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Haj Marzuq

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Haj Marzuq
A portrait of Haj Marzuq during his middle years.
A portrait of Haj Marzuq during his middle years.
Place of BirthKarbala
DeathJuly 9, 1950 in Tehran, Iran
Burial PlaceNuw Cemetery (Qom)
StudentsAkbar Nazim ●Shah Husayn Bahari ● Muhammad 'Allama ● Muhammad 'Ali Islami


Muḥammad Marzūq ʿArab Ḥā'iri (Persian: محمد مرزوق عرب حائری) (d. 1329 Sh/1950), known as Ḥāj Marzūq (Persian: حاج مرزوق), was a religious scholar from Karbala and a pioneer in transforming mourning rituals in Iran. He emigrated to Iran in 1270 Sh/1891-2 and left a lasting impact on the culture of mourning by transferring traditional chest-beating styles to Tehran.

Biography

Muḥammad Marzuq 'Arab Ha'iri, known as Haj Marzuq,[1] was a student of religious sciences from Karbala.[2] Following the establishment of The Tehran Bazzazan (Cloth Merchants) Hay'at, Ahmad Nazim met Haj Marzuq during a trip to Karbala and invited him to Tehran, but Hajj Marzuq did not accept the invitation.[3] A second invitation from the Bani Fatima Hay'at in c. 1891 led him to travel to Tehran.[4]

He began his religious studies in Tehran and, for a period, dressed as a Muslim cleric; however, around 1931 he stopped wearing the turban, which is a traditional symbol of clerical status.[5]

Eulogy by Ḥaj Marzuq in the Muslimiyya ceremony at the Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani.[6]

Hāj Marzuq passed away on July 9, 1950 in Tehran.[7] After the funeral procession, his body was transferred to Rey and then to Qom,[8] where he was buried in the Nuw Cemetery.[9] Numerous spiritual accounts and karama (acts of wonder) have been narrated regarding him, which are considered signs of his spiritual life. Reports also exist regarding his spiritual status in Barzakh after his demise.[10]

Impact on Eulogy and Mourning in Iran

Eulogy by Haj Akbar Nazim in the style of Haj Marzuq

According to some reports, the presence of Haj Marzuq in Iran led to the customary practice of a new style of chest-beating in Tehran. Marzuq's modern methods in chest-beating were later advanced by individuals such as Shah Husayn Bahari and Akbar Nadhim. Before his time, mourning ceremonies in Tehran were conducted in a steady three-beat rhythm, performed continuously without breaks or pauses.[11]

Haj Marzuq popularized several new styles of chest-beating in mourning gatherings, including “vāhed” (a unified, single-rhythm style), "dam-i sar-pā" (chants performed while standing), and "zamīna-khānī" (a slow, preparatory chant that sets the emotional tone for the ceremony). He also tried to introduce a standardized style of dress for elegy reciters modeled on his own attire, but this effort was not widely adopted. His clothing consisted of a collarless jacket, a cloak draped over the shoulders, and an Egyptian fez worn with a light cream-colored cloth wrapped around it (green for those believed to be descendants of the Prophet).[12]

Until the migration of the late Haj Marzuq Ha'iri from Karbala to Tehran, the chest-beating of old Tehranis was performed as "Sih-ḍarb" (a steady three-beat rhythm,) and without interruption. Thus, "Dam-i Sarpā" and "Zamina-khwāni" were essentially not common in Tehran. Haj Marzuq was the founder of traditional chest-beating in Tehran.[13]

According to some analytical sources, by establishing a new style in the the four-step platform ritual during the Muslimiyya nights at the Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani and training students such as Akbar Nazim, Shah Husayn Bahari, Muhammad 'Allama, and Muhammad 'Ali Islami, Haj Marzuq played a key role in promoting the modern culture of mourning. These students propagated his style and traditions among mourning hay'ats.[14] It is also said that the custom of dedicating each night of the first ten days of Muharram to the remembrance of a specific martyr of Karbala originated with Haj Marzuq.[15] His influence on the style and quality of mourning and eulogy has led some researchers to title him the "Father of contemporary Nawha-khwani in Iran".[16]

A Persian-language documentary titled "haj Marzuq", directed by Babak Mina'i and produced by the Owj Arts and Media Organization, has been made regarding his life and his impact on the eulogy culture of Iran.[17]

Haj Marzuq pictured with other preachers and eulogists of Tehran; he is the first person seated in the front row on the right.

Notes

  1. ↑ Maẓāhirī, "Ḥāj Marzūq: murabbi-yi khārijī-yi maddāḥī-yi Īrānī", Inṣāf News.
  2. ↑ "Zindagīnāma-yi Ḥāj Muḥammad Marzūq", Sāyt-i rasmī-yi shūrā-yi hayʾāt-i madhhabī-yi ustān-i Qom.
  3. ↑ Muṭahhar, Documentary of "Ḥāj Marzūq", min. 6–8.
  4. ↑ "Zindagīnāma-yi Ḥāj Muḥammad Marzūq", Sāyt-i rasmī-yi shūrā-yi hayʾāt-i madhhabī-yi ustān-i Qom.
  5. ↑ Muṭahhar, Documentary of "Ḥāj Marzūq", min. 6–8.
  6. ↑ "Ḥāj Marzūq wa marāsim-i Muslimiyya", in Pāygāh-i duʿā wa naghmahā-yi madhhabī.
  7. ↑ Maẓāhirī, "Ḥāj Marzūq: murabbi-yi khārijī-yi maddāḥī-yi Īrānī", Inṣāf News.
  8. ↑ Muṭahhar, Documentary of "Ḥāj Marzūq", min. 49.
  9. ↑ Maẓāhirī, "Ḥāj Marzūq: murabbi-yi khārijī-yi maddāḥī-yi Īrānī", Inṣāf News.
  10. ↑ "Zindagīnāma-yi Ḥāj Muḥammad Marzūq", Sāyt-i rasmī-yi shūrā-yi hayʾāt-i madhhabī-yi ustān-i Qom.
  11. ↑ "Zindagīnāma-yi Ḥāj Muḥammad Marzūq", Sāyt-i rasmī-yi shūrā-yi hayʾāt-i madhhabī-yi ustān-i Qom.
  12. ↑ Maẓāhirī, "Ḥāj Marzūq: murabbi-yi khārijī-yi maddāḥī-yi Īrānī", Inṣāf News.
  13. ↑ "Maddāḥī ki Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (s) bi ū sifārish-i khwāndan-i rawḍa-yi ʿAlī Aṣghar (a) dād", Mashregh News.
  14. ↑ "Zindagīnāma-yi Ḥāj Muḥammad Marzūq", Sāyt-i rasmī-yi shūrā-yi hayʾāt-i madhhabī-yi ustān-i Qom.
  15. ↑ "Rivāyat-i zindagī-yi pidar-i nawḥa-khwānī-yi muʿāṣir-i Īrān...", Tasnim News Agency.
  16. ↑ Maẓāhirī, "Ḥāj Marzūq: murabbi-yi khārijī-yi maddāḥī-yi Īrānī", Inṣāf News.
  17. ↑ Muṭahhar, Documentary of "Ḥāj Marzūq", min. 6–8.

References

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