Traditional Rowzeh: A Vanishing Tradition

Seyyed Mohammad Sadeq Feiz
Translated by Abbas Hajihashemi

2015-11-2

Historical events, especially those belonging to earlier centuries, have passed on by word of mouth and some lucky ones have recorded in written legacies.

The same has been the fate of the Battle of Karbala as one of Muslim history's most tragic incident. Although it took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar (October 10, 680 AD), the first historical account of the event came out no sooner than nearly 70 years later in130 AH by Jabir Ibn Yezid Jofi. Abu Mokhanaf Loot ibn Yahya, contemporary with Jofi, has also accounted on massacre of Imam Hussein's modest army in his book.

The immediate accounts of the event were merely oral narratives with numerous historical discrepancies. Also among the first reports of the battle are accounts and recollections of Imam Sadjad, the son of Imam Hussein and the 4th Shia Imam, who was present in the Battle of Karbala. Imam Sadjad's recollections of the event have been recorded in several, sometimes, contradictory resources.

The witnesses of the event, members of the army of Omar Sa'ad, who savagely mutilated Imam Hussein, Imam's companions, and citizens of Kufi who lived near the land of Karbala at that time, have also reported on the incident from various angles. There are several books on these accounts.  

Beginning in 130 AH, historians like Jabir Jofi, Fazl Asadi and Mojashi wrote accounts of the incident relying heavily on hearsay, in a bid to prevent such an overwhelming event to be forgotten. The story of Imam Hussein's martyrdom was also narrated by witnesses who were on the side of the imam in the battle; the most prominent of such narrators are of course Imam Sadjad and Hazrat Zeinab, Imam Hussein's daughter. Other Shia Imams who came after Imam Sadjad revealed some hidden aspects of the incident and prevented it from being forgotten. Narrations provided by Shia imams are highly regarded as reliable accounts and are still being referred to by researchers.

The coin of the narrations of the Karbala Battle has another side too which is drawn by those who were on the side of Omar ibn Sa'ad to slay Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq. These narrators tried to set the events in a way that best justifies their crimes against the Shia community. Over decades, the number of Ashura accounts have boosted and many creations and fallacies have made way in the accounts. However, Shia authorities have tried to sift through such fallacies to present the realities of the incident to the believers. They did this by holding commemoration and mourning ceremonies which were held for remembering the incident by later generations.

Such ceremonies are still being held and are known generally as Rowzeh processions. Mourning ceremonies have long been evolving abreast with social and political developments of the Iranian society. There are still a few spots in remote areas where the processions have remained traditionally intact. In Tehran, original gatherings are being held by elderly Shia Maraje at Sadat Akhavi and Pir Ata Husseinyehs.

Until recent decades, weekly and monthly gatherings were arranged in cities and villages to remember the event. Also special days are designated for expression of grief by the lovers of Imam Hussein and his cause. Especially during the months of Muharram and Saffar (first and second lunar months in Arabic calendar), religious processions are held by Shia Muslims which are specially aimed at remembering the killing of Imam Hussein.

Elegiac poems were composed to be rehearsed during these processions which were all read with similar rhythms. The poems were created based on valid historical accounts of the Ashura incident and implicitly expressed the emotions of the Prophet's house without adhering to the prevalent fallacies that preoccupied most Muharram proceedings.

By the emergence of mass media outlets like radio and TV, Rowzeh and Muharram eulogies have begun to fade away. Add to this the new trends that have become prevalent in Muharram proceedings which are pushing old trends out of vogue.

Regardless of the quality of new mourning practices for commemorating martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his staunch companions, what matters is that traditional commemoration trends are gradually waning in the society while Shia authorities keep stressing that traditional modes of mourning for Imam Hussein must be preserved.