Part I: Evolution of Dhakiri
The term ‘Dhakiri’ (dh-aa-ki-ree), whatever its dictionary meaning or etymological derivation, has always been understood to relate to the remembrance of the tragedy of Kerbala in 61 A.H. With all its cultural variations and linguistics differences it has a central religious content. This is essentially to hold mourning ceremonies for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S.) and his companions as well as the brutal and inhuman manner in which the survivors of the house-hold of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) were taken prisoners, paraded through the cities of Iraq and Syria and finally brought before Yezid, the architect of the carnage and unparalleled atrocities.
Today we find these mourning ceremonies are held by our Shiah brothers and sisters in every continent.
However small a community, with the advent of the months of Muharram and Safar the community leaders look for dhakirs to help the members in their aza-e-Hussain.
The tragic tale remains the same.
There is nonetheless a growing vigour amongst the participants in the aza.
The hearts cry out "Ya Hussain!", the tears flow uncontrollably at the very mention of the name of a martyr.
The audience may have heard it all hundreds of time, and yet the sorrow and grief never seem to abate.
To a dispassionate observer all this may seem to be incomprehensible.
Yet he can not but appreciate the underlying strength of character, the devotion of the participants to their Imam and his followers and the determination of the traders, industrialists, working men and women and the youths constituting the community to preserve their identity as Shiahs.
This is our resource. This is our strength. This is our dormant volcano which can unleash the lava of spirituality to enlighten not only the Muslim ummah but also the entire mankind.
Sadly they remain as yet not fully exploited.
In this paper I propose to suggest ways and means of how best we can tap this vast energy within aza-e-Hussain for the betterment of the community.
Let me make it clear. None of my suggestions is original. Some of them I have heard many a times from our ‘ulama.
Mulla Asger has also on many occasions discussed them from minbar as well as at those meetings which I have had the privilege to attend.
I would, therefore, request you take this paper as a collation of what I have heard and read.
The first majlis-e-Hussain was recited in the market-place of Kufa by a lady from whose head her veil had been ripped off, whose hopes and aspirations had been destroyed on the blood-drenched sands of Kerbala but whose indomitable spirit stepped forward to free the Islamic values from the yoke of tyranny and oppression. Standing on her unsaddled camel, she looked at the multitude rejoicing the victory of Yezid.
As soon as people saw her, they were quiet. They knew that a historic moment for Kufa had arrived.
Looking straight at them, the daughter of Ali said: "Woe upon you O people of Kufa. Do you realise which piece of Muhammad’s heart you have severed! Which pledge you have broken! Whose blood you have shed! Whose honour you have desecrated! It is not just Hussain whose headless body lies unburied on the sands of Kerbala.
It is the heart of the Holy Prophet. It is the very soul of Islam!" The first majlis touched and moved the people of Kufa so deeply as to give rise to both the Tawwabun movement and al-Mukhtar’s quest for vengeance.
When the news of tragedy reached Medina in the third week of Muharram there was such intense weeping and wailing from the homes of Banu Hashim that the very walls of masjidun-nabawi began to tremble.
Zainab, Umme Luqman, the daughter of Aqeel ibne Abi Talib came out screaming: "What will you say when the Prophet asks you: "What have you, the last ummah, done with my offspring and my family after I left them? Some of them are prisoners and some of them lie killed, stained with blood.
What sort of ajr-e-risaalah is this that you disobey me by oppressing my children ?"
Fatimah Binte Huzaam, also known as Ummul Baneen, carried her young grandson Ubaidullah ibne Abbas and prepared to go out. When asked where she was going, she said that she was taking the orphan of Abbas to offer condolences to the mother of Hussain.
Marwan ibne Hakam reports that every afternoon men and women would gather at Jannat-ul-Baqee and there would be remembrance of the tragedy of Kerbala and the weeping and wailing could be heard miles away.
When the prisoners were finally freed by Yezid, Bibi Zainab asked for an opportunity to have rites of remembrance in Damascus.
A house was made available to them and aza-e-Hussain went on for over a week. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) laid the foundation of aza-e-Hussain in the very capital of his murderer!
