RITUALS
According to tradition, Ashura is commemorated through customary rituals and ceremonies.
Analysis & understanding
Reflection during Ashura is one of the ultimate goals for lovers and followers of Imam Hussain. How do we understand Ashura is always in focus.
Information & sharing
We are happy for the grandson of the prophet and for the values he stood for. It is therefore important to do our utmost to spread the message.
Implementering
The sorrow over Hussain's sacrifice and the joy over the victory of values push us to make Ashura a way of life in our daily lives.
Mourning ceremony
(Majlis/ مجلس)
Hussain would be killed by the worst of people (ummah), and those who distance themselves from his children (Hussain) will distance themselves from me. Yazid! May God not be pleased with Yazid" and his shed tears.
"Hussain was mourned over to my acquaintance, and I was given his land (Karbala land), and I was informed of his murderer".
- Prophet Muhammad, Majma´ al-Zawa´id 9, 304
Across the globe, mourning ceremonies are held on several continents and large and small gatherings are formed in several countries to commemorate the Karbala tragedy. This is done according to different local traditions and languages, however, one or more of the following activities are typically part of the programs:
- Quran recitation.
- Recitation of Ziyara (peace greeting).
- Majlis (speech) by a theologian, scholar or speaker.
- Latmiya (recitation) of rhythmic mourning poetry.
- Tashabih (visualization/theatre) with role-playing.
- Sufra (food invitation) for the distribution of traditional Ashura meals and communal dining.
- Blood donation and volunteer efforts.
In several European cities where the Shia Muslim community is multi-ethnic, the programs can be narrated in different languages. The Imam Ali Mosque and the Imam Sadiq Center are some of the examples of mosques and gathering places that, among other things, plan the holding of the mourning ceremony according to the language and ethnicity of the members, thus meeting different needs.
Quran recitation
"I have left among you two precious things; the Holy Book of God [the Quran] and my household [Ahlul Bayt]....for they will not be separated until they meet me at the well (Paradise)".
- Profeten Muhammed, Fadail al-Sahaba 15.
Imam Hussain's position was based on the upholding and implementation of the word of God (the Holy Quran) and the lifestyle (sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Quran is the revelation of Allah and the silent word of God to humanity. This revelation was completed with the Prophet's interpretation of these silent words into living and meaningful actions and was continued and maintained by the Prophet's descendants; the Imams.
The recitation of the Quran is part of the Muslims' joyful events as well as their mourning ceremonies. Here, Ashura is one of these ceremonies, where the Holy Quran is recited precisely to follow in the footsteps of Imam Hussain and his great father (peace be upon both of them) and not least to remind Muslims of the role of the Imams, according to the Prophet's narration, in holding fast to the Holy Quran and the Prophet's household.
Peace greeting
(Ziyara/ زيارة)
"Whoever visits Al-Hussain bin Ali (peace be upon him) on the day of Ashura, and stays with him weeping, meets God (the Almighty and Majestic) on that day, will get the reward of two thousand Hajjs, two thousand Umrahs and two thousand battles. The reward for each battle, reward and Hajj is like a pilgrimage. May God's prayers and peace be upon him and his family.
- Imam Baqir, Misbah al-Mutahajid 772.
A salutation of peace upon Imam Hussain and the martyrs of Karbala is a short recitation delivered to the Ashura mourners by Imam Mohammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him), in which he emphasized the narrations through Alqama ibn Muhammad al-Hadrami, how rewarding the Ashura salutation is.
During each Ashura night during the 10 nights of Muharram, this peace greeting is recited, which, among other things, renews the mourners' oath to the values and principles of the Imam. In this endeavor, the focus is on loyalty and distancing from the enemies of God and the Prophet.
Practically, the approach is marked during the nights of Muharram by covering rooms with black and red cloth. This is done, among other things, in mosques and religious places of worship in order to highlight the arrival of the time of mourning, which the Imams have urged us to do during the same period of the year.
The pulpit (Minbar/ منبر)
"O Ibn Shabib, if you weep for anything, let it be for Hussain son of Ali, for he was murdered like a ram being slaughtered along with eighteen members of his household. No one has imitated this on the same earth. For his mother wept in the seven heavens and on the earth, and four thousand angels were sent down to support him, awaiting at his grave until the resurrection of the Qaim (Imam Mahdi), whose slogan is: Justice for Hussain!"
- Imam Ridha, Jawahir al-Bihar 98 (Mazar)
All the Imams who followed Imam al-Sajjad, including the latter, maintained the memory of the Karbala tragedy on a regular basis. They did this on various occasions and occasions precisely to remind the people of the tragedy, but most of all, so that they could learn from the past and avoid similar circumstances in the future.
The pulpit was used by Mrs. Zainab and Imam al-Sajjad and remains the mouthpiece for the masses of caring, loving, loyal Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
Typically, a Quranic verse is presented by the speaker with an interpretation. Subtopics that are relevant to the participants' everyday lives are then derived. This includes historical facts, religious information, existence, and science.
