On the Path of Critique and Development: ʿAshura as an Epistemic, Spiritual and Social Season

On the Path of Critique and Development

ʿAshura as an Epistemic, Spiritual and Social Season

Sayed Mahmoud Al-Mosawi

Introduction

It has become necessary and pressing to look seriously at the mission of the maʾtams (mourning halls) and ḥusayniyyas in the Shiʿi reality, to search for the hidden sources of dysfunction and the places of vacuum and deficiency, and to strive for a remedy and to bridge the gaps that have arisen as a result of human administrative processes.

When we hint at or openly state a dysfunction occurring here, or a deficiency and vacuum there, in the matter of the maʾtams and husayniyyas, we are directing our words toward human beings, as the administrative bodies that have undertaken the management of these distinguished religious institutions. This does not in any way mean a critique of the institution in its origin, but rather a critique of the administrative experience and the human practice connected with this institution.

For this reason, we must emphasize first and foremost that the maʾtams and husayniyyas are among the most important religious institutions, after the mosque, in the Shiʿi formation (the formation of the individual, the umma, the identity). This institution is what has contributed, contributes, and will contribute in the future to shaping the Shiʿi identity, intellectually and doctrinally, and emotionally. However, all of this does not mean that we surrender to the status quo or hand ourselves over to momentary administrative improvisation; we must always work to develop our institutions and our projects, so that the frameworks are consistent with the contents, and so that the mission keeps pace with the contemporary challenges of every age.

The Qurʾanic Approach to Critique and to Dealing with the Rites

So that the process of critique does not take a negative course and have an effect contrary to what is intended of it—development, keeping pace with the present age, and reform toward the better—it is important that we follow the path of constructive critique. This is the method that the Noble Qurʾan followed, particularly in critiquing the religious rites (shaʿāʾir) that Islam came to entrench, which it asked the believers to attend to and to preserve, and which it made an emblem of the believers.

We can bring to light the features of Qurʾanic critique through the Qurʾan’s treatment of prayer, which is the rite that distinguishes between the believer and the unbeliever, and which is the pillar upon which religion stands. Despite the importance of prayer in a person’s formation in faith, the Qurʾan directed critique at the believers regarding the manner in which they practice it; and the critique, as we mentioned earlier, is not of the rite but of those who practice it.

What we notice in the Qurʾanic verses is that they regarded maintaining the prayer as one of the qualities of the Godwary, in the words of Allah the Exalted: “who believe in the Unseen, maintain the prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them;” (Qurʾan 2:3), and that a group of the guilty had Hell as their end only because they were not among those who prayed, as in His words, the Exalted: “‘What drew you into Hell?’ They will answer, ‘We were not among those who prayed.” (Qurʾan 74:42–43). So prayer is a quality of the Godwary, and without it a person’s end is Hell; thus the Qurʾan defined the importance of prayer through these two important considerations: the effect of maintaining it and the effect of abandoning it.

However, the Noble Qurʾan did not give those who pray a green light in their conduct and in their performance and practice of it; it addressed those who pray with critique, saying: “Woe to those who pray but are heedless of their prayers” (Qurʾan 107:4–5). These are among those who pray, yet they do not give their prayer great importance. And the Almighty said: “The hypocrites indeed seek to deceive Allah, but it is He who outwits them. When they stand up for prayer, they stand up lazily, showing off to the people and not remembering Allah except a little,” (Qurʾan 4:142). There is a group of people whose outward does not match their inward; not everyone who performs the prayer in its outward form will be considered among those who pray. And the Almighty said: “O you who have faith! Do not approach prayer when you are intoxicated, [not] until you know what you are saying” (Qurʾan 4:43).

Thus there are several critical cases that the Qurʾan presented regarding those who pray:

1/ A believer may believe in the importance of prayer, yet his conduct does not reflect that, so he becomes lax and careless in its regard.

2/ Prayer may be practiced by one who is a show-off, who does not want the reality of prayer, but only deceives people by practicing it outwardly.

3/ Some of those who pray may not adhere to the conditions and requisites of prayer, so they stand up for it as a drunk person stands, whether drunk from wine or drunk with sleep.

With this critique, the Noble Qurʾan does not want to demolish the reality of those who pray, nor does it want to obliterate the landmarks of prayer, for it reminds them that their commitment, and their reform of this reality, is in the interest of their reality and its advancement, as the Exalted says: “And take recourse in patience and prayer, and it is indeed hard except for the humble” (Qurʾan 2:45). And the Almighty said, explaining the effects of prayer on a person’s reality: “and maintain the prayer. Indeed the prayer restrains from indecent and wrongful conduct” (Qurʾan 29:45).

