Spilling blood for their religion: Tiny Shi'ite Muslim boys whip themselves with sharp blades to mourn the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson

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Shi'ite Muslims all over the world have been beating themselves with sharp blades, covering their bodies in mud and lighting bonfires in the streets to mourn the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson today.

Photographs from Delhi, India, showed shockingly young boys lashing their own backs with small knives and chains. 

Thousands of men performed the same brutal practice in Lebanon, Bangladesh, Iraq, Pakistan and Myanmar and even Athens, Greece.

The bloody rituals were part of the holy Day of Ashura, when Shi'ite Muslims remember the death of Imam Hussein at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

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Photographs from Delhi, India, showed shockingly young boys lashing their own backs with small knives and chains to mark the holy Muslim Day of Ashura

Shi'ite Muslims all over the world, including in India (pictured), self-flagellate to mourn the death of Imam Hussain

Shi'ite men and young boys in Lebanon, Greece and Bangladesh (pictured) perform the same brutal practice today

Men in Lebanon are drenched in their own blood after beating themselves with sharp blades to commemorate the Day of Ashura 

Men in Athens, Greece (pictured), lash their own backs with sharpened knives and chains to mourn Imam Hussein who died in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD

Pakistani Shiite Muslim boy is silhouetted against the sky as he flagellates himself with chains and blades in Karachi, Pakistan

Shia Muslim devotees self-flagellate during Ashura, outside Mogul mosque in Yangon, Myanmar

Blood drips from the head of a young Shi'ite Muslim in Myanmar - one of thousands to self-flagellate on the holy Day of Ashura today

Some Muslim clerics have criticised the holy day because they believe it gives a negative image of their religion

A Shi'ite Muslim flagellates himself during a Muharram procession to mark Ashura in Bengaluru, India

Shi'ite devotees wiped the tears from their eyes as the listened to the accounts of Hussein's death under the golden dome of Imam Hussein's mausoleum in Karbala, Iraq.

Thousands of Muslims from neighbouring Iran visit the shrine, which lies around 50 miles from the capital Baghdad, every year.

Millions across the globe, from Lebanon to south-east Asia, hold processions in their home towns and take part in a variety of rituals. 

Some beat their backs to a drumbeat using chains or blades, while others beat their heads with a sword until blood drenches their faces and white 'mourning robes'. 

Karbala and other cities hosted reenactments of what Shi'ites refer to as Hussein's martyrdom, complete with horseback warriors and the annual 'mud rubbing' ceremony took place in Khorramabad, southern Iran.

Hundreds of men and women jumped into vats of wet mud before standing by huge bonfires lit in the middle of the streets to dry it on their skin and clothes.

'Mud Rubbing' is a traditional ceremony that is held in the city of Khorramabad every year to commemorate the Ashura day.  

An Iranian man rolls over in a mud pond during the 'Kharrah Mali' (Mud Rubbing) ritual to mark the Ashura religious ceremony in the city of Khorramabad, southern Iran

While some countries mark the holy day by self-flagellating, many Iranian Shi'ites mark the Battle of Karbala by covering themselves in mud 

Once they are caked in mud, they walk around a bonfire lit in the middle of the streets to let it dry on their clothes and skin

'Mud Rubbing' is a traditional ceremony that is held in the city of Khorramabad, Iran, every year to commemorate the Ashura day

The Ashura day (pictured in Iran) commemorates the death of Shi'ite Imam Hussein, who was grandson of Muslim Prophet Muhammed

Iranian men dry themselves next to a fire after rolling over mud during the 'Kharrah Mali' ritual in Iran

Iranian and Iraqi Shiite Muslims burn down a tent during the reenactment of the Battle of Karbala, as part of the annual Day of Ashura

Ashura is the peak of ten days of mourning when Shi'ite Muslims mourn the killing of Imam Hussein whose shrine is in Karbala, southern Iraq

An Iranian man mourns the death of Shi'ite Imam Hussein after rolling over mud during the 'Kharrah Mali'

The Day of Ashura - which is the tenth day of the 'mourning month' of Muharram has been marred by attacks targetting Shi'ite Muslims in the past and Iraq deployed tens of thousands of security forces across the country this year.

Qais Khalaf Rahima, a senior army commander, said yesterday: 'Our forces have set up a security plan that includes more than 20,000 members of the security forces.'

They formed three concentric security rings around Karbala, banned traffic in the city centre three days ago and used special explosive detection equipment. 

The measures were aimed at reducing the risk of suicide bomb attacks by ISIS, who claim to be a Sunni group although governments of the world have rejected that they represent Islam.

Baghdad's efforts to counter  

This year's holy day was marred by a suspected suicide attack targetting Shi'ites in Jacobabad, Pakistan, which killed at least 24 people, according to a local minister.

Shi'ite Muslims beat themselves as they walk around a symbolic tomb at a mosque during a religious festival marking Ashura, near Tehran's grand bazaar

Iranian and Iraqi Shiite Muslims beat themselves during a ritual at Tehran's Karbalaiya Mosque

Female supporters of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement attend a rally marking Ashura, on the tenth day of the mourning period of Muharram

Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim supporters of Hezbollah mourn as they march during Ashura Day procession in southern Beirut, Lebanon

Lebanon's Hezbollah scouts sit on the ground as they take part in a religious procession to mark Ashura in Beirut's suburbs

Special forces of Shi'ite Hezbollah carry their weapons during Ashura Day procession in southern Beirut

At least one person was killed and nearly 80 wounded in a bomb attack on the main Shi'ite shrine in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Saturday, police said.

The commemoration, the saddest day in the Shiite calendar, had political undertones in Iraq, where many of the faithful vented their resentment towards the country's leadership.

'Remembering Imam Hussein gives us the strength to fight corruption and those who are responsible for it in government,' said Kadhem Hussein.

The 52-year-old, who comes from his southern hometown of Basra every year for Ashura, wore a black shirt and stood in the middle of a huge crowd following the dirge on screens outside the shrine.

The past few months have been marked by mounting popular discontent over the lack of services and corruption.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced a reform package but the measures are slow to take effect and weekly protests in Baghdad and elsewhere have continued.

'Our politicians try to cast themselves as close to Imam Hussein but who stole the state's money?', said Jassem Mohammed, a 40-year-old man from Najaf.

The holy day of Ashura was marred by attacks in Pakistan and Bangladesh but unfolded peacefully in southern Iraq, where last year's security fears have given way to political grievances.