Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi
This is the second in the series on devotional practices of ‘Āshūra.
Among the devotional texts of Twelver Shi‘i Islam, few have exercised as profound and enduring an influence as Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā. Recited daily by countless believers across the world, and especially during the first ten days of Muharram, it is far more than a prayer associated with the martyrdom of Imam Husain. It is a declaration of faith, a reaffirmation of loyalty to the Prophet’s Household (Ahl al-Bayt), a rejection of oppression, and an ethical covenant binding the believer to the ideals for which Imam Husain sacrificed his life at Karbala. More than thirteen centuries after the events of 61 AH (680 CE), Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā continues to shape Shi‘i religious identity, devotional practice and moral consciousness. It transforms the memory of Karbala from a historical tragedy into a living spiritual reality that challenges every generation to define its own relationship with truth and justice.
The Arabic word ziyārah literally means ‘visitation’. In Islamic usage it refers to visiting a sacred person or place in order to offer greetings, prayers and expressions of reverence. Within Shi‘i thought, however, ziyārah possesses a richer theological significance. Visiting an Imam is not regarded merely as paying respects to a revered historical figure, but as renewing one’s allegiance to the divinely appointed guides of the Muslim community. Even when physical pilgrimage is impossible, the believer may perform ziyārah from any place in the world by directing his or her heart towards the Imam. Consequently, Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā has never been confined to the shrine of Imam Husain in Karbala. It is recited daily in homes, mosques, imāmbārgāhs and centres of learning across the Shi‘i world, making participation in the remembrance of Karbala accessible to all believers regardless of geographical distance.
According to the accepted Twelver Shi‘i tradition, Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā was taught by Imam Muhammad al-Bāqir, the fifth Imam, to his companion ‘Alqamah ibn Muhammad al-Hadrami, while another transmission is associated with Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq, the sixth Imam. The text was subsequently preserved in the earliest collections of Shi‘i devotional literature, most notably Ibn Qūlawayh’s Kāmil al-Ziyārāt, Shaykh al-Ṭūsī’s Miṣbāḥ al-Mutahajjid and Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām, before being incorporated into later compilations such as Ibn Ṭāwūs’ Iqbāl al-A‘māl and ‘Allāmah al-Majlisī’s Biḥār al-Anwār. While modern scholarship has examined the isnād and textual history of the ziyārah with the same critical methods applied to other early Islamic traditions, its uninterrupted acceptance and recitation within the Shi‘i community for nearly a millennium has conferred upon it exceptional devotional authority. Moojan Momen has observed that the institution of ziyārah occupies a central place in Shi‘i spirituality because it expresses both doctrinal commitment and communal identity, while Liyakat Takim has shown that loyalty to the Imams became one of the defining characteristics of early Shi‘ism.
The structure of Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā reveals a carefully developed theological vision. It opens with repeated salutations upon Imam Husain, his family and his companions, acknowledging their sacrifice and affirming their enduring spiritual authority. These greetings are followed by declarations of loyalty towards the Prophet Muhammad and his Household, prayers seeking closeness to God through devotion to them, repeated invocations of divine blessings upon the righteous, and repeated condemnation of those responsible for the oppression and murder of Imam Husain. Finally, the text concludes by praying that the believer may share in the mission of the awaited Imam al-Mahdi, whose appearance will establish justice upon the earth and complete the struggle against tyranny begun at Karbala. This sequence is not accidental. It establishes a theological progression from remembrance to allegiance, from allegiance to moral responsibility, and from moral responsibility to hope for ultimate divine justice. Karbala is therefore not presented as an isolated historical episode but as a continuing moral drama in which every believer participates.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā is its insistence that Karbala transcends history. Unlike historical chronicles, which narrate events confined to a particular place and time, the ziyārah presents Karbala as an eternal criterion distinguishing truth from falsehood. When the believer proclaims, ‘Peace be upon you, O Abu Abdillah’, the greeting is not directed merely towards a figure who lived in the seventh century but towards a living spiritual exemplar whose sacrifice continues to illuminate human conduct. Likewise, when the believer condemns the enemies of Husain, the condemnation extends beyond those historical individuals who participated in the events of 61 AH. It represents the rejection of every political order, ideology or individual that perpetuates oppression, injustice and moral corruption. This understanding explains why Shi‘i scholars have consistently argued that Karbala is not merely remembered but continually relived. Syed Akbar Hyder has demonstrated that ritual remembrance transforms historical memory into a lived moral experience. David Pinault similarly argues that rituals surrounding Karbala are designed not simply to commemorate the past but to renew communal identity through participation in sacred memory. The repeated recitation of Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā exemplifies this process by ensuring that every generation encounters Karbala not as distant history but as an ever-present ethical challenge.
