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Sima Ashrafpour
Today's world has faced an unexpected event, one which is at once powerful and definitive. This event is called the Islamic revival. This current of Islamic revival is one of the important results of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The revival could not be explained away by historical, economic and social theories because it is caused by the very features that separate religion and religiosity from other categories.
Islam has a foundation stone whose absence would mean that all efforts to safeguard the Ashuraesque culture of Imam Khomeini (R) would be futile. This foundation stone is the Holy Qur'an. Ashura can only be understood within a Qur'anic framework.
One of the duties of today's intellectual is to transpose the event of Ashura from its lonely abstraction to the context of history. It is only then that this revolt becomes meaningful. It is only then that it can become a beacon of light for today's man. It is only then that one can teach the Ashuraesque culture to the people.
The fight of Imam Husayn (A) was not the last fight of righteousness against falsehood because Ashura is a declaration of condemnation of the existing systems built on falsehood, systems that continue to exist even after the martyrdom of Husayn (A).
The Islamic Revolution of Iran is an internal revolution. It is a sort of cleansing of the identitiy which will lead to the replacement of the new identity in place of the old one. The revolution survives because of this new identity, an indentity which must be guarded. The religious and Ashuraesque identity is the actual identity of the revolution. The continuation and survival of this revolution depends on safeguarding this identity. This identity should be manifested in the context of society. The nature of the revolution will define the achievements of the revolution and the mission carried out by its cultural elite. The deep and lasting influence of our revolution among the Muslim masses in the world is, first and foremost, rooted in this fact.
The religious and Ashuraesque thinking should saturate the minds of our generation so that the revolution would survive and Islam would endure.
A Look at the Mourning Ceremonies for Imam Husayn (A)
Sayyid Muhammad Ali Ayazi
The mourning ceremonies, lamentation and singing eulogies because of Imam Husayn (A) are among the greatest symbols of the spiritual and religious life of the devotees of Ahl-al-Bayt (A). Holding of these ceremonies are instrumental in propagating the spirit and philosophy of the uprising of Imam Husayn (A).
Everyday and every year a great and incredible amount of resources arc spent for organizing these sessions. If these resources are not put into use properly, they might do a disservice to the cause of Ashura. Hence, one needs to evaluate and analyze these ceremonies and should come up with a plan of action to reform, improve or reconstruct and re-evaluate the mourning for Imam Husayn (A).
As evidenced by the evolution of the mourning sessions and the reasons for holding mourning sessions during the time of the Imams, the philosophy of mourning for Imam Husayn (A) is in no way separate from the philosophy of his uprising. These sessions teach us to honor the vision, courage and fortitude, to be aware of the existing reality, to save ourselves from darkness and to rise up in order to put an end to oppression. The reforming of these events is meant to return us to these noble and sacred principles. Hence, the mourning for Imam Husayn is done based on the emotional as well as rational foundations. The emotional connection with the event of Ashura and lamenting that sad event, is a reflection of the spiritual connection with that event. The rational connection with Ashura manifests itself in contemplation on the philosophy of the uprising and its aims. Both the emotional and rational connections can keep the epic dimension as well as reform-oriented aspect of Ashura alive.
In order to keep the philosophy of this bloody uprising alive, one must make sure that the event and the interpretations of it are not distorted. Hence, it seems that authoritative books which can be read by the public at large should be introduced to the people. The media bears the great responsibility to educate the people on the event of Ashura. The training sessions for the seminary students and those involved in holding mourning ceremonies are other ways that may help bring about reform in the mourning sessions for the Master of Martyrs (A).
Ashura as Narrated by Ibn Abbar
Ahamd Badkuba-ye-Hazaweh
This article is about the history of Karbala and the heart-rending tragedy of Imam Husayn's (A) martyrdom as narrated by Ibn Abbar of Spain. Ibn Abbar, who is a noted historian, writer and literary figure of 7th century (H) Spain, has narrated in his book Durar al-simt fi khabar al-sibt the history of the travails of the Ahl al-Bayt, the details of the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet (S), and the crimes of the Umayyads, in very fine and artistic prose. Muslim biographers have expressed varied opinions about his being a Shi'ah. Some have said that he was a Sunni who had love for the Ahl al-Bayt, while others have considered him a Shi'ah.
In this article, while providing a brief biography of Ibn Abbar, the facts about his being a Shi'ah and the state of Shi'ism in Spain have been alluded to. Later the book Durar al-simt has been reviewed.