All of this is together with the Noble Qurʾan’s direction that the one who prays should adhere to the aims and the content of this rite, not performing it for show, reputation and hypocrisy, nor contenting himself with formalities and appearances; the Exalted says: “and maintain the prayer for My remembrance” (Qurʾan 20:14).

These are the general features of Qurʾanic critique and of the treatment of the religious rites. As another applied example, we can notice the same features present in its treatment and critique of the practice of the rite of Hajj; the Exalted says:

“Only those shall maintain Allah’s mosques who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and maintain the prayer, and give the zakat, and fear no one except Allah. They, hopefully, will be among the guided. Do you regard the providing of water to Hajj pilgrims and the maintenance of the Holy Mosque as similar [in worth] to someone who has faith in Allah and [believes in] the Last Day and wages jihad in the way of Allah? They are not equal with Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.” (Qurʾan 9:18–19)

In this same manner, the matter of the institution of the husayniyyas and maʾtams, and all other ritual practices, ought to be addressed.

The Mission of the Husayniyyas

We must start from a value-based foundation for the dimension of the aims of acts of worship and practices. When addressing and reviewing, it should not be lost sight of that every act of worship and every religious deed has a mission and a content, embodied in the aims that it ought to achieve. Whether the aims are known in their details or known in general, they are among the constants that should not be absent from minds, and their absence is an absence of the goal and a loss of direction and course.

This foundation relies on many religious texts, but we will suffice with the words of Allah the Exalted: “Say, ‘Indeed my prayer and my worship, my life and my death are for the sake of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.” (Qurʾan 6:162) So every act of worship and every deed that comes from the believer ought to be for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted; this is the supreme aim, mediated by a set of formative aims, such as purifying the self and setting it right.

The mission of the husayniyyas, as the believers have adopted it, is manifested in the general heading of “reviving the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a),” which is every work connected with this heading from any of its aspects, whether on the occasions of their (a) joys, or on the occasions of their sorrows, or any other occasion and commemoration that becomes a window for realizing the revival of the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).

Does the Reality of the Husayniyyas Fulfill Their Mission?

From the standpoint of preserving the mission, we need to read the surrounding reality and the resulting effect, through field observation, and to compare it with the mission of the husayniyyas, toward which we should always aspire, in an attempt to reach the aims that they ought to achieve in the reality of the umma.

Reviving the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), as a heading, is among the greatest—indeed, it is the greatest—heading in the Islamic creed, since it is connected with wilāyah for them (a); as [is narrated] from Abu Jaʿfar (a), who said: “Islam is built upon five: upon prayer, zakāh, fasting, Hajj and wilayah; and nothing was proclaimed as wilayah was proclaimed.” Thereby we realize that the fulfillment of the mission of the husayniyyas and maʾtams is achieved only through the appearance of the effect that the wilayah of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) seeks: shaping the faithful, mission-oriented personality, and shaping the reality of the umma in accordance with the requirements and aims of religion.

In terms of quantity, the reality of the husayniyyas in many countries has achieved tangible progress, as the loyal adherents have taken care to establish husayniyyas in the places where they are present, particularly in places with a dense Shiʿi population, such as Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and the Eastern Province of Qatif and al-Ahsaʾ, as well as Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, some regions of India, Azerbaijan, and others.

If we take Bahrain, that very small country, as an example, some sources say that “the Jaʿfari Endowments Administration stated, in a statistic of its own at the beginning of 2009, that there are approximately 1,100 officially registered maʾtams in Bahrain, while others say that the total number of maʾtams, including unregistered ones, may reach five thousand maʾtams for women and men. According to ʿAbdullah Sayf in his book (al-Maʾatim fi al-Bahrayn), there are more than three thousand five hundred maʾtams (husayniyyas) for men alone (that was in 1994), not counting the women’s majlises and maʾtams”[1]. This is bearing in mind that the home majlises in which the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) is revived are many times those numbers.

As for that enormous quantitative momentum that the believers have achieved in establishing husayniyyas and maʾtams that nurture the wilaʾi, mission-oriented culture, we cannot claim that they have achieved even a tenth of their mission with respect to shaping the personality of the individual and shaping the umma, and confronting contemporary challenges; for there is a deep confidence on the part of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) in the effect that their message and their sayings can have on the life of the loyal person or of the other who differs. Here is Imam al-Rida (a) saying, in the context of his explaining the wisdom of reviving the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a): “For if people knew the beauties of our words, they would follow us.”

This means that reviving the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) has a profound effect on the umma, whereas if we measure the number of husayniyyas and maʾtams against the effect actually resulting from them in reality, we do not find that proportionate, nor does it meet the need and the purpose.

