Muharram
The month in which the Shia celebrate the
death of the third imam, hUsayn ibn ali ibn abi
talib. 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 ashUra on
the 10th day of the month. It is on Ashura that
al-Husayn’s martyrdom at karbala (680)—the
defining moment in the development of shiism—
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 AslanFurther reading: Heinz Halm, Shi’a Islam: from Religion
to Revolution (Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener, 1997);
David Pinault, Horse of Karbala: Muslim Devotional Life
in India (New York: Palgrave, 2001); Vernon Schubel,
Religious Performance in Contemporary Islam (Colum-
bia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999).mujaddid See renewal and reform movements.
mujahid (pl. mujahidin)
Literally, “one who strives in the path of God,” the
Arabic term often refers to those who undertake
holy war on behalf of Islam. The plural, mujahidin,
has been applied in the modern era to a number
of groups leading revivalist or anticolonial move-
ments. Examples include the mujahidin led by Shah
Wali Allah and Sayyid Ahmad Brelwi in South Asia
during the 18th and 19th centuries, or the Jihad
movements of West aFrica and the Mahdist move-
ment in the sUdan during the same time period.
Technically, jihad (in the sense of war) can
be launched only against disbelievers who resist
or repress the practice of islam. However, in the
mid-20th century, Islamists such as sayyid qUtb
(d. 1966) redefined the term kafir (disbeliever) to
include professing Muslim political leaders who fail
to implement Islamic law and whose practice of
Islam is deemed to be insufficient by the Islamists.
As a result, radical organizations claiming to be
mujahidin have increasingly attacked secular Mus-
lim leaders, intellectuals, or writers, along with the
usual colonial or neocolonial targets. In their pur-
suit of war, these groups undertake terrorist actions
while justifying their deeds in quranic terms.K 498 Muharram