The Qur'an and the Tragedy of Karbala
Muhammad bagir behbudi
That which the reader will read in this small article is the result of a research study about the 13th – l8th verses of the Surah Ahqaf. The summary of the article is that, the Noble Qur'an had years before the incidence of Karbala took place discussed this event, and considered the motive behind this tragic uprising to he the reaction which Imam Husayn (A) was supposed to show vis-a-vis the self aggrandizement of the occupants of the Khilafat and the innovations they were introducing in religion. This was to he done in the form of a religious program which was to be a sacrificial jihad i.e. as an act of thanks giving for the title of imamate which God Almighty bestowded upon him (A) and his family, Imam Husain (A) was supposed to start a revivalistic epic by offering himself, his family and friends for martyrdom and through the captivity of his wives, sisters and children, so that all may come to know that the true servants of the Merciful God rise with all they have for resuscitating the religion of God, while the slaves of Satan confront them and commit every kind of crime and injustice for hanging on to power.
Such kinds of forecast arc plenty in the Noble Qur'an, and among them is the Surah Hal Ata as is visible from the context of its first and third parts which declare explicitly that it was revealed in Makkah. Regarding its second part which comprises of verses 5-22 there is the tiding that the Qur'anic school of thought will soon start giving fruit and a family identified as abrar (the good ones) will come into being and it will irrespective of the circumstances, seek only the truth and will desire the will of God to such an extent that they will willingly give their iftar to the needy, the orphan and the captive, while their slogan will be :
If we acquaint ourselves better with the expression and context of the Holy Qur'an, we can very clearly witness another forecast and plan in the Sarah Aadiyat. This surah also, in accordance with its nature and pattern of expression, has most surely been revealed in Makkah, and despite this, its first part gives news of an attack by 36 select speedy horsemen, which event occurred years after the Hijrah during the battle of Dhat al-Salasil when in the early morning they attacked the enemies under the command of Ali (A) and totally annihilated them.
Regarding the verses of Surah Ahqaf:
The Noble Qur'an in this part initially praises the believers of the monotheistic creed with the special slogan of monotheism and then extols them for their fortitude in the face of the face of the pressure being exerted by the polytheists and gives them good tidings that they will continue to he the recipients of God's favors and support, and that finally paradise will be their reward.
A similar verse has been revealed in Fussilat:
The Functions of Ashura
Emaduddin Baqi
For centuries, Ashura has been the subject of theological and at times historical discussions. But it has never been the subject of epistemological or sociological analyses. Aside from the event in 61 H. (which became the fountainhead of a current or a system of rites in the fourteen centuries that Shi'ism has been in existence), this paper focuses on the functions, or in other words, effects, of Ashura. The paper will not deal with research as well as ideological debates about the event of Ashura itself. In other words, I will focus on how the system of rituals and ceremonies which are held as important practices of Shi'ism can have functions and can also lead to the emergence of norms.
Since every phenomenon and tradition can have two types of functions, both visible and invisible, this article will not merely focus on the visible functions of Ashura such as its role in bringing about social cohesion, because such a discussion will be of descriptive nature despite the fact that it will be presented in the form of an analysis. The invisible functions, which are as a rule more important than the visible ones, will be meticulously analyzed. Such analysis will inevitably lead to a more general review of religion and society as well as their connection with Ashura. Since the functions and the exigencies of Ashura in our past history have had a traditional structure, the following questions need to be answered. Should we consider the function and exigencies of Ashura as null and void if the society is to be turned inot a civil society? The question assumes that secularization of the social relations is a natural and inevitable outcome of such civil society.
The effects of the culture of Ashura on the art
&Literature of Iran
Ahmad Ahmadi Birjandi
The epic of Karbala is among the immortal epics of the world. Every year as the crescent moon of Muharram appears, the memory of Karbala is revived in a much more vivid manner than the previous years.
The epics of different nations of the world have been inextricably interwoven with the literature and art of these nations. These epics serve as the source of inspiration for powerful national or religious sentiments. The epic of Ashura, considering its aims, is imbued with a sense of holiness and points to the real meaning of humanity.
Early on, it was at the behest of Hadrat Sajjad(A), that Bashir lbn Jadhlam started chanting of elegies (marthiyah) in memory of the martyrs of Karbala. In our literature, at the dawn of Persian poetry in the fourth century, heart-rending, sad songs were composed in memory of Master of the Martyrs, Imam Husayn (A). Kisa'i Marvazi who lived in the fourth century is the first Shi'ite poet that depicted the sad events in Karbala:
"Thai Sire, beheaded; lying on the ground;
(who died) his thirst unquenched; a victim of the rabble."
Sana'i Ghaznavi (middle fifth century), Qavami Razi (first half of the sixth century), Attar of Nayshabur (sixth century), Sayf-e Farghani (the second half of the seventh century), and many others are all the pioneers in this field. Since then the sad events of Karbala and the sufferings of Husayn (A) have been recounted from generation to generation, in a literature which has become increasingly poignant.
The story of Karbala, and the sad story of the sacrifices and martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A) and his loyal companions form the core of a significant part of Persian literature.
"Once again, what is this flame that has fallen into the world?
Once again, what is this flame of grief sorrow and lamentation:'"