The Dimensions of Revival and the Points of Dysfunction

We can come to know the reality of the husayniyyas from a critical angle by proceeding to explain the dimensions of reviving the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a)—which is the mission that the husayniyyas and maʾtams ought to undertake—so that we discover the points of dysfunction and come to know the steps of reform and development; and reform and development are the aim of the critical study of the rites, as we mentioned earlier, in accordance with the guidance of the Noble Qurʾan.

There are three basic dimensions to the mission of the husayniyyas and maʾtams, which realize the heading of reviving the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) in its integrated form. The husayniyyas ought to adopt these three dimensions in their entirety, without fragmentation. Yes, there may be division on the level of individuals, as a specialized orientation, each specializing in one aspect of them in order to excel in it and contribute to it with high quality; however, the general management of the husayniyyas ought to pay attention to the three dimensions, which are:

1/ Ritual Revival.

Ritual revival is that which is connected with consolation and feeling, and with publicity, and with showing sympathy and becoming absorbed in the life of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) in all its aspects: grieving for their grief and rejoicing for their joy, displaying the wrongs done to them, declaring allegiance to them, and dissociating from their enemies, as though they were living among us. In this context many narrations have come from the Ahl al-Bayt (a), among them, for example, what Imam al-Sadiq (a) said to the man from Basra; he said: “May Allah have mercy on your tear—indeed, you are among those who are counted among the people of anguish for us, and those who rejoice at our joy, grieve at our grief, fear at our fear, and feel safe when we are safe..”.

And the saying of Imam ʿAli (a): “Allah the Exalted looked upon the earth and chose us, and chose for us Shiʿa who support us, rejoice at our joy and grieve at our grief”.. And from Imam al-Rida (a): “O Ibn Shabib, if you weep for al-Husayn (a) until your tears flow upon your cheeks.. Allah will forgive you every sin you have committed, whether small or great, few or many.”

The ritual aspect has two basic aims. One of them relates to a person’s self and the reform of his self through reviving the rites, as his self melts into the tragedies of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) so as to achieve a close bond between him and them (a). This sympathy is, in origin, a result of the inner bond with the Ahl al-Bayt (a), but at the same time it supports that bond and strengthens it, and even creates it in the heart of one who does not know the Ahl al-Bayt (a). As for the other dimension of ritual revival, it is connected with the publicity aspect, since what is required is to display that allegiance as a manifest rite, clear to people; and this amounts to a declaration of allegiance and of a doctrinal and intellectual bond with the Ahl al-Bayt (a).

Facing these dimensions of ritual revival, we find that reality has achieved part of the public visibility, whether in societies with a dense Shiʿi population, through the ceremonies of the ʿAshura commemoration, for example, and the going out of processions and the like, or on the Shiʿi satellite channels that broadcast the majlises, the commemorations, and the million-strong visitations to the grave of Imam al-Husayn (a). It still needs more, so that the voice of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and of Imam al-Husayn (a) reaches every corner of the inhabited world in forms of many manifestations.

However, the psychological aspect and the effect on the faith of the one who revives the rites need general attention. The type of problems that face the ʿAshura season, for example—such as psychological complexes among the managements of the husayniyyas, or confrontations and the creation of internal conflicts with the start of the season, and the failure to manage intellectual and juristic differences in a conscious manner—all of this reveals partisan zealotries that contradict the purposes of religion and the objectives of the revival. It needs guidance and education from the scholars, and it needs administrative control and firmness that prevent quarrels and their causes.

Among the indicators that point to the decline of the influence of this aspect of revival is that we do not see the individual and faith-based conduct that the Ahl al-Bayt (a) herald present in people’s lives in the required form; the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) need to be the axis of a person’s life. Perhaps the remedy for this matter is that ritual commemorations should not be devoid of guidance, nor be isolated from the other dimensions of revival, which we will mention after this dimension, so that the roles complement one another; for the rites create psychological enthusiasm and develop the spirit of belonging, and epistemic revival makes use of this spirit and that atmosphere to convey the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).

2/ Epistemic Revival.

Epistemic revival is that which is connected with conveying the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and explaining their sciences, in order to influence the personality of the individual and the course of the umma, and indeed so that contemporary epistemic challenges may be confronted with them. This important dimension was mentioned by Imam al-Rida (a), as has been narrated from ʿAbd al-Salam ibn Salih al-Harawi, who said: I heard Abu al-Hasan ʿAli ibn Musa al-Rida (a) say: “May Allah have mercy on a servant who revives our cause.” So I said to him: And how does he revive your cause? He said: “He learns our sciences and teaches them to people; for if people knew the beauties of our words, they would follow us.”

The knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) is not confined to one aspect to the exclusion of another, for they are the ones who express the reality of Islam, which came with various theories that shape the reality of the individual and society and build civilization, whether in the educational, social, cultural, political, economic and legal aspects, or other fields of knowledge that any nation needs in order to form an integrated civilization.

If we look at the epistemic reality of the husayniyyas and maʾtams, we see it lagging very far behind the aspiration that the Ahl al-Bayt (a) draw for their knowledge, with which they challenge every holder of a theory. The race in choosing the preacher who ascends the pulpit of the husayniyya and the maʾtam has come to be won by the one most able to evoke weeping and by quality of voice. Although that is required with respect to ritual revival, it should not be at the expense of the aspect of epistemic revival.

Perhaps it is appropriate at this point to emphasize that the preacher ought to be knowledgeable and a researcher in the sciences of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), so that he conveys the message and achieves the aim. Likewise, the managements bear the responsibility of selecting the most competent and most capable to achieve this aspect, particularly given the existence of an administrative organization that classifies the occasion and distributes its roles; thus the radud specialized in lamentation has been an important part, and therefore selecting the knowledgeable preacher is the task that complements that. Some managements do well in assigning a preacher specialized in lamentation and in evoking weeping, and after him a preacher specialized in research and the knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), or in having the preacher combine both matters, or be a good conveyor of knowledge.

3/ Revival through Building the Collective Spirit

It has been affirmed in logic that (society) at large has its authority over a person’s thought, that (the gathering) also has an intellectual authority, and that (the group) has an authority similar to, or stronger than, the others. In order to direct this authority toward the strength of the Islamic society and the mission-oriented group that follows the approach of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), the Ahl al-Bayt (a) called on their Shiʿa to hold gatherings and to attend to the collective spirit, in order to create an atmosphere of brotherhood, unity, solidarity and cooperation; and they regarded that as part of reviving the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), as in their (a) saying: “For their meeting one another is life for our cause,” because of the strength for the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) that this social strength represents, since they are the bearers of that approach.

Al-Baqir (a) said to a man: “Do you meet in private, talk, and say what you wish?” It was said: Yes, by Allah. He said: “By Allah, I would love to be with you in some of those places.”

And from Khaythama, who said: I went in to Abu Jaʿfar (a) to bid him farewell, and he said: “O Khaythama, convey the greeting of peace to those of our devotees whom you see, and enjoin upon them wariness of Allah, the Great, and that their rich be generous to their poor, and their strong to their weak, and that their living attend the funeral of their dead, and that they meet one another in their houses; for their meeting one another is life for our cause. May Allah have mercy on a servant who revives our cause.”

If we reflect on this aspect, which the maʾtam and the husayniyya achieve through the believers gathering in it and cooperating, and likewise in all the gatherings accompanying all the activities of revival, we will see that a spirit of division, fragmentation and disputes prevails over societies and prevails over the state of revival. The differences ought to dissolve, and respect of each party for the other in the views it holds ought to prevail, particularly differences of opinion based on a sharʿi view; no one has the right to object to or confront others and restrict their ritual freedom. Likewise, reactions should not be harsh such that the gap widens and the community disperses, and the strength and spirit of society depart.

The collective spirit ought to be tied with the bond of love for Imam al-Husayn (a) and for the Ahl al-Bayt (a) in general. If there is any disagreement, then calm scholarly dialogues and the principle of the word are what govern, not the logic of cursing, belittling, accusations of treachery, insults, accusations of sinfulness, and provocation. The collective Husayni spirit that the husayniyyas form can confront attempts at fragmentation, attempts at weakening, and attempts at domination by forces that are not of faith.

ʿAshura as an Epistemic, Spiritual and Social Season

Through this discussion, we aspire for the ʿAshura season to be a season for producing knowledge in all its aspects—political, cultural, social and educational—from which theories in various fields, and remedies for the various contemporary challenges, are launched. It ought also to be a season for creating a spirit of enthusiasm and inner absorption, and of consoling the Ahl al-Bayt (a) in the painful tragedy of al-Taff, and a season for building social cohesion and cooperation in good deeds, in order to form a wilaʾi, mission-oriented identity that challenges all contemporary hardships.

In conclusion, we remind ourselves of this hadith from the Infallible, which points to the aspects of revival all together. From Abu ʿUbayd, who said: I heard Abu ʿAbd Allah Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad (a) saying to his companions while I was present: “Be wary of Allah, and be dutiful brothers who love one another for the sake of Allah, keeping close ties and showing mercy to one another. Visit one another, meet one another, remind one another, and revive our cause.”