United in sorrow

Sectarian conflict may make headlines, but Muharram rituals highlight rich traditions of interfaith harmony.

As the Muharram procession surges through the narrow streets and winding lanes of the walled city of Multan, there is a palpable tension in the air. The south of Punjab is a hotbed of sectarian strife, where organisations like the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (formerly Sipah-e-Sahaba) and its militant offshoot Lashkar-e-Jhangvi operate freely, fanning the flames of sectarian hatred and in particular directing their ire at the Shia minority. Yet, every year, thousands participate in mourning processions for the martyrs of Karbala. “Imam Hussain’s sacrifice at Karbala is a lesson we will remember for all of eternity,” says religious scholar Allama Fazal Abbas.

And these mourners are not just Shias — it seems that suicide bombings and growing extremism have done little to dent the rich tradition of religious syncretism and interfaith harmony of the subcontinent. Before Partition, Sunnis and Hindus used to take part in great numbers in Muharram processions and the kahars — volunteers who carry the tazia — were mostly of the Hindu faith. Post-Partition, these religious rituals are embraced by both the sects and during the procession one is hard pressed to differentiate between Shia and Sunni devotees. Similarly, across the border, the Hindu community is still deeply involved in the Muharram traditions.

At the heart of these processions, which are taken out on the 10th of Muharram, is the Tazia, a replica of Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (RA) mausoleum in Karbala, Iraq. The origin of the custom of the Tazia is shrouded in legend. Hollister, in The Shi’a of India, states that “the custom of carrying these models of Hussain’s tomb is said to date from the time of Timur Lane, who brought such a miniature tomb back from Karbala, later called the tazia.” While many agree that tazias originated in India, the story of Timur introducing the tazia to South Asia is thought to be highly questionable. The most likely reason for the development of this tradition is that, due to the distance of India from Karbala, pilgrimage was beyond the means of most people, and miniature models of the shrine gained prominence. Later, Tazias of monumental proportions were made in Multan, Chiniot and Jhang.

Tazias tend to cross sectarian and even religious boundaries, with Hindus and Sikhs having their own tazias honouring their respective religious saints. A mixture of all the cultures, beliefs and faiths of the subcontinent, they are a great unifying factor. “The Tazia is the tribute that unites people. All these processions and gatherings are nothing compared to the sacrifice of Imam Hussain since, without him, Islam would never have been able to flourish,” says Muzaen Chawan, the president of the Taazia Processions Licence Holder Association Multan division. Standing outside the mausoleum of Shah Shamas Tabraiz in Multan, Om Hari, a Hindu by faith, is a living example of this tradition. “Imam Hussain is a blessing for me,” he says with as much fervour as those around him. “The world needs more leaders like him.”

Behind these Tazias are the detailed and often amusing stories of those who made them. Two of the oldest Tazias in the subcontinent are the Tazia of the Ustad and the Shagird in Multan. The Tazia of the Ustad is a remarkable 27-foot structure with seven storeys, made completely out of Sagwan (teak) wood. Ustad Mundo Khan and his 23 companions built the Tazia painstakingly by hand, starting work in 1812 and finally finishing in 1825. What the Ustad did not know was that Salman Ali, who worked alongside him by day, was making his own Tazia in the wee hours of the night. The Tazia of the Shagird, completed in 1854, was 32-foot high, and much to Ustad Mundo Khan’s dismay, easily upstaged the Tazia of the Ustad.

The Tazia of the Shagird was reportedly burnt by fundamentalists in 1944 but was repaired with the funding of the local tribes, especially the Gardezis of Afghanistan. Now, every year in Muharram, both the Tazias are put back together, with the Tazia of the Ustad at the head of the procession, while the Tazia of the Shagird is at the back, symbolising the student’s respect for his teacher. It takes around 150 people to carry the Ustad’s Tazia and 200 to carry the Shagird’s.

In Pakistan, apart from a few exceptions, most Tazia makers are Sunni. The first official licence for the Muharram processions was given by the British government to the Tazia of the Ustad in 1860, allowing the bearer to organise and lead religious processions. These licences are issued by local authorities and inherited by the next custodian of the Tazia. There are a total of 433 official licence holders, 107 of which are more than 100 years old. Contrary to what one might expect, 313 of these licenses are owned by Sunnis. The current licence holder of the Tazia of the Shagird (Student) is Muhammad Ramzan, a Sunni, who inherited it in his fifth generation.

Altaf Hussain, who holds the licence holder to the Tazia of the Ustad, and is a Sunni, says, “No matter what sect they belong to, people honour the ultimate sacrifice of Imam Hussain and his companions. It’s a lesson for all humanity. My tribute and homage is nothing compared to their sacrifice.”

This rich tradition of sectarian harmony and religious syncretism has stood its ground despite the wave of radicalism that south Punjab has been experiencing. Another popular Taziq in Multan, the Tazia of Laal Shah is visited by not only Shias and Sunnis, but also Hindus and Sikhs in the first ten days of Muharram. “We want to portray the real image of Islam,” says Hassan Mashadi, the current custodian of the Tazia of Laal Shah. “Solidarity, faith, peace and love for mankind — this is the message of Imam Hussain and of Islam.”

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 15^th, 2012.