Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Jassim M. Hussain, Occultation of the 

Twelfth Imam (London: The Muhammadi Trust, 1982); 

Abdulaziz A. Sachedina, Islamic Messianism (New York: 

State University of New York Press, 1981).

Muhammad al-Mahdi

  

497  J

---

Muharram

The month in which the Shia celebrate the 

death of the third imam, h

Usayn

 

ibn

  a

li

 

ibn

  a

bi

t

alib

. The first month in the Islamic 

calendar

,

Muharram is most famous for the Shii com-

memoration that takes place during its first 10 

days and culminates in the festival of a

shUra

 on 

the 10th day of the month. It is on Ashura that 

al-Husayn’s martyrdom at k

arbala

 (680)—the 

defining moment in the development of s

hiism

—

is remembered through ritual acts of commu-

nal mourning such as taziyeh performances and 

matam processions.

Taziyeh is a passion play, performed almost 

entirely in verse, which recounts in dramatic 

form the final moments of al-Husayn and his 

followers at Karbala. Although considered the 

only indigenous drama in the Islamic world, the 

taziyeh is not so much a theatrical production as 

it is ritualized mourning. Just as in the Christian 

passion plays, which commemorate the death of 

Christ, the audience at a taziyeh participate fully 

in the performance by weeping loudly and beating 

themselves on the chest in mourning for the fallen 

martyrs at Karbala.

Matam refers to self-flagellation, either with 

chains on the back or with blows to the forehead, 

where a small incision has been made to encour-

age bleeding. Although matam is not universally 

performed, it is meant to be a public and commu-

nal activity. Indeed, it is as much a form of pros-

elytization as it is an act of devotion. And while it 

may appear to be a ghastly and bloody spectacle to 

some, according to most participants it is a nearly 

painless activity that leaves no permanent disfig-

urement. The most important aspect of matam is 

not feeling pain but shedding blood as a symbol 

of sacrifice.

Muharram activities such as taziyeh and 

matam not only allow the Shia to physically and 

emotionally connect themselves to the martyrdom 

of al-Husayn, but they also foster a continued self-

assessment of one’s commitment to the ideals of 

Shiism, particularly with regard to the pursuit of 

justice and morality against tyranny and evil. Nev-

ertheless, one should not think that Muharram 

is sacred only to the Shia. All Muslims celebrate 

the first day of Muharram as the Islamic New 

Year, and Sunni Muslims consider Ashura a day of 

blessings and spiritual renewal.

Reza Aslan