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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Portrait of a woman on Tasou'a Day. The women in Khorramabad city who need help by Imam Hossein (AS) go on silence fasting on this day from morning, cover their faces and go to 40 "Manbars (mosques)" or Hosseiniyehs (a place like mosque) and lighten a candle in every place they go. After lightening the 40 candles, they break their fast and uncover their faces. This tradition is aimed at mourning for Imam Hossein (AS) and praying for him to save them on resurrection day. (Lorestan / khorram abad) _2016
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
A religious theatre group (Ta'ziyeh) on Tasou'a Day is preparing the camels to display the events related to martyrdom of Imam Hossein (AS). ( Isfahan/ Khomeini shahr)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Every year, the mourning groups come to the streets of cities from the first day to the tenth day (Ashoura) of Moharram and mourn for Imam Hossein (AS) by displaying a special form of mourning, using chains, drums and singing sad songs.
( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
During the lunar month of Moharram, certain animals like cow and sheep are sacrificed and people cook food with their meat. People wait for watching the mourning groups on Ashoura Day after sacrificing the animals. ( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The people in Khorramabad city believe that when Imam Hossein (AS) was martyred his body was in water and mud. Therefore, the people in Khorramabad city smear themselves with mud and then mourn. A man is drying himself beside fire before the mourning ceremony starts. (Lorestan / khorram abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The families living in Noushabad city in Central Iran vow to give something to people as a votive for Ali Asqar (AS) (the 6-month-old son of Imam Hossein (AS) who was killed in Karbala) so that Ali Asqar
prays for the health of their child before being born and then when the baby is born they display their child on a horse on Ashoura Day during the Kotal ritual.
( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Every year, the mourning groups come to the streets from the first to tenth day of Moharram and mourn for Imam Hossein (AS) by displaying a special form of mourning, using chains, drums and singing sad songs.
( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Portrait of a woman on Tasou'a Day. The women in Khorramabad city who need help by Imam Hossein (AS) go on silence fasting on this day from morning, cover their faces and go to 40 "Manbars (mosques)" or Hosseiniyehs (a place like mosque) and lighten a candle in every place they go. After lightening the 40 candles, they break their fast and uncover their faces. This tradition is aimed at mourning for Imam Hossein (AS) and praying for him to save them on resurrection day. (Lorestan / khorram abad).
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The decorated horse for the Kotal ritual on Ashoura Day. This horse carries the children whose parents had vowed to display their children on Ashoura Day as a votive before they were born and want Imam Hossein (AS) to pray for them to remain healthy. ( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
One of the mourning rituals of Khorramabad city on Ashoura Day is 'Gel Oftan'. The people of the city smear themselves with mud and after drying beside a fire start mourning for Imam Hossein (AS). This woman is drying the mud on her body beside men. Mourning for the dear ones by smearing oneself with mud is a historical tradition in the culture of people in Lorestan province. (Lorestan / khorram abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Ta'ziyeh (religious theatre) is a form of theatre which narrates the moments of Ashoura Day and people cry and mourn by watching it. People are watching the battle between Imam Hossein (AS) friends and enemy forces displayed in Ta'ziyeh. ( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Every year, a number of people vow as a votive to lay on the ground in a plain area, playing the role of Imam Hossein (AS) friends, from morning to night so that Imam Hossein will accept praying for them to attain their goals and meet their needs. ( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
"Hosseini Infants" is a mourning ceremony held for Ali Asqar, the 6-month-old son of Imam Hossein (AS) who was martyred by Yazid forces. During the ceremony, mothers mourn with their infants for Ali Asqar. A woman prays for Imam Hossein (AS) to heal her crippled child. (Tehran)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Every year in big Ta'ziyehs (religious theatres), children play the role of angels. The angels in religious theatres resemble the presence of divine angels when Imam Hossein (AS) was martyred. They were the great witnesses of Imam Hossein (AS) and his friends' martyrdom on Ashoura Day. ( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Every year, millions of people come to the streets on Tasou'a and Ashoura Days to mourn for Imam Hossein (AS). The people in Bijar city are carrying the 'Alams (signs)' (spiritual significance for the Twelver Shiite Muslims). (Kurdistan/bijar)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The people in Bijar city of Kurdistan province (Western Iran) smear their heads and faces with mud every year on Ashoura Day to mourn for Imam Hossein (AS). (Kurdistan/bijar)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
