Allah Allah Husaina Veina Mourning Ceremony in Maragheh

Muharram is one of the most important religious occasions for Iranians. In Muharram, Iranian people mourn on the occasion of the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Husain (AS). This mourning is centuries old and is held with special customs according to the culture and geography of each region. The study of Muharram mourning customs can well show the diversity of cultures in Iran.

In Maragheh, which is one of the historical and important cities of West Azarbaijan province of Iran, people mourn for Imam Husain (AS) in Muharram by holding a special ceremony. This ceremony, which is known as “Allah Allah Husaina Veina”, was inscribed on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of East Azarbaijan Province in 2012.

Muharram Mourning Ceremony in Maragheh

The mourning ceremonies for Imam Husain’s martyrdom start on the 1st of Muharram. The large caravanserai of the city, Metular and Khwaja Malkum residences, Sheikh Baba Mosque, and Shuja al-Doulah, Imam Husain, and Darwazeh squares are among the most important centers for holding mourning ceremonies during Muharram. These mourning ceremonies are accompanied by various rituals, one of which is the ritual of candlelight turning or “baylamakh”. In this ritual, the mourners light candles in mosques from Tasua evening until night, in memory of the last moments of Imam Husain’s presence in the company of his family and companions. Recreating the scene of the return of Imam Husain’s horse from the battlefield in the form of a passion play is another ritual that is held on the day of Ashura.

Allah Allah Husaina Veina

Since the distant past, Maragheh has had many mourning husainiyyas, of which is Haji Ghaffar’s Husainiyya, which was founded in the Qajar era (19th century AD) by a person named “Rais al-Tujjar”. Haji Ghaffar was one of the well-known people of Maragheh who had donated all his property to this Husainiyya.

In the Allah Allah Husaina Veina ceremony, the mourners put on white cloths or towels, similar to the pilgrims in the Hajj ceremony, and go to Haji Ghaffar’s Husainiyya before sunrise. They then offer the morning prayer, and after that, with their faces covered with mud and bare feet, they begin mourning for Imam Husain (AS) by chanting “Allah Allah Husaina Veina”, leave the Husainiyya, and walk towards the main square of the city, following a flag stained with blood.

Along the way, other people also join this group and some people sacrifice cattle on the route that mourners take, and the meat of these sacrifices is used for cooking food and distributing it among the mourners. In addition to that, some people treat the mourners with milk and dates on the way. After reaching the main square of the city, the mourners start the ceremony of breast-beating and after that, they mourn in a sitting position. This ritual continues until sunrise during which different groups of mourners come to the square and mourn.

The Anthropological Aspects of the “Allah Allah Husaiba Veina Ceremony”

Putting on Ihram clothing, which is used by pilgrims in Hajj, is a manifestation of the connection of Hajj and Muharram mourning, as two important ceremonies of Muslims. This custom is reminiscent of the last Hajj of Imam Husain (AS), who left it half-finished and went to Kufa with the aim of establishing truth and justice. At that time, the people of Kufa had invited Imam Husain (AS) to go to that city and lead them to fight against Yazid, the tyrannical ruler of that time, but before he reached that city, they violated their oath and invitation.

People of Maragheh participate in this ceremony barefoot and believe that this is a sign of respect for Imam Husain (AS). “Allah Allah Husaina Veina” chanted by the mourners is part of an Arabic poem and means “O God, O God, where is my Hussain?” It seems that the pilgrims who did not benefit from Imam Husain’s presence during Hajj had gathered after his martyrdom and were looking for him.

In the “Allah Allah Husaina Veina” ceremony, the mourners put on white cloths or towels, similar to the pilgrims in the Hajj ceremony, and go to Haji Ghaffar’s Husainiyya before sunrise.