Mourning and Remembrance

Historically, the observance of Muharram in Kashmir dates back to the period of Sultan Sikander (1389–1413 CE). In the beginning, people didn’t take processions and only recited Marsiya (elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain Ibn Ali (A)) at their houses very quietly. People would assemble at a place, and the Zakir (the one who recites Marsiya) would narrate the martyrdom and present a painful picture of the event, and this would be followed by mourning.

These practises continued during other Shah Mir rulers, but faced a setback during the reign of Mirza Haider Dughlat. But, during the Chak rule, they gave religious freedom to all sects of the Muslims. Thus, Shi’as got an opportunity to revive their religious rituals. Then again during the Afghan Rule, Muharram commemorations were banned. So, people in the Zadibal and other Shi’a localities held secret gathering in the houses or underground halls during the Muharram. Even today, underground halls can be seen particularly in the old houses, which were specially for Muharram commemoration.

Muharram processions on the eve of Ashura in Kashmir started during the Sikh Rule in Kashmir (1819-46 A.D). In the morning about 3 o’clock, Zuljanah was taken from Namchabal to Kamangapore, and then to Imambada Zadibal. The Zuljanah was accompanied by 10-12 people. In the beginning only a silent procession was taken without nohas and Marsiyas and the practice was same till the Dogra period which started in 1846 A.D. The first procession with nohas and Marsiyas was taken in 1919-20 A.D. During the Dogra rule, Muharram processions weren’t allowed in day time and Shi’as were permitted to take out the procession during the night. But under the leadership of Aga Syed Hussain Jalali, Muharram procession was ultimately allowed during day time.

As we can clearly see, how our ancestors started the Muharram processions in Kashmir with huge difficulties. They took out processions in a simple, ordered way. These processions commemorate Imam Hussain’s (AS) stand for justice, keeping alive the message of sacrifice and resistance against oppression.

Water is distributed to honour the suffering of Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions, who were denied water for three days in Karbala. It symbolizes compassion and remembrance of their sacrifice. The message was simple - “Drink water, remember Hussain”.

Day by day, people began adding more acts of kindness, offering food, fruit, and other necessities, all as a tribute to his sacrifice and to spread the spirit of compassion and service he stood for. People distribute food items in the name of Imam Hussain and this is very rare in the world that people are distributing something for someone martyred about 1400 years ago. This is very impressive, but on the other hand, the people who are taking it, exhibit impatience or a lack of decorum when collecting food. The distribution of food items sometimes lacks organization, leading to disorderly behaviour.

During the collection of food, they don’t represent themselves, they are represented as the mourners of Imam Hussain, and such behaviour may give an observer a misleading impression of the event.

Muharram procession is defined as a mourning procession in which people gather and perform mourning rituals. But nowadays people have forgotten the decorum of the Muharram procession, as while mourning, some instances of inappropriate behaviour, such as laughing during processions can be noted. It’s very unusual that in a mourning procession, people are laughing. Such instances are often circulated on social media and become topics of public discussion, and may contribute to misunderstanding about the Shi’a community.

The Grand Ashura procession that currently takes place in Zadibal holds an important position in the Shi’ism of the Kashmir. But various street food stalls are also seen in the places where these processions take place. The presence of commercial food stalls can adversely impact the solemnity of the event, which many scholars and traditional followers find disrespectful to the sanctity of the occasion. In response to inquiries about the purpose and conduct of mourning events, Grand Ayatollah Sistani states:

“The main purpose of mourning during ‘Ashura is to respect and revive the symbols of religion and remember the suffering of Imam Hussain (a.s.), his companions, and his uprising to defend Islam […]. These rites must be done in such a way that, in addition to serving that purpose, they draw the attention of others to these lofty goals.”

Mohammad Mutahar, High School Senior at Tyndale Biscoe School, Srinagar