HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Massive annual
Hussayni procession known as ‘azaao Tawerej’ was taken out on Ashura
noon after Zohr (noon) prayers from Tawerej chanting “By God, We have
not forgotten Hussayn” and “Wa Hussaynaa Wa Hussaynaa” for the holy
city of Karbala where it reached at the holy shrine of Al-Imam Al-Hussayn
(p), then at the holy mausoleum of Al-Abbas (p) and then Al-Mokhayyam
Al-Hussayni (Hussayni camps).
This Hussayni mourning has long history, and
it is attended by hundreds of thousands of devotees every year and
they while performing latam on chests and heads curse on killers of
Sebt-or Rasul Al-Imam Al-Hussayn (p).
Azaao Tawerej begins on foot from Tawerej city which is situated at a
distance of 20 kilometers from the holy city of Karbala.
Religious scholars and clerics from Aal-i-Qazvini and dignitaries of
Tawerej city from Aal-i-Amber, Bani Hasan tribes, Aal-i-Fatlah and Ad-Daom
clans stood to help people of thgis city for azaao Tawerej.
It is talk of the town about this historic
Hussayni procession that once Al-Imam Al-Mehdi Al-Hojjah (p), the last
infallible descendant of holy Prophet (p), was seen in this
procession.
According to details, once late Al-Allamah Sayyed Mehdi Bahr-ol Olum
went to the holy city of Karbala on Moharram 10 –Ashura – along with a
number of his pupils and companions. He stood on the boundries of the
holy city to welcome the Tawerej procession. The participants of the
procession were bare-footed and –headed, and they were severely
beating their heads and chests in grief of Al-Imam Al-Hussayn (p) to
this extent that from wherever this procession passed, it turned that
place in deep grief and sorrow.
And when the procession neared that place
where Al-Allamah Mehdi Bahr-ol Olum was standing, those around him
were surprised to see that he acted what he never did before. He at
once threw his imamah (turban), took off his shirt, began weeping
bitterly, went into the procession and he was beating his chest and
head in severe grief unconsciously chanting ‘wa Hussaynaa wa Hussaynaa’.
His companions were in great surprise that what happened to him at
once, therefore they surrounded from lest any unseen event happen to
him or trampled under feet amid waves of this great procession. He
remained in that condition till the culmination of the procession.
After this his face became weak and he had no power even to stand up.
Then those around him asked: O our Sayyed! What happened to you that
you at once acted unconsciously what you did never before?
He looked at them and his tears began rolling down from his cheeks. He
said: when the procession neared to me I saw Maula Saheb-ol Amr (may
Allah hasten his reappearance) bare-headed and –footed, he was beating
his chest and head and was weeping with others. I could not bore that
scene and went into the procession to perform latam (chest, head
beating) with the Imam (p).