Tuwairij Mourning: Difference between revisions

  | caption = Tuwairij Mourning on the Day of Ashura

'''Tuwairij Mourning''' is an annual [[mourning]] ceremony held by the people of Tuwairij (al-Hindiya). They embark on a journey from their city to the [[Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)]] on the [[Day of Ashura']]. The ceremony is often done through jogging. The mourners travel the twenty-kilometer distance between Tuwairij and [[Karbala]] on foot while grieving over Imam al-Husayn's (a) tragedy.

[[Sayyid Salih al-Qazwini]] (d. 1304/1887) is credited as the first person to incorporate jogging into the Tuwairij mourning processions. However, this form of mourning in Tuwairij is said to date back over 300 years. It is reminiscent of the men from [[Banu Asad]] from Tuwairij in [[61 AH|61]]/680 who jogged from Tuwairij towards Karbala in order to bury Imam al-Husayn's (a) corpse.

The Tuwairij mourning ceremony is widely regarded as the largest commemoration of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] on the Day of Ashura throughout the world.

The Tuwairij mourning ceremony is globally recognized as the largest commemoration of Imam al-Husayn (a) on the Day of Ashura.<ref>[https://imamhussain.org/persian/10823 A look at the Tuwairij mourning ceremony, the biggest mourning ceremony of Imam al-Hossein (a) in the world (Persian).]</ref> In addition, it is considered to be the largest human gathering worldwide.<ref>[https://imamhussain.org/persian/news/33208 The biggest mourning ceremony in the world on the day of martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a) in Karbala (Persian).]</ref> Since [[Saddam|Saddam's regime]] was toppled, millions of participants from [[Iraq]] and other countries, predominantly [[Iran|Iranians]], take part in the Tuwairij mourning ceremony.<ref>[https://www.irna.ir/news/84020924/%D8%A2%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%AF The Tuwairij mourning ceremony was held in Karbala (Persian).]</ref>

The Tuwairij mourning processions commence in the morning of the Day of Ashura, originating from the city of Tuwairij, situated 20 kilometers away from Karbala. The procession heads towards the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a). Before noon, the participants halt at Qantarat al-Salam, which is approximately two kilometers away from Karbala, where they perform [[Zuhr Prayer|noon]] and [[Asr Prayer|afternoon prayers]]. While en route, other individuals and caravans also accompany them to Karbala. Upon reaching Karbala, the mourning procession first enters the tenting ground ([[al-Mukhayyam]]) before proceeding inside the shrines of [[Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)|Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and [[Holy Shrine of al-Abbas (a)|al-'Abbas (a)]].<ref>[https://imamhussain.org/persian/10823 A look at the Tuwairij mourning ceremony, the biggest mourning ceremony of Imam al-Hossein in the world (Persian).]</ref>

The ceremony typically lasts until the afternoon of the Day of Ashura annually.

The type of mourning carried out by this procession is known as "Rakdat al-Tuwairij," during which the participants jog barefooted towards the [[shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)]].<ref>[https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/264123/%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AC-%DA%86%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1 (What is the story of Tuwairij Procession? (Persian).]</ref> This tradition, commonly referred to as the Rakda ceremony, has a history spanning approximately 150 years.<ref>[https://www.irna.ir/news/84020924/%D8%A2%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%AF The Tuwairij mourning ceremony was held in Karbala (Persian).]</ref>

[[Sayyid Salih al-Qazwini]] is credited with introducing the Tuwairij processions in the form of jogging, according to some sources. For two years during the [[Muharram month]], he turned his home into a place of mourning for Imam al-Husayn (a). On the Day of Ashura, Sayyid Salih recited [[Al-Luhuf ala qatla l-tufuf (book)|''Sayyid b. Tawus's Maqtal'']] (the story of Imam al-Husayn's (a) martyrdom) while tens of thousands of people participated. After having breakfast, they walked towards Karbala<ref>Qazwīnī and Riḍāyī, ''Mawkib-i ʿazādārī-yi Ṭuwayrīj wa naqsh-i Sayyid Ṣāliḥ Ḥusaynī Qazwīnī dar iḥyāʾ wa tadāwum-i ān'', p. 2-3.</ref> and arrived at Bab al-Tuwairij (an entry gate of the city of Karbala), where they performed the noon prayer before carrying out the ceremony of Rakdat al-Tuwairij towards the shrines of Imam al-Husayn (a) and 'Abbas (a).<ref>[https://www.irna.ir/news/84020924/%D8%A2%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%AF The Tuwairij mourning ceremony was held in Karbala (Persian).]</ref> One hour after noon, which is the exact time when Imam al-Husayn (a) was martyred, the pilgrims entered Karbala barefooted while Sayyid Salih rode on horseback among thousands of pilgrims. Following Sayyid Salih's passing in 1304/1887, his children continued the tradition of leading the procession. From then until the last decade of the fourteenth/twentieth century, the caravan of Tuwairij was led by Sayyid Salih's descendants.<ref>Qazwīnī and Riḍāyī, ''Mawkib-i ʿazādārī-yi Ṭuwayrīj wa naqsh-i Sayyid Ṣāliḥ Ḥusaynī Qazwīnī dar iḥyāʾ wa tadāwum-i ān'', p. 2-3.</ref>

The Tuwairij procession was held until 1990. However, in 1991, the Ba'ath government prohibited the ceremony, despite the people's insistence on carrying it out. This resulted in the arrest and execution of some participants. The tradition was halted until after the fall of Saddam's regime in 2004, when the Tuwairij ceremony resumed.<ref>[https://imamhussain.org/persian/news/33208 The biggest mourning ceremony in the world on the day of martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a) in Karbala (Persian).]</ref>

Sayyid Salih al-Shahristani (d. 1975) states in his book ''Tarikh al-niyaha'' that the Tuwairij jogging tradition has more than 300 years of history. The ceremony's participants believe it is reminiscent of [[Banu Asad]]'s practice on the Day of Ashura, which took place in 61/680.<ref>Shahristānī, ''Tārīkh al-nīyāha'', p. 45.</ref>

According to historical accounts, there is no mention of Imam al-Mahdi's (a) participation in the Tuwairij ceremony in any written sources related to him or Bahr al-'Ulum. Moreover, scholars argue that this claim lacks authenticity because Tuwairij mourning started in 1303/1885 while [[Sayyid Mahdi Bahr al-'Ulum]] passed away much earlier, in 1212/1798. It is possible that the individual mentioned in the story was a descendant of Sayyid Bahr al-'Ulum.