On their return to Madina, Bibi Zainab (A.S.) took over the leadership of aza-e-Hussain in the city of the Holy Prophet. This aroused such strong emotions in the people and such revulsion against the oppressor that Amr ibne Said ibne al-Aas wrote to Yezid to have Bibi Zainab exiled from Madina.
This was done in the beginning of 62 A.H. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) died shortly afterwards.
We have no record of public orations by our Imams about the tragedy of Kerbala.
We have, however, several ahadeeth about the merits of participating in the mourning ceremonies. In this connection we must remember that the regime was hostile to the shiahs and was anxious to cover up the tragedy of Kerbala.
Imam Zainul Abideen (A.S.) is reported to have said: "When a believer’s eyes shed tears for the death of al-Hussain until they flow over his cheeks, Allah will provide for him rooms in Paradise which he will inhabit for a long time.
When a believer’s eyes shed tears until they flow over his cheeks because of the atrocities inflicted upon us by our enemies in this world, Allah will provide him with a true abode in paradise."
Ibn Qawlawayah p. 103 Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S.) issued a directive which gave a definite form to the keeping of the memory of Imam Hussain (A.S.) alive. He recommended that for those believers for whom it was possible and convenient they should go for the ziyarah of the grave of Imam Hussain.
For those for whom it was not possible or convenient, they should gather together and hold mourning ceremony and weep. Ibn Qawlawayah p. 104 There is also the following tradition reported from the fifth Imam: May Allah have mercy on a man who meets with another in order to remember our situation.
There will be an angel with them who will seek forgiveness for them…………..If you gather together and occupy yourselves in remembering us, then our memory will be kept alive in your meetings and remembrances. The best of people after us are those who remember our situation and urge others to remember us.
Ibn Qawlawayah p. 174/5 It is reported that al-Fudhayl Ibne Yasaar came to pay his respects to the Imam Ja’far Sadiq (A.S.)
After the exchange of usual courtesies, Imam asked al-Fudhayl: "Do you people ever organise majaalis to recall the martyrdom of Imam Hussain?" Al-Fudhayl, with tears pouring down his eyes, replied: "Yabna Rasulillah, indeed we do.
" The Imam said: "May Allah bless you.
I highly approve of such majaalis."
On another occasion, the poet Ja’far ibne Iffaan recited to our Imam al-Sadiq a poem on the tragedy of Kerbala.
The Imam began to weep uncontrollably. He then addressed the poet in the following terms: "O Iffaan, do not think that it is only those whom you can see here are listening to your poetry.
In fact Allah’s closest angels are present here at this majlis and they are all listening to your recitation and they too lament and weep. May Allah bless you for what you have recited.
He will, inshallah, reward you with paradise for your efforts on our behalf." It must be borne in mind that the Arabs mostly expressed their emotion through poetry.
Poetry thus became the medium of describing the horrors of the tragedy of Kerbala, the cause of Imam Hussain and the atrocities which the ahlul-bayt were made to endure. There are today extant several poems which the poets recited in presence of our holy Imams and as such can be regarded as having been approved by them both as to form and substance.
The only historical account in prose that was written not long after the massacre of Kerbala was that of Abi Mikhnaf. His account is relied upon both by Tabari and Shaykh Mufeed (A.R.). Many other accounts were written and published after the ghaybah.
The most well known amongst these are the Aamali by Shaykh Suduq (A.R.) and the great work of Allamah Majlisi (A.R.), the Bihar-ul-Anwaar.
While we have evidence of many eminent fuqaha and muhadditheen lecturing to their students on the various aspects of Kerbala, we can not assert with any confidence that they delivered public lectures on the subject. It is, however, authoritatively reported that Shaykh Allamah Majlisi and Shaykh Shushtari, whenever they spoke, whether to the students or in the public, they would end their lecture with a brief reference to the masa’ib of Imam Hussain.
It is possible that during this early period, whenever the circumstances permitted, dhakirs began to appear and occupy the minabir to acquaint the people with the tragedy of Kerbala and the cause of Imam Hussain (A.S.). Poetry must always have played a part in the rendition of masa’ib.
