Allama Askari’s way in mourning for Imam Hussain

Index

• Do not cling to every way for people’s tears.
• Allamah Askari’s Mourning in his house.
• Mourning for Imam Hussain (AS) is a righteous deed.
• Allameh Askari’s way in telling the story of Ashura.
• A Simple but full content mourning.
• You said something that dried the tears in my eyes.
• Prevent the distortions of the Ashura event
• Conclusion.

 

Introduction

On the occasion of the days of mourning for Imam Hussain (AS), the media of Allamah Askari Center for Islamic Studies asked Mr. salimi, student of the late Allamah Askakri and the CEO of the (Allamah Askari Islamic Studies center) for his opinion about Allamah’s way of mourning for Imam Hussain in Muharram.

On this occasion, we compiled a podcast and present it to our dear audience.

In the name of God (Allah), the compassionate, the merciful.

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.

We are talking about the event of Ashura and the days of mourning for the master of the martyrs Imam Hussain (AS).  Regarding the way and the method of the late Allamah Askari in this discussion of the mourning for the Imam, I am supposed to speak of what I remember and know.

Do not cling to every way for people’s tears

The late Allamah Askari had a special care about the event of Ashura and generally his basis was that the way of life of the infallibles (AS) should be spoken about with Accuracy.

And to try to express what is so-called definite in the narrations, and not to be based on the fact that we are just looking to bring people to tears.

This is not the basis.  Although crying over Imam Hussain (AS) is very valuable, in order to bring people to tears, it is not the basis to just cling to every way.

[Meaning] everything we hear and everything we read… the way some people (of course, there are few of such people) tell every lie and every story that may not be true.

Allamah Askari’s Mourning in his house

The late Allamah Askari held mourning ceremonies at his house for ten nights every year, and he also gave lectures and addressed a specific topic every year.

Generally, the discussions expressed by the late Allamah Askari were original and new topics.  One of the years that I really enjoyed his speeches and was very useful  to me was his discussion of righteous deeds.

And the subject of his discussion that ten nights was:

Mourning for Imam Hussain (AS) is a righteous deed

Mourning for Imam Hussain (AS) (AS) is a righteous deed and a righteous deed needs to be done carefully.

Just like how we perform the prayers according to the principles they have told us, [or] how we fast according to the rules that have been imposed on us. We cannot add or subtract anything from our self.

He said that mourning for Imam Hussain (AS) (AS) is the same.  Because it is an event that is considered a turning point in the history of Islam.

It is one of the strategic days in the history of Islam and because this uprising has a direct and very strong impact on the approach of Islamic societies in the discussion of confronting oppression and seeking justice and defending the oppressed and enjoining the good and forbidding the evil and such debates, so this righteous deed must be done very carefully.

Allameh Askari’s way in telling the story of Ashura

I remember that even when he wanted to tell the story of Ashura, even though he had memorized all the events of the Ashura event, and he had no need to refer to a book, but he was bound to read from a book when telling the story.

He always used the third volume of his own book (Ma-alem Al-Madrasatain), which in fact included the event of Ashura, and emphasized that those who are from the pulpit and those who want to preach in these days should not be ashamed of reading the event from the books while telling it.

And [of course] documentary! Meaning, not every book and not every story!  Be sure to state the source of the story in that event, as well as to investigate whether what you said really happened on the day of Ashura or not. This was one of his main emphases.

A Simple but full content mourning

Allama Askari held a very simple and full content mourning in his house.  A Qur’an was recited, then Allamah Askari spoke for about an hour [or] 45 minutes.

And after his speeches, I remember the late Mr. Hassan (Mr. Chaychian – may God have mercy on him), he used to come and read poems, very heartbreaking poems, and then a very simple and brief mourning.

These were all the ceremonies held by the late Allamah Askari in Muharram.  But like i said, very, very full content, and very useful speeches said by him.

Usually we would not leave his house unless we got new information (we seminary students and those who are from the pulpits and preachers know better what I am saying).  This is the first topic.

You said something that dried the tears in my eyes

I remember one night he said, “Take me to an unknown Husseiniyya so that no one would know me.”  Usually, Allamah Askari was recognized in different places, so it would get crowded.

Allamah Askari told us to go to a place where the Husseiniyyah is not famous so that no one would know me so that I could easily cry for my grandfather Imam Hussain (AS) (AS).

He was taken to a husseiniyah, which was a small tent.  Allamah Askari said:”It is very good here” he went and sat next to the shoes and put his aba (a sort of cloak) on his head.

The orator on the pulpit was giving a speech and Allamah Askari was crying and mourning. Among the speeches of that orator, something was said that was not true.

It was one of those stories that is customary, but is not true!  [After the assembly] Allamah Askari said, “Tell this orator to come to me.”

So we went to the orator and he came to Allamah Askari.  He told this orator that I came here to cry for my grandfather Imam Hussain (AS), but you said something that dried the tears in my eyes.

The orator said “why” and “What did I say?” and he was upset. In short, he regretted it.  When asked the reason, Allamah Askari said: “Why do you talk without research?  You who are at the pulpit must pay attention to the fact that we have a duty to tell the people what the facts of history are.

Not to exaggerate in my words just to bring people to tears in every way.

Sometimes their excuse is the way of talking in the present!  We do not want to speak the present tense.  there is no need for that.  We just need to say what is real.  If I say something from the bottom of my heart, people will cry too.

(These are the words of Allamah Askari that I am presenting.) If it were not from the bottom of my heart, it is natural that others and the audience might not cry.  Anyway. This was one of the most important things that was done in the way and of the mourning for Imam Hussain (AS) (AS) by the late Allamah Askari.

Prevent the distortions of the Ashura event

The next issue that greatly upset Allamah Askari was that he was very insistent on preventing telling the narrations that was distorted in the Ashura event.  Stories like Qasim’s wedding and like that made him very upset and he said that we should not say anything that would later be ridiculed by the enemies of Islam.

We have a duty to preserve the image of religion and the high image of the Imams, and by saying such false things, not only did we not serve, but we may (unintentionally) cause some kind of damage.

A hadith that I remember the late Allamah Askari always reciting was:

Imam Sadegh (AS) said:

Be our adornment.  Do not upset or disgrace us.

Therefore, on this basis, he emphasized that the facts of history must be stated and the exaggeration and expression of unreal events in Ashura must definitely be prevented, so that the painful event that happened in the year 61 AH for Imam Hussain (AS) (AS) and his loyal companions, go forward right and strong from generation to generation.

It should not be in a way that something new is created every time and a false story, a distorted word is said and these stories get slowly included in the events of Ashura and in the end we would be confronted with a distorted story.

Conclusion

Therefore, holding a simple ceremony, but at the same time full of content, and far from distortions and content that sometimes may even be a lie, was the emphasis of the late Allamah Askari.