Central to the theology of the ziyārah are the complementary principles of tawallā and tabarrā which have been explained in a detailed blog earlier. In concise terms Tawallā denotes love, friendship and allegiance towards God’s chosen servants, while tabarrā signifies dissociation from those who oppose divine guidance. These concepts are deeply rooted in Qur’anic teachings concerning loyalty to righteousness and rejection of injustice. In Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā, the repeated salutations upon Imam Husain and the Ahl al-Bayt embody tawallā, whereas the repeated invocations of divine curse upon the perpetrators of Karbala express tabarrā. The practice of la’n, or invoking God’s curse, has frequently been misunderstood outside its theological context. In everyday language the word ‘curse’ often suggests abusive speech or personal malice. Within Islamic theology, however, as explained in a different blog, la’n signifies asking God to withdraw His mercy from those who knowingly persisted in oppression after truth had become manifest. The Qur’an itself repeatedly employs this language in relation to those who reject divine guidance and commit injustice. ‘Indeed, Allah has cursed the wrongdoers’ (Qur’an 33:64). Consequently, the la’n found throughout Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā should not be understood as an expression of personal hatred but as a prayer for divine justice against tyranny. Shi‘i theologians have consistently interpreted these passages within this theological framework.
The repeated condemnation of the enemies of Imam Husain also reflects a broader Qur’anic concern for justice. Throughout the Qur’an, believers are commanded not merely to worship God but to uphold justice even against themselves or their own relatives (Qur’an 4:135). Imam Husain’s refusal to legitimise the rule of Yazid was therefore understood not simply as political opposition but as obedience to the Qur’anic imperative to resist injustice. Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā transforms this historical decision into a permanent ethical obligation. Every generation must ask whether it stands with Husain or with those who sought to silence him.
Equally significant is the eschatological dimension of the ziyārah. The believer repeatedly prays that God may grant him the opportunity to seek justice alongside the Imam from the Household of Muhammad who will arise to establish divine rule. Classical commentators unanimously understood this as a reference to Imam al-Mahdi. Karbala is thus linked directly with the Shi‘i doctrine of the Imamate and the expectation of the Mahdi’s return. The struggle begun by Imam Husain is not complete. Its fulfilment awaits the final triumph of justice. In this manner, Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā unites sacred history with sacred future, reminding believers that the moral struggle against oppression remains unfinished.
The spiritual significance of the ziyārah extends beyond theology into the formation of character. Traditional Shi‘i scholars have consistently recommended its regular recitation as a means of cultivating patience, steadfastness, sincerity, courage and devotion. Repetition gradually internalises these virtues. The believer who repeatedly salutes Imam Husain and condemns injustice is encouraged to embody those same values in daily life. The ziyārah therefore functions not only as remembrance but also as moral education. It seeks to produce individuals whose ethical conduct reflects the principles for which Karbala was fought.
The influence of Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā has extended far beyond the Arab world. Throughout Iran, Iraq, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, East Africa and the wider Shi‘i diaspora, it has become an indispensable part of devotional life. During Muharram, especially on the tenth day, it is recited collectively in mosques and imāmbārgāhs, while many believers also incorporate it into their daily personal devotions. Its widespread recitation has contributed significantly to preserving the memory of Karbala across diverse languages and cultures. As Kamran Scot Aghaie has argued, rituals associated with Imam Husain have repeatedly served as powerful instruments for constructing religious identity and transmitting moral values across generations. Modern historians and anthropologists have also recognised the broader social significance of such devotional texts. Victor Turner’s influential analysis of ritual emphasised that communal acts of remembrance reshape social identity by linking individuals to a shared moral narrative. In the Shi‘i tradition, Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā performs precisely this function. It continually renews the believer’s relationship with the Prophet’s Household while simultaneously reinforcing the universal principles of justice, sacrifice and resistance to tyranny.
Ultimately, the enduring appeal of Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā lies in its remarkable ability to unite history, theology and ethics within a single devotional text. It neither confines Karbala to the seventh century nor reduces it to a purely emotional commemoration. Instead, it presents Imam Husain’s martyrdom as the permanent standard by which every age must measure its own moral choices. The believer who recites the ziyārah does not merely mourn the past but pledges allegiance to an enduring vision of justice founded upon truth, sacrifice and unwavering fidelity to conscience. In this sense, Ziyārat-e ‘Āshūrā remains one of the most profound expressions of Islamic devotional literature, preserving not only the memory of Karbala but also the ethical ideals for which Imam Husain gave his life.
References
Aghaie, Kamran Scot. The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi’i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2004.
Dakake, Maria Massi. The Charismatic Community: Shi’ite Identity in Early Islam. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2007.
Hyder, Syed Akbar. Reliving Karbala: Martyrdom in South Asian Memory. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Ibn Qūlawayh. Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. Qum: Mu’assasat Nashr al-Faqāhah.
Ibn Ṭāwūs, Raḍī al-Dīn. Iqbāl al-A’māl. Qum: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah.
Al-Majlisī, Muhammad Bāqir. Biḥār al-Anwār. Beirut: Dār Iḥyā’ al-Turāth al-‘Arabī.
Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi’i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985.
Nakash, Yitzhak. The Shi’is of Iraq. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994.
Pinault, David. Horse of Karbala: Muslim Devotional Life in India. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2001.
Takim, Liyakat N. The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma and Religious Authority in Shi’ite Islam. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2006.
Al-Ṭūsī, Muhammad ibn al-Ḥasan. Miṣbāḥ al-Mutahajjid. Qum: Mu’assasat Fiqh al-Shī’ah.
Al-Ṭūsī, Muhammad ibn al-Ḥasan. Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah.
Turner, Victor. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Chicago: Aldine, 1969.
ASHA: Blast From The Past 