HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Tawerij city or Al-Hindia district is a tiny city near the holy city of Karbala. People of Tawerij gather to recite Maqtal Al-Imam Al-Hussein (AS) and it has been a practice that an elderly Sayyed recites it on Ashura; and after recitation of Maqtal (martyrdom story of Al-Imam Al-Hussein (AS) in detail) Al-Husseini mourning for people of Tawerij begins with marching towards Karbala that houses the holy shrines of Al-Imam Abi Abdellah Al-Hussein (AS) and his brother Abo'l Fadhl Al-Abbas (AS).

This year also, the huge ‘Azaao Tawerij’ procession - zenith of Husseini Sha’a’er - was taken out at noon 12:15 pm on Ashura – Moharram 10 – participated by more than two million Husseini mourners. It culminated at 14:25pm.

Rakzato Tawerij is a sign of their coming out to render help to Al-Imam Al-Hussein (AS) but they reach late, when they find Al-Imam Al-Hussein (AS), his sons, brothers and companions martyred, slaughtered and draped in their blood, and they find tents of Al-Hussein (AS) and daughters of Prophet of Allah Muhammad (SW) burnt by Yazidi forces.

This Husseini mourning (Rakzato Tawerij) has long history.

Sayyed Thamir Al-Qazvini says Azaao Taweyrij began in 1300 A.H., 1883, by Sayed Salih Al-Qazvini (died in 1304 AH, 1887), and this is continued to-date under leadership of his children and grand children.

Qazvini says that besides Iraqis, a large number of Indians, Pakistanis, Bahrainis, Iranians and other nationals participate therein.

The procession began from Tawerij chanting “By God, We have not forgotten Hussein” and “Wa Husseina Wa Husseina” for the holy city of Karbala where it reached at the holy shrine of Al-Imam Al-Hussein (AS), then at the holy mausoleum of Al-Abbas (AS) and then Al-Mokhayyam Al-Husseini (Husseini camps).

Azaao Tawerjj 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 Tawerij city from Aal-i-Amber, Bani Hasan tribes, Aal-i-Fatlah and Ad-Daom clans stood to help people of this city for Rakzato Tawerij.

It is talk of the town about this historic Husseini procession that once Al-Imam Al-Mehdi Al-Hojjah (AS), the last infallible descendant of holy Prophet (AS), 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 Ashura along with a number of his pupils and companions. He stood on the boundaries of the holy city to welcome the Tawerij 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-Hussein (AS) 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 Husseina wa Husseina’.

His companions were in great surprise that what happened to him at once; therefore they surrounded him 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 Sayed! 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 bitterly with others. I could not bore that scene and went into the procession to perform latam (chest, head beating) with the Imam (p).