A large number of animals like sheep and cow are sacrificed every year on Ashoura day and people cook food with their meat and distribute it among other people and those in need. People believe that the food cooked for Imam Hossein (AS) has a healing power and gives blessing to their life. (Kurdistan/bijar)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
Every year, the Iranian people spend millions of dollars to cook food for Imam Hossein (AS) as a votive. The people who have attained their goals and wishes or those who love Imam Hossein (AS) cook food as much as they can and distribute it among other people and those in need. The village of "BaqMalek" in Isfahan has been hosting the mourners for Imam Hossein (AS) on Tasou'a Day every year since 300 years ago. (Isfahan / BaqMalek village
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
In the Iranian culture, burning Esfand (Peganum harmala) is a way to freshen up the air and prevent the evil eye and dispel sadness. A woman on Ashoura Day is burning Esfand in the streets that people are mourning in them. ( kashan/noosh abad
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
People of Khorramabad city smear themselves with mud and after drying beside a fire start mourning for Imam Hossein (AS). During this ceremony, children also mourn beside their parents. A man is drying the chador (hijab) of his 4-year-old child before the mourning starts. (Lorestan / khorram abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The portrait of a woman from Khorramabad city along with her daughter on Tasou'a Day. Children participate in "ChehelManbaran" mourning ceremony along with their mothers. (Lorestan / khorram abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The Iraqis residing in Iran take out their swords every year at Tashou'a and Ashoura nights, swing them and sing sad Arabic songs to mourn for Imam Hossein (AS). (Tehran)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The Iranian people come to the streets at Ashoura night and lighten up candles for the victims of Ashoura events to mourn for them. The mourning woman are waiting for the mourning groups. ( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The woman-only mourning ceremonies were formed In Iran since the mourning ceremony for Imam Hossein (AS) started in Iran. During such ceremonies people make religious speeches, sing sad religious songs and perform Ta'ziyeh (religious theatre). Women are listening to the speech on the evens of Ashoura Day. (shahrood)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The portrait of a young couple on Ashoura Day and during "ChehelManbaran" ceremony. (Lorestan / khorram abad).
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
The holy shrine of Imam Hossein (AS) is in Karbala city in Iraq. Every year, a large number of Iranians visit Karbala on Ashoura and Arba'een Days and visit his holy shrine. Given the huge love of people in Noushabad city of Kashan in Central Iran, a model of Imam Hossein (AS)'s shrine has been built and people visit it. Women are visiting the model of Imam Hossein (AS) shrine. ( kashan/noosh abad)
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© 2021 Fatemeh Behboudi
A man is saying prayers after the end of mourning ceremony for Imam Hossein (AS)_ ( kashan/noosh abad)
Public Story
Mourning for Hussein
Credits:
fatemeh behboudi
Date of Work:
12/31/69 - Ongoing
Updated: 09/20/18
Dying with honor is better than living with abjection (hussain ibn ali)
Since I remember ... we always cried for him.
We always spend millions for him.
We always asked help in our hard life days from him and he helped us .
I always asked myself: who is Hussein? why is he hero of muslims ?
And Why is he still alive among people ,1337 years after his death ?
....
Ashoura Day is a historical and epic day in the Islamic world in which Hossein Ibn Ali (the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the hero of the World Shiites along with 72 of its friends and family members were martyred in 680 AD (10th of Moharram) for not swearing allegiance to the ruler of that time (Yazid) and resistance against oppression.
Hossein's epic became famous in the world as Islam was moving on a dangerous path before his martyrdom and its position was weakening but Ashoura turned into the most important historical event after Islam and the Islamic society found its character and philosophy and became the starting point of many movements and uprisings and played an important role in forming the revolutions, including the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Hossein's epic and his martyrdom play an important role today in important events, including the Islamic Awakening and Muslims' battles against the ISIL (ISIS) terrorist group in countries like Syria and Iraq.
Every year on this historical day, millions of people across the world hold mourning ceremonies to keep Hossein's name alive. Mourning for Hossein (AS) officially started in Iran, with the most Shiite population in the world, in 923 AD (during Al-e Bouyeh rule) and after that every year, millions of Iranians, Shiite and Sunni, hold mourning ceremonies on this historical day with their different cultures.
The Iranian people believe that Hossein (AS) was a holy and right-seeking person who was killed on the way of freedom and freedom-seeking; therefore, they spend millions of dollars every year for religious speeches, Ta'aziyeh (religious theatre), mourning ceremonies and Sacrificing animals for cooking food (votive) for people to commemorate the day and keep their love and honor for Hossein (AS) alive.
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