Rethinking the Āshūrā Rituals: An Assessment of the Role of Imām Ḥusayn and Other Heroes of Karbalā in Mourning Ceremonies

The Karbalā event has remained firmly embedded in the collective memory of Muslim societies for centuries and has triggered numerous social and political movements. One of the constitutive elements of Shiʿi popular religiosity is the mourning rituals held for the martyrs of Karbalā. These mourning rituals, which have kept the memory of Karbalā alive and contributed significantly to the formation of Shiʿi group identity, have continued to exist for centuries, incorporating new elements over time. Academic studies have tended to portray Ḥusayn as the sole figure who shaped Shiʿi popular religiosity, largely on the basis of the impact of the Āshūrā on the course of Shīʿism. When Karbalā is addressed, scholarly attention is generally focused exclusively on the death of Ḥusayn and the beliefs that developed around him. Yet this approach has led to the neglect of the ways in which the roles played by other members of the Ahl al-Bayt at Karbalā have been manifested in popular religiosity. At Karbalā, many individuals—most notably Imām Ḥusayn’s brothers, children, nephews, and companions—fought, suffered, and were martyred. Their suffering and their devotion to the Imām constitute an inseparable part of the Karbalā narrative and its collective memory. In this respect, it is impossible to speak of Shiʿi popular religiosity without Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (d. 61/680), ʿAlī al-Akbar b. al- Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī (d. 61/680), ʿAlī al-Aṣghar b. al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī (d. 61/680), Zaynab bint ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (d. 62/682 [?]), or many others. This study examines thematically the mourning rituals performed during the first ten days of the month of Muḥarram in contemporary Iran and, through an analysis of examples of nawḥa recited during these rituals, discusses the role of the heroes of Karbalā in mourning practices. The article highlights Ḥusayn’s twofold role as both the deceased at the center of the mourning and the recipient of condolences for many other martyrs.