Hussainia
Encyclopedia
Hussainia

Hussainia in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

 (عربي)
حسينية (ḥussainiā)
Hindi (हिंदी) इमामबाड़ा (imāmbāṛā)

आशुरख़ाना (āshurkhānā)
Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

 (فارسى)
حسینیه (ḥosseiniyeh)
Urdu (اُردوُ) امامباڑا (imāmbāṛā)
امامبارگاہ (imāmbārgāh)
عاشور خانہ (āshurkhānā)
حسينيہ (ḥussainiā)


A Hussainia, also known as an Ashurkhana or Imambargah, is a congregation hall for Shia commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Remembrance of Muharram. The name comes from Husayn Ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

 and an Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...

 of the Shia. Hussain was killed by Yazid I
Yazid I
Yazīd ibn Mu‘āwiya ibn Abī Sufyān , commonly known as Yazid I, was the second Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate . He ruled for three years from 680 CE until his death in 683 CE. Many Muslims condemn Yazid's rule as contentious and unjust...

 in Karbala
Karbala
Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....

, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

, over 1,300 years ago. Shias still mourn the death of Hussain every year on the day of Ashura
Day of Ashura
The Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.It is commemorated by Shia Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10...

 in Hussainias all over the world.

A Hussainiya is different from a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

 in that it is intended mainly for gatherings for Muharram in the mourning of Hussain ibn Ali, and may not necessarily hold juma'at, or Friday Prayer.

In South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

, a Hussainia can also be referred to as an imambara, imambargah, or ashurkhana. In Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

 it is called a ma'tam (مأتم). In Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 and Central Asia, the equivalent term for a Shia congregation hall is takyakhana. Examples of Hussainias include the Bara Imambara
Bara Imambara
Bara Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India, built by Asaf-ud-daulah, Nawab of Lucknow, in 1784. It is also called the Asafi Imambara.Bara means big, and an imambara is a shrine built by Shia Muslims for the purpose of Azadari...

 and Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab
Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab
Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab in Lucknow, India is an imambara ....

, both in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, as well as the Imambara Wazeer Un Nisa in Amroha
Amroha
Amroha is a small town in the north-western Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is located north-west of Moradabad, near the Sot River...

, India and the Hosseiniye Ershad
Hosseiniye Ershad
The Hosseinieh Ershad or Hosseiniyeh Ershad is a religious institute in Tehran, Iran. It was closed for a time by the Pahlavi government in 1972. The institute is housed in a large, domed hall, and is used for lectures on history, culture, society, and religion...

 in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...

, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

.

Notable Hussainias

  • Azakhana Wazeer-un-Nisa, located in Amroha
    Amroha
    Amroha is a small town in the north-western Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is located north-west of Moradabad, near the Sot River...

    , India
    India
    India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

    . The Azakhana was built in 1802 (1226 Hijri) with one Mosque
    Mosque
    A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

    .

  • Badshahi Ashurkhana
    Badshahi Ashurkhana
    Badshahi Ashurkhana is a mourning place for shias during the festival of Moharram is located near Charminar in Hyderabad, India.It is a house of mourning constructed in memory of martyrdom of Imam Hussain....

    , in Hyderabad, India
  • Bara Imambara
    Bara Imambara
    Bara Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India, built by Asaf-ud-daulah, Nawab of Lucknow, in 1784. It is also called the Asafi Imambara.Bara means big, and an imambara is a shrine built by Shia Muslims for the purpose of Azadari...

    , in Lucknow, India
  • Chhota Imambara
    Chhota Imambara
    Chhota Imambara , also known as Hussainabad Imambara is an imposing monument located in the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Built by Muhammad Ali Shah, The third Nawab of Avadh in 1838, it was to serve as his own mausoleum...

    , in Lucknow, India
  • Hosseiniyeh Ershad, in Tehran
    Tehran
    Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...

    , Iran
  • Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab
    Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab
    Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab in Lucknow, India is an imambara ....

    , in Lucknow, India
  • Imambargah Colonel Maqbool Hussain
    Imambargah Colonel Maqbool Hussain
    An Imambargah is a place where Shia Muslims gather to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain bin Ali . These mourning sessions also serve to educate the people regarding religious matters....

    , in Rawalpindi
    Rawalpindi
    Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...

    , Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

  • Imambargah Haveli Saddat, one of the oldest Imambargahs in Gujranwala
    Gujranwala
    Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...

    , Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    . It was built by the Naqvi
    Naqvi
    The surname "Naqvi" are the descendants of Islamic Prophet Muhammad through the lineage of Ali al-Hadi...

     Saddat family, who immigrated from Fateh garh churian, Punjab
    Punjab (India)
    Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...

    , India
    India
    India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

    . In 1947, Syed Akbar Ali Shah, head of the Naqvi Saddat family, began organizing Majlis
    Majlis
    ' , is an Arabic term meaning "a place of sitting", used in the context of "council", to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups be it administrative, social or religious in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to Islamic countries...

