known as ''Byths'' or ''Ratheebs'' are sung. (More than twenty such ''byths'' are used)
The followers of the ritual believe that even though injuries are inflicted on the bodies of the performers by
weapons
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
, these do not cause pain or damage the body. They believe that since the ritual is performed by devotees who have received ''ijazath'' (permission) from their ''sheikh'', it will not cause injuries.
While followers of the ritual portray Rifai Ratib as
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
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* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
art,
revivalist as well as
reformist
Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement.
Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can ...
movements in maintain that this ritual is effective
References
{{Reflist
Rituals
Mappilas