These speeches are generally held in a traditional form called Majlis in Arabic ("sit-in" or "sit-down" if you will). The speech concludes with a short reenactment of a sorrowful descriptive scene from the Karbala tragedy, where weeping culminates in mourning. This tradition helps to lighten one's heart and seek solace in the greater tragedy of Hussain and Zainab through the connection to Ashura and a connection to the individual's wounds.
Mourning poetry
(Latmiya/ لطمية)
Imam al-Ridha: "Revive our cause. May God embrace with His blessing those who revive and remember our cause."
After the burial of the bodies of Imam Hussain and his companions, historical sources report that the nearby clans and residents, as well as those who had heard the news of the Karbala tragedy, offered condolences to Mrs. Zainab and Imam Hussain's son; Imam al-Sajjad.
This condolence (also called Nadb/ ندب) brought with it poetry recitations about Imam Hussain and the martyrs, reciting their qualities and commemorating their bravery in the plain of Karbala.
Mourning poetry created an audience and a community. It created an identity that was to show a public and open protest against the Imam's revenge and the search for justice. This was another form of condolence. In addition to the fact that the mourners orally remembered the tragedy by repeating renderings together with physical mourning movements. Physical mourning movements were a common part of showing compassion or expressing grief for the lost or deceased.
The gathering of mourning poetry evolved into an artistic use of rhythm and perfection in describing the sad events of Karbala.
In different countries and nations, culture influences what is included by local elements to show their grief over Imam Hussainز
This culmination of rhythmic mournful poetry and movement(s) is called "latmiya" in Arabic (لطمية).
Visualizations
(Tashabih/ تشابيه)
Visualizations and theater play an important role in showing culture and gatherings in the respective countries. As people are different and some in society can better empathize with the Karbala tragedy and its surroundings when there are visualizations associated with Ashura.
The art of the various plays is shown, among other things, by decorating horses and camels. This was to showcase the horses of Imam Hussain and Abbas on the day and the camels of Mrs. Zainab and the caravan with symbolic dome decorations.
The connection between the visualizations and the Karbala heroes is linked to the characters' characteristics and stories:
- Qasim (Zafat al-Qasim)
- Ali (al-)asghar (the white and green clothing of infants).
- Mrs. Zainab and the women of Karbala (the tents of Ashura).
- Imam Hussain (the great visualization of Ashura).
- Shimr ibn Thil-Jawshan (the murderer and beheader of the Imam).
- The enemy army and the companions (the Ashura visualization).
On the day of Ashura, mourners gather at one of the major gathering points. They watch the tragedy of Karbala reenacted by hundreds of actors. They take on the roles given to them to evoke the Ashura setting, while the audience bursts into tears and wails over the Imam and the state of the caravan.
The children's reaction, depending on their age, varies between crying and compassion. In some cases, some take water bottles and want to go to the Imam's camp to give water to the actors.
The play emphasizes the role of art and the important message of theater. The play creates emotional reactions and spectators are part of the experience. The promotion of Imam Hussain's message takes many forms and art is one of them.
Food invitation
At communal meals and food distributions, you may find that the person distributing the food is particularly insistent that you accept the food.
The phrase "Zad aba-Abdillah/ زاد ابا عبد الله" is repeated and used often, indicating a certain specialty of this food. The food was prepared with love for sacrifice and for Imam Hussain.
This social joy and gathering around food is a highlight. The food is served after the mourners have mourned together. Large, wide mats are rolled out in all the gathering places to distribute Ashura meals and food dishes. Therefore, you will also hear the volunteers in the respective gathering places (also called Hussayniya/ حسينية) mention the word "Sufra" every now and then. These gathering points help promote attendance and reunion for many. They help welcome guests, and those who want to learn about Ashura and Imam Hussain.
The reward of feeding and distributing food, with the intention of pleasing God, is emphasized by many prophets and Imams. Thus, many donate what they hold most dear, both poor and rich, to obtain God's blessing and the prayer and comfort of the mourners.
The social aspect of the invitations has meant that many non-Muslims have been able to learn more about Hussain's universal message and fight for justice. Even these important debates could have started during an Ashura meal and gathering at the local mosque or gathering place.
Blood donation
Grief is a general human phenomenon and the types of expression of grief differ from person to person.
One cannot help but find images of blood and the extermination of the latter among a very small minority of mourners during Ashura. This act of hitting oneself with sharp objects until one bleeds is called "tatbir/ تطبير". The majority of scholars forbid self-harm, although for some the intention is to show compassion and mourn the terrible tragedy of Imam Hussain and Karbala.
This form of compassion and self-harm has changed in recent decades to more concrete and constructive alternatives. Blood donation to blood banks, hospitals and relevant clinics, among others, is growing like never before. It helps save human lives and benefits millions of souls worldwide.
The grieving young generation is constantly trying to come up with new initiatives. They are trying to find a practical and timeless interpretation of Ashura that is not geographically or culturally conditioned. From tragedy and grief, to projects that focus on making our world a better place through helping and supporting each other.
This understanding has resulted in numerous humanitarian and non-profit projects that promote Hussain's message without national barriers and across international borders.
