In light of the relative dearth of scholarship on the Shia in Scotland and of their religious spaces, this article focuses on an annual ritual procession emerging out of a Twelver Shia imambargah in Edinburgh, Scotland, which situates it both within a...
Read More »Article: Dating Versions of the Karbalāʾ Story
In this paper, the writer will discuss the relative date of two important versions of the Karbala story related by Ṭabarī: one, relatively short and lacking in detail, is ascribed to Imam al-Bāqir (d. 114/732); the other, much longer and more detailed, is compiled by...
Read More »Fatwas of Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Khamenei on Imam Hussain’s Mourning
As we observe the month of Muharram, and commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as), the believers are to be reminded about the opinion of the Jurist (Marja) on the topic of...
Read More »Significance of the Months of Muharram and Safar in Islam
The months of Muharram and Safar offer the yearly opportunity to commemorate the martyrdom of al‑Husayn ibn `Ali (A), the grandson of the Prophet (S) and the third Imam of the Shiite Muslims, at Karbala' on the tenth of Muharram in the year 61....
Read More »The Effects and Consequences of the Ashura Revolt according to Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi
There is hope that in the world of today, the oppressed nations will take lesson from the story of Karbala and rise up, crushing their oppressors once and for all....
Read More »Challenges Surrounding Commemorating the Tragedy of Imam Hussain (as)
The ceremonies that recall the tragedy of Imam Hussain (p) and his family are held communally, as mosques, Islamic centers, and homes are filled with incredible intensity and zeal—a practice that has historical roots and....
Read More »Honouring Imam Hussain(a); Carving a Tunnel of Hope through the Great Mountain of Despair
Honouring Imam Hussain (a) is not to sink into the abyss of melancholy, but rather to engage in “carving a tunnel of hope through the great mountain of...
Read More »Shia Scholars’ Fatwas on Tatbir
Tatbir is amongst a set of bloody rituals that are performed by some Shia Muslims in commemoration of the great tragedy of Karbala, when the family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) was massacred by a group of....
Read More »Insight into Imam Husayn’s Struggle
The presentation of a sound interpretation of religion, stemming from a correct safeguarding of the prophetic teachings was at the heart of Imam Husayn’s struggle says....
Read More »The Rule of Azadari for Imam Hussain (as) according to Ayatollah Sistani
There is no doubt that the tragedy of Kerbala, when ascribed to the killers, is a criminal and terrible act. However when ascribed to Husain (A) himself, it represents a conscious confrontation and a...
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