Husayniyya

For other uses, see Husayniyya (disambiguation) and Takyeh.

"Imambara" redirects here. For other uses, see Imambara (disambiguation).

Muharram mourning ceremony at a large Husayniyya in Iran.

A Husayniyya (Arabic: حسينية, romanized: ḥusayniyya) is a building or designated space used primarily by Shia Muslims for religious gatherings, especially during Muharram and Ashura. Husayniyyas share many similarities with mosques in terms of their activities, including congregational prayers, Quran recitation, religious lectures, and other communal religious activities. The name derives from Husayn, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who was brutally killed at the Battle of Karbala.

His martyrdom occupies a central place, and Husayniyyas serve as important communal and cultural centers for Shia Muslims. Husayniyyas are referred to as Takya among Sunni Muslims and share a common origin. Although Husayniyyas can be found throughout the world, some of the most prominent and well-known are located in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, and the United Kingdom.

Terminology

Asafi Imambara is a large Husayniyya complex in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was built in 1784 by Asaf-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, and is one of the largest and most prominent historic structures in Lucknow.

The name comes from Husayn, the third of the Twelve Imams and the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Husayn was martyred at the Battle of Karbala on 10 October 680 CE on the orders of Umayyad caliph Yazid. The Shia commemorate his martyrdom every year on Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram. There are also other ceremonies which are held during the year in husayniyyas, including religious commemorations unrelated to Ashura, and may not necessarily hold jumu'ah (Friday congregational prayer). In South Asia, a husayniyya can also be referred to as an imambara, imambargah, or ashurkhana. It is also often called a takyeh in Iran and takyakhana in Afghanistan (see takya). In Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as in other Gulf States it is called a ma'tam (Arabic: مأتم).

History

Chota Imambara Husayniyya in Lucknow, India

Mourning for Husayn has long been practiced among Shia Muslims. Zaynab bint Ali is traditionally regarded as among the earliest mourners for Husayn in Karbala, Kufa, and Damascus, while Umm Salama, a wife of the Prophet Muhammad, is associated with mourning for him in Medina, and Jabir ibn Abd Allah is traditionally associated with mourning at Karbala. The Buyids later played a major role in institutionalizing public mourning ceremonies for Husayn. In Baghdad, organized mourning processions and ceremonies were established under Buyid rule in 963 CE (342 AH), with official state support. Public mourning for Husayn became increasingly widespread during the Buyid period, particularly through annual commemorations of the events of Ashura. Following the fall of Baghdad in 1258 and the establishment of Ilkhanid rule over Iran and Iraq, along with the growing recognition and patronage of Shia Islam, mourning ceremonies became more widespread.

A historic image from Zanjan Azam Hussainiya in Iran.

According to Ibrahim al-Haidari in his book The Karbala Tragedy, during the second half of the 19th century, Iraqi Shias began constructing Husayniyyas as religious and cultural institutions, similar in some respects to takiyas, where religious rituals—particularly mourning ceremonies for Husayn—could be performed. The institutions came to be associated with Husayn's name and were consequently known as Husayniyyas. From the time when the Safavid Empire was ruling Iran, when Shia tended to hold the religious and mourning ceremonies, not only the passageways or the roofed places were used for the religious communities, even to make the hoseyniyehs and also takyehs became commonplace. Any hoseyniyeh had some booths (or rooms) and arcades, both in large and small sizes. Also in many alleys and streets, on the days near Ashura, the religious people blackened the walls and the roofs and illuminated them, by the colorful lights... From the age of Zand dynasty, many bigger and vaster takyeh(s) was made just to hold ta'ziyeh, where there was a stage by the height of one meter from the floor, to show the different senses of ta'ziyeh. Expense of the husayniyya is provided by charitable donations and endowments.

Usage

A Husayniyya in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

During the Safavid Empire, as Shia Islam became increasingly widespread, Husayniyyas became important venues for mourning ceremonies during the month of Muharram. In Qazvin, the first Safavid capital, Husayniyyas also hosted a wide range of cultural activities, including literary debates, public-speaking sessions, and poetry gatherings. During Ramadan, these gatherings were often accompanied by communal hospitality, and European visitors described Husayniyyas in terms resembling guesthouses.

Husayniyya ceremonies include mourning observances during Muharram and Safar, as well as commemorations for the Prophet Muhammad and other figures regarded as infallible in Shia Islam. These ceremonies involve chest-beating (sineh-zani), rowzeh-khani (religious mourning sermons recounting the suffering of the Imams), elegiac chanting (noheh-khani), preaching, and, in some regions, ta'zieh performances. Husayniyyas are also used for celebrations marking the birthdays of Shia Imams, Ramadan gatherings—including Laylat al-Qadr ceremonies and Quran-reading sessions—memorial gatherings for deceased members of the community, and other cultural and religious activities.

Other functions of Husayniyyas include charitable activities, such as qard al-hasanah (interest-free lending) funds, as well as providing accommodation for pilgrims and travelers visiting other cities. The construction, maintenance, and operation of Husayniyyas are often financed collectively by local residents or individual benefactors through charitable donations, religious endowments (waqf), or vows (nadhr). In Iran, Husayniyyas account for more than 11% of the country's religious and sacred sites.

Maddahs

Among the best-known contemporary Maddahs are Basim al-Karbalaei of Iraq, Nadeem Sarwar of Pakistan, Mir Hasan Mir of Pakistan, Hussain Al-Akraf of Kuwait, Mahmoud Karimi, Seyyed Majid Bani Fatemeh of Iran, Hossein Taheri of Iran, Mahdi Rasouli of Iran, Hossein Sotoodeh of Iran and Mohammad-Hossein Haddadian of Iran. Al-Karbalaei, Bani Fatemeh, Taheri and Rasouli have gained huge international audience. Their popularity extends well beyond live gatherings: official videos by them have gained tens or even hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. In South Asia, Nadeem Sarwar is particularly prominent, with his nohas being widely performed and heard among Shia Muslims across the Indian subcontinent.