    -e-Syed-ul-Shuhda with Imam Hussain from 1st to 9th Muharram
    Muharram
    Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...

    . After his death, his sons Syed Ashiq Hussain Naqvi and Syed Shabbir Hussain Naqvi took over as social and religious heads of the family. Syed Shabbir Hussain Naqvi struggled to unite all of Pakistan's Shia Muslims under the leadership of Allama Mufti Jafar Hussain
    Mufti Jafar Hussain
    Ayatollah Mufti Jafar Hussain was a Pakistani Shia mujtahid and a political leader. He was elected as the President of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria Ayatollah Mufti Jafar Hussain was a Pakistani Shia mujtahid and a political leader. He was elected as the President of...

    , and formed the first Shia political party of Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Nafaz-e-Fiqah-e-Jafaria (TNFJ). The first constitutional meeting of TNFJ was held at Imambargah Haveli Saddat, with notable Allamas
    Allamah
    An Allamah , also spelled Allameh and Allama, is an honorary title carried by only the very highest scholars of Islamic thought, jurisprudence, and philosophy....

     in attendance. Allama Mufti Jafar Hussain
    Mufti Jafar Hussain
    Ayatollah Mufti Jafar Hussain was a Pakistani Shia mujtahid and a political leader. He was elected as the President of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria Ayatollah Mufti Jafar Hussain was a Pakistani Shia mujtahid and a political leader. He was elected as the President of...

     was elected as first TNFJ President and Syed Shabbir Hussain Naqvi first Secretary General.
  • Imambargah Bait Aal e Imran, in Kotla Arab Ali Khan
    Kotla Arab Ali Khan
    Kotla Arab Ali Khan is a small town based on market/bazzar. The town is located at 32°51'05N 74°04'20E and is situated near the border with Azad Kashmir and Punjab, Pakistan. Kotla Arab Ali Khan is the Union Council of Tehsile Kharian located in the Gujrat District of Pakistan...

    , Gujrat
    Gujrat
    Gujrat is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan...

    , Pakistan. The site was donated by Choudhary Ghulam Hassan, a Shia by birth, and his wife in 1979. Hassan's wife later became gravely ill, donating her jewelry to Syed Aulad Hussain Shah and Sain Rehmat Ali Butt for the construction of the Imambargah's walls. The men sold the jewelry and contributed their own money for the construction. Meanwhile, the local mullah
    Mullah
    Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...

     received word that Shias were building an Imambargah and intended to hold Majlis
    Majlis
    ' , is an Arabic term meaning "a place of sitting", used in the context of "council", to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups be it administrative, social or religious in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to Islamic countries...

    , and complained to police. The police threatened Sain Rehmat and pressured him to move the Imambargah to another location, but Sain Rehmat refused. Due to the controversy, the first Majlis-e-Hussain was offered in Kakrali
    Kakrali
    Kakrali is a village located in Kharian Tehsil, in the Gujrat District of Pakistan.Kakrali is located approximately 25 Kilometers from Kharian and 35 Kilometers from Gujrat. The name of the village is derived from the Punjabi word for kikar tree...

    . Sain Rehmat fixed the date of 30th Muharram
    Muharram
    Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...

     for Majlis, and the first to be held within the Imambargah took place in the 1980s. Other Muslims came to Kolta Arab Ali Khan, including Syed Riaz Hussain Shah, Syed Younas Ali Shah, and Ustad Ghulam Asghar. Today, many Muslims live in Kotla Arab Ali Khan and its surroundings, and the Imambargah offers 5 Majalis every year (13th Muharram, 30th Muharram, 12th Safar
    Safar
    Safar is the second month in the Islamic calendar.The root of the name, صفر ṣafr, has three basic areas of meaning: 1) whistle, hiss, chirp; 2) be yellow, pale ; 3) to be empty, devoid, vacant...

    , 18th Safar, and 24th Safar) in Imambargah Bait e Aal e Imran. Sunni Muslims also attend Majalis-e-Hussain alongside Shia Muslims.

See also

  • Ashura
    Day of Ashura
    The Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.It is commemorated by Shia Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10...

  • Mourning of Muharram
    Mourning of Muharram
    The Mourning of Muharram is an important period of mourning in Shia Islam, taking place in Muharram which is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is also called the Remembrance of Muharram...

  • Battle of Karbala
    Battle of Karbala
    The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...

  • Husayn ibn Ali
    Husayn ibn Ali
    Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib ‎ was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...

  • Hoseni Dalan
    Hoseni Dalan
    ]]]Hoseni Dalan, also spelt Husaini Dalan, is a Shia shrine in the old part of the Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was built in the 17th century during the Mughal era...


External links

  • Hussainia by Jean Calmard, an article in Encyclopedia Iranica
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