WHY MOURNING AND CRYING INSTEAD OF JOY?

[Taqavi]

Imam Hussein (AS) has reached the highest level of spiritual perfection through his martyrdom, so why do Shia mourn and cry for him?

 

The painful martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) can be understood from two essential perspectives.

First, the immense suffering and injustice he and his family faced, which deeply affect human conscience and are recommended to be mourned according to religious teachings. Crying for Imam Hussein is not just an emotional reaction, but a sign of spiritual insight and heartfelt connection to the truth of Ashura. Numerous reliable narrations highlight this virtue:

- Imam Reza (AS) said: "Whoever recounts our sorrows, weeps for them, and causes others to weep, will not have any weeping eyes on the Day when all eyes will be weeping."[1] This narration shows that crying is not only a sign of empathy but also a means of salvation on the Day of Judgment. 

- Imam Sadiq (AS) said: "Whoever has the state of crying over Imam Hussein (AS) will be among the people of Paradise." [2] This elevates crying to a sign of faith and connection with the guardianship of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS).

- Imam Reza (AS) also said: "For someone like Hussein (AS), one must cry and be tearful." [3] This reflects the greatness of Imam Hussein (AS)’s person and the high status of his tragedy.

Thus, crying for the Master of Martyrs (AS) is more than an emotional reaction; it is a type of spiritual awareness and participation in the eternal Ashura movement, which awakens conscience and commitment.

Secondly, martyrdom has two dimensions: divine/heavenly and social/human. From the divine perspective, martyrs are joyful to reach closeness to Allah. Imam Ali (AS) says: "By Allah, nothing unpleasant or unexpected happened to me; what happened was what I desired, which was martyrdom; my condition is like someone who searches for water in the dark of night and suddenly finds a clear spring; like a seeker who has achieved what he desires.” [4] This shows the martyr’s spiritual happiness.

However, from a social and human perspective, martyrdom signals enormous injustice inflicted on pure and innocent individuals, which causes mourning and sorrow. Crying in this tragedy is not only a sign of affirming the martyr’s path and solidarity but also a declaration of hatred for oppressors and rejection of injustice. It also reflects an emotional bond between humans and the martyr, a natural response to the suffering of loved ones, expressing love and care for the oppressed.

The late Sayyid ibn Tawoos also says in this regard:

If obedience to the Quran and Sunnah were not obligatory, which have commanded us to mourn and express sorrow for the loss of signs of guidance and the spread of misguidance, we would have worn the garment of joy and glad tidings in the face of this great blessing; But since God is pleased with weeping and wailing in this calamity on the Day of Judgment, we too put on the garment of sorrow, became familiar with tears, and said to our eyes: "Weep continually," and said to our hearts: "Lament like grieving mothers," because the trusts of the merciful Prophet (SAW) were mercilessly attacked on the day of war. [5]

In summary, martyrdom has both an individual and a social dimension; in the individual dimension, the martyr has reached a state of divine closeness and is happy with his position before Allah; but in the social dimension, martyrdom is a sign of a great injustice that has been committed against pure people, and this causes sadness and mourning; crying and wailing in this calamity are not only a sign of approval of the martyr's path and companionship with him, but also a declaration of hatred for the enemies and disgust for the injustice that has been inflicted on him; [6] in addition, crying and wailing are a sign of the emotional bond between a person and a martyr; a natural reaction to a calamity that befalls a person's loved ones, and it expresses the love and affection that exists in the human heart for the oppressed.

 

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[1] . Al-Amali, Shaykh al-Saduq, p. 131. «ومن ذكر بمصابنا فبكى و أبكى لم تبك عينه يوم تبكي العيون»

[2] . Kamel al-Ziyarat, Ibn Qulawayh al-Qummi, vol. 1, p. 105.

[3] . Wasa'il al-Shia, Shaykh Har al-Amili, vol. 10, p. 394. «فعلى مثل الحسين فليبك الباكون»

[4] . Nahj al-Balagha, letter 23, al-Sayyid al-Sharif al-Radi, p. 378. «و الله ما فجانی من الموت‌ وارد کرهته و لا طالع انکرته و ما کنت الا کقارب ورد و طالب وجد»

[5] . Al-Luhuf ala qatla l-tufuf, Sayyid Ibn Tawus, p. 4.

[6] . Qiyam wa Enqelab Mahdi, Morteza Motahhari, pp. 118-121.