MEANING OF MOURNING AND ITS HISTORY

[Taqavi]

What is mourning and how far back does its historical background go?

 

First, it is important to mention that the word "Aza" (mourning) linguistically means patience and endurance in the face of grief and calamity.[1] "Matam" refers to a gathering of people to express sorrow or joy, [2] but over time it has been mostly associated with mourning and grief. [3] Accordingly, mourning refers to ceremonies held in sorrow over the loss of loved ones.

Historical evidence shows that such ceremonies were common not only during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) but even before him. For example, historians have reported that when Abdul-Muttalib passed away, his daughters composed elegies in his honor. [4]

After the Battle of Uhud, when the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) passed by the houses of the Ansar, he heard the women weeping and chanting elegies for their martyrs. This scene deeply moved the Prophet (SAW), who said, "Hamza has no one to mourn for him." [5] This statement led to a tradition in Medina where before every mourning gathering, people would first lament and chant elegies for Hamza, and then proceed to mourn the person of concern. [6]

Furthermore, there is a narration that Umm Salama asked the Prophet (SAW) for permission to hold a mourning ceremony for her recently deceased cousin who had converted to Islam. The Prophet (SAW) consented; Umm Salama gathered the women, prepared food for them, and mourned Walid together with them. [7]

In another account, when news of the martyrdom of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib reached the Prophet (SAW), Asma, Ja'far's wife, began to weep and lament loudly. The Prophet (SAW) advised her, "Do not beat your chest nor utter inappropriate words," while the women around Asma were mourning. When the Prophet (SAW) went to the house of his daughter, he saw her also weeping and said, "We should mourn for someone like Ja'far." [8]

These narrations indicate that holding gatherings of sorrow and mourning for lost loved ones was not only common during the Prophet’s time but also approved by him.

The practice of holding mourning sessions was also prevalent and endorsed in the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). For instance, there is a narration from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS) in which he instructed his followers to hold mourning assemblies for Imam Hussain (AS) on the day of Ashura, to weep with their families, and express their grief for the calamities that befell him. [9]

It is also narrated that poets of the Ahl al-Bayt would visit Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (AS) during mourning periods and recite poems in praise of Imam Hussain (AS). These poems were so moving that the Imam (AS) and all present would weep. Thus, mourning in the presence of the Imam (AS), accompanied by poetry and tears, became a spiritual method to keep alive the memory and tragedy of Imam Hussain (AS). [10]

These accounts are just a portion of the traditions of the Prophet (SAW) and the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) in holding mourning for the saints of Allah, especially the Master of Martyrs, Imam Hussain (AS). Such evidence shows that mourning, particularly for Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussain (AS), not only has a legitimate religious status but also a long-standing history in Islamic tradition, encouraged and recommended by the leaders of the faith.

 

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[1] . Lisān al-ʿArab, Ibn Manẓūr, Vol. 15, p. 52.

[2] . Ibid, Vol. 12, p. 3.

[3] . Al-Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr fī Gharīb al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr li-al-Rāfiʿī, al-Fayyūmī, Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad, Vol. 1, p. 3.

[4] . Ansāb al-Ashrāf, al-Balādhurī, Vol. 1, p. 85.

[5] . Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, al-Ṭabarī, Abū Jaʿfar, Vol. 2, p. 532.

[6] . Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid wa Manbaʿ al-Fawāʾid, al-Haythamī, Nūr al-Dīn, Vol. 6, p. 120.

[7] . Maghāzī al-Wāqidī, al-Wāqidī, Vol. 2, p. 629.

[8] . al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Ibn Saʿd, Vol. 8, p. 220.

[9] . Kāmil al-Ziyārāt, Ibn Qūlawayh al-Qummī, Vol. 1, p. 193.

[10] . Ibid, Vol. 1, pp